Our day Sunday basically consisted of a drive from Hofn to Myvatn, with a stop for a hike to the Studlagil canyon. About 4 or 5 hours of driving with an hour or so to check out the canyon. Actually, one of our lighter days. The van came equipped with a gps enabled tablet that we have been using for directions (it’s also a wireless hotspot, so we have access to all our electronic conveniences - for better or for worse). The tablet has been great and we’ve been able to get around with ease, until today. It started off about an hour and a half into the ride when we ended up on a pretty dodgy gravel road. Up to now, we’ve been driving on fairly well maintained (if somewhat narrow) 2 lane highways. The road got worse and worse as we climbed higher and higher. Potholes, switchbacks, steep drop offs, and some white knuckle turns. We kept checking the tablet and it kept telling us we were on the right track. Well we got through it and back to the main road, but we checked our guide book and found out we had taken a mountain pass and listed as option 3 out of 3 for way to get to where we were going “route 939: a summer only gravel shortcut. Not a good option in bad weather or fog, and closed in winter.” The tablet got us turned around again later on the way to the canyon. Time for a paper map.
Anyway short entry today, aside from some driving mishaps our only stop was Studlagil canyon. I guess the canyon kind of “revealed itself” about 10 years ago when a new dam lowered the water level in the river. The distinguishing feature of the canyon is its azure blue water and basaltic column formations. Pretty spectaculalar really. While hiking, the canyon though, we met and had a chat with a lovely Icelandic couple who strongly recommended we visit the active volcano outside Reykjavik. More on that later…
Bogarnes campsite
Iceland
