LegendIt’s been a while since I last posted a great time lapse video of Iceland. This one is top notch and perhaps the best since Stiegemeier’s time lapse of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption. Filmmaker Henry Jun Wah Lee traveled around Iceland over a two week period last June shooting time lapses, mostly in the everlasting twilight period of Iceland’s midnight sun. The video was shot as a music video for the song Legend by ambient band Mono.

I like how the video shows a slightly different perspective than most. Henry’s left out many of the most common sights and instead focuses on the barren landscapes of the highlands. Still, you may recognize some spots. The first shots are of the barren lava fields around Hekla and of the colorful smoky mountains around Landmannalaugar. The steam blasting hot spring shots are taken in the Krafla area close to Mývatn. The glacier shots are all taken in the Öræfi area, showing the famous Jökulsárlón and neighbouring Fjallsárlón lagoons. The mystic dark valley in the fog is a narrow valley behind the farm Hof (It’s full of trolls). The next few shots are taken in the Austfirðir area, finally jumping across the whole country to the highly photogenic Kirkjufell mountain in Grundarfjörður. Another jump back to the northeast shows some powerful shots of the mighty Dettifoss waterfall (used in the opening shot of Promotheus). The only people visible in the video are by the Brúarfoss waterfall. Shortly thereafter there is a good shot of the Goðafoss waterfall in the north and then fresh water pouring from underneath a lava field probably in the south. Then ending shots are again mostly in the Landmannalaugar and Fjallabak area (check out these amazing 360° panoramas of that area) and the very end of the video shows the not so well know, but my favorite mountain in Iceland, Löðmundur.

If you liked this video, you should also check out the Behind the Scenes version.

Amazing 360° Panoramas of Iceland
I’ve always known that the Fjallabak Nature Reserve was one of the most beautiful areas on Earth. Still I was awestruck by these panoramas.
Click here to see the Fjallabak panoramas
Fjallabak means “Behind the mountains” and is a rather informal term for the mountain area north of (“behind”) the Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) and Eyjafjallajökull glaciers. On the area’s western side you will find the famous Hekla volcano, while the eastern side is marked off by the Torfajökull volcano and geothermal area. Right down through the middle of Fjallabak is the popular Laugavegur hiking trail from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk.
If you want to visit Fjallabak, the easiest way is to do a day trip to Landmannalaugar. All the super jeep companies offer tours like these and you can also just hop on to a bus. To drive there yourself, you need a 4x4. Around Landmannalaugar you can find countless hikes, but in any case, be sure to hike to the top of nearby Bláhnúkur. This is the big blue-greyish mountain prominent in a couple of the panoramas. From there you will find views comparable to those in the panoramas. Before you go home, be sure to take a bath in the Landmannalaugar hot springs.
The other popular way to see the area is by doing the Laugavegur hike. It is one of the most varied hikes you can find anywhere. It takes you through lava fields, across snow fields, mountains of flint stone, black desert sands, mushy green moss and birch forests. I’ve written more about the trail before.

Amazing 360° Panoramas of Iceland

I’ve always known that the Fjallabak Nature Reserve was one of the most beautiful areas on Earth. Still I was awestruck by these panoramas.

Click here to see the Fjallabak panoramas

Fjallabak means “Behind the mountains” and is a rather informal term for the mountain area north of (“behind”) the Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) and Eyjafjallajökull glaciers. On the area’s western side you will find the famous Hekla volcano, while the eastern side is marked off by the Torfajökull volcano and geothermal area. Right down through the middle of Fjallabak is the popular Laugavegur hiking trail from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk.

If you want to visit Fjallabak, the easiest way is to do a day trip to Landmannalaugar. All the super jeep companies offer tours like these and you can also just hop on to a bus. To drive there yourself, you need a 4x4. Around Landmannalaugar you can find countless hikes, but in any case, be sure to hike to the top of nearby Bláhnúkur. This is the big blue-greyish mountain prominent in a couple of the panoramas. From there you will find views comparable to those in the panoramas. Before you go home, be sure to take a bath in the Landmannalaugar hot springs.

The other popular way to see the area is by doing the Laugavegur hike. It is one of the most varied hikes you can find anywhere. It takes you through lava fields, across snow fields, mountains of flint stone, black desert sands, mushy green moss and birch forests. I’ve written more about the trail before.

Sitting on a hot rock in the Icelandic mountains
This is one of my own pictures from a cross country ski tour in the Landmannalaugar area up in the Icelandic highlands. This man is taking a rest from skiing and sitting on a warm rock in the steaming hot spring area in Vondugil (E. Evil Gulleys). See more pics from the tour, a funny video I posted before or a promo video I made for the tour.

Sitting on a hot rock in the Icelandic mountains

This is one of my own pictures from a cross country ski tour in the Landmannalaugar area up in the Icelandic highlands. This man is taking a rest from skiing and sitting on a warm rock in the steaming hot spring area in Vondugil (E. Evil Gulleys). See more pics from the tour, a funny video I posted before or a promo video I made for the tour.

BON IVER “Holocene”

Beautiful shortfilm by Nabil Elderkin. All of the scenes are filmed in Iceland. I’ll help you figure out where the locations are if you are interested. Young Hilke wakes up in a traditional Icelandic turfhouse. Notice how short the beds are. That’s because we were smaller a century ago. He puts on classic rubber shoes and an Icelandic wool sweater. He then walks out on the Skeiðarársandur sand and towards the Skeiðarárjökull glacier close to Skaftafell. The lava field is probably Lakahraun close to the town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur as well as the grassy shot. He then walks through a mountain valley, probably the Dómadalur valley between the Hekla mountain and Landmannalaugar hot springs. The rocky moss slope could be just about anywhere. The hilly landscape in which he can “see for miles” is tough, but probably somewhere in the Fjallabak area. He then skips stones in between ice bergs on the famous Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon in front of the expansive Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, part of the Vatnajökull glacier. He then admires the Svartifoss waterfall which falls off of the basalt columns up on the Skaftafellsheiði plateau in the Skaftafell National Park. He then plays around a lake which I’m pretty sure is the lake you see just before arriving in Landmannalaugar. He then hikes along a moraine at the edge of the Svínafellsjökull glacier (my glacier) in Skaftafell. He stays in Skaftafell a little longer and admires the views over Skeiðarársandur from a spot in between the trees by the Bölti guesthouse. He then walks around the Sólheimasandur sand just south of the Sólheimajökull glacier (my other glacier) and plays with the Skúmur (Arctic Skua). The beautiful basalt columns that he climbs on are at the beach on the western side of the Reynisfjall mountain in Reynishverfi, close to the town of Vík. That beach also gives him a sunset view of Dyrhólaey, the mountain/island with the big hole through it. Finally he falls asleep, the end.

Stuck in the snow on skis but driving through on a Land Rover

Here’s an interesting video I made after a trip about a year ago. We’re having some trouble skiing through the endless powder snow around Landmannalaugar before getting picked up. When we are finally picked up by the Land Rover he’s able to plow through the deep powder with amazing ease. I was guiding the Landmannalaugar in Winter cross country ski tour. You can see more pictures from it, mostly taken in better weather, in my gallery. And a video of the xc skiing on youtube

Illasúla (E. Evil Column) in Landmannalaugar by Kristján Freyr.

Illasúla (E. Evil Column) in Landmannalaugar by Kristján Freyr.

(via )

Laugavegurinn - Iceland’s most popular hiking route
You must hike the Laugavegur hiking route between Landmannalaugar, Þórsmörk and Skógar one day. This 3-5 day hike goes through the most amazing landscape on earth. In a couple of hours hike you will hike along steaming volcanic ridges, spring through lush green moss, listen to boiling mud pots, cross ice cold glacial rivers, warm your feet in steaming geothermal rivers and see glaciers up close and personal.
The route starts in Landmannalaugar, Iceland’s most popular tourist destination up in the mountains (popular means there might be a few other people). To warm up for the hike you can take a bath in the geothermal river just outside the cabin and campsite. From there you hike into the Laugahraun lavafield from the year 1477 and along these still warm ridges on the picture up to Hrafntinnusker.
In Hrafntinnusker (E. Flintstone Reef) you will find a cabin, campsite and tiny glacier. The little glacier is very interesting to see as it is on top of a geothermal area and the ice is sculpted by hot steam. This area is the highest point on the route and you can expect snow anytime of the year.
The hike from Hrafntinnusker to Álftavatn (E. Swan Lake) is my favorite part of the journey. It is mostly downhill but goes up and down minor colorful hills and wanders in between lava fields and hot springs. The view when you descend the final slope down to the cabin and campsite by the Álftavatn lake is one of the best in Iceland.
From Álftavatn you will have a short hike over to Hvanngil where you can spend the night or continue on to Emstrur. On the way to Emstrur you will cross the immense Mælifellssandur sands. This is the only dry part of the journey so make sure you have some water with you. In Emstrur you can try to camp on the tiny patches of grass available or sleep in the hut.
The final stretch from Emstrur to Þórsmörk is an amazing journey. You will soon leave the dry sands above Emstrur and walk along the mighty Markarfljót (E. Dark River). Passing glaciers, crossing hanging bridges and wading glacial rivers you will arrive in the lush forest around Þórsmörk. Chill out in the pools in Húsadalur or sunbathe in the shelter of the forest for a change.
Þórsmörk has links to civilization and you can hop on to a bus that takes you down to Highway 1 or to Reykjavík. But if you are really enjoying the hiking you can continue on over Fimmvörðuháls (E. Five Cairn Col) towards Skógar (E. Forest). This high mountain pass between the Mýrdalsjökull (E. Marsh Valley Glacier) and Eyjafjallajökull (E. Island Mountain Glacier) glaciers is particularly interesting now after the eruption on Fimmvörðuháls and up in Eyjafjallajökull in 2010. A new mountain was created directly on top of the hiking trail and you can see where the trodden path goes under the lava. This means you will need to walk across the brand new lava. The surface is just barely cold enough to walk across and you will see glowing red rocks inside cracks below your feet. If you’ve brought a pack of hot dogs with you can roast them in these cracks. At the end of this unique hike you will descend down to Skógar right next to the iconic Skógafoss waterfall.
Good luck and stay safe!

Laugavegurinn - Iceland’s most popular hiking route

You must hike the Laugavegur hiking route between Landmannalaugar, Þórsmörk and Skógar one day. This 3-5 day hike goes through the most amazing landscape on earth. In a couple of hours hike you will hike along steaming volcanic ridges, spring through lush green moss, listen to boiling mud pots, cross ice cold glacial rivers, warm your feet in steaming geothermal rivers and see glaciers up close and personal.

The route starts in Landmannalaugar, Iceland’s most popular tourist destination up in the mountains (popular means there might be a few other people). To warm up for the hike you can take a bath in the geothermal river just outside the cabin and campsite. From there you hike into the Laugahraun lavafield from the year 1477 and along these still warm ridges on the picture up to Hrafntinnusker.

In Hrafntinnusker (E. Flintstone Reef) you will find a cabin, campsite and tiny glacier. The little glacier is very interesting to see as it is on top of a geothermal area and the ice is sculpted by hot steam. This area is the highest point on the route and you can expect snow anytime of the year.

The hike from Hrafntinnusker to Álftavatn (E. Swan Lake) is my favorite part of the journey. It is mostly downhill but goes up and down minor colorful hills and wanders in between lava fields and hot springs. The view when you descend the final slope down to the cabin and campsite by the Álftavatn lake is one of the best in Iceland.

From Álftavatn you will have a short hike over to Hvanngil where you can spend the night or continue on to Emstrur. On the way to Emstrur you will cross the immense Mælifellssandur sands. This is the only dry part of the journey so make sure you have some water with you. In Emstrur you can try to camp on the tiny patches of grass available or sleep in the hut.

The final stretch from Emstrur to Þórsmörk is an amazing journey. You will soon leave the dry sands above Emstrur and walk along the mighty Markarfljót (E. Dark River). Passing glaciers, crossing hanging bridges and wading glacial rivers you will arrive in the lush forest around Þórsmörk. Chill out in the pools in Húsadalur or sunbathe in the shelter of the forest for a change.

Þórsmörk has links to civilization and you can hop on to a bus that takes you down to Highway 1 or to Reykjavík. But if you are really enjoying the hiking you can continue on over Fimmvörðuháls (E. Five Cairn Col) towards Skógar (E. Forest). This high mountain pass between the Mýrdalsjökull (E. Marsh Valley Glacier) and Eyjafjallajökull (E. Island Mountain Glacier) glaciers is particularly interesting now after the eruption on Fimmvörðuháls and up in Eyjafjallajökull in 2010. A new mountain was created directly on top of the hiking trail and you can see where the trodden path goes under the lava. This means you will need to walk across the brand new lava. The surface is just barely cold enough to walk across and you will see glowing red rocks inside cracks below your feet. If you’ve brought a pack of hot dogs with you can roast them in these cracks. At the end of this unique hike you will descend down to Skógar right next to the iconic Skógafoss waterfall.

Good luck and stay safe!

(via lionza)

This photo is taken by my friend Matti. It is taken in the “Fjallabak” area between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk, not far from Álftavatn. Notice the two cars in the picture. These are jeeps from an Icelandic rescue team driving on the snow far from any road. One of them is being driven by me. One of the unique activities in Iceland is off road driving like this. Once the moss freezes and the snow creates a protective blanket you can drive anywhere you like. Don’t take it as off roading is ok or legal in any other conditions. 

This photo is taken by my friend Matti. It is taken in the “Fjallabak” area between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk, not far from Álftavatn. Notice the two cars in the picture. These are jeeps from an Icelandic rescue team driving on the snow far from any road. One of them is being driven by me. One of the unique activities in Iceland is off road driving like this. Once the moss freezes and the snow creates a protective blanket you can drive anywhere you like. Don’t take it as off roading is ok or legal in any other conditions. 

A super jeep from the Reykjavík Air Ground Search and Rescue team in Iceland. Driving up in the highlands. That ghost is me.
Photo by my friend Matti.

A super jeep from the Reykjavík Air Ground Search and Rescue team in Iceland. Driving up in the highlands. That ghost is me.

Photo by my friend Matti.

Part of the Laugavegur trek in Iceland.
yettoberealized:

Iceland - Landmannalaugar (by Mathieu Noël (no time for anything … ))
eribooo:

This photograph was taken in July of 2010 while hiking in a region of Iceland called Landmannalaugar. People come to this area in order to see the colorful Rhyolite Mountains. During our trip we had come across small amounts of cotton grass along the roads, but I never expected to see such a huge field of it. This image represents what Iceland is all about. Just when you think the landscape can’t surprise you anymore, something else even more amazing comes along.
From National Geographic.

eribooo:

This photograph was taken in July of 2010 while hiking in a region of Iceland called Landmannalaugar. People come to this area in order to see the colorful Rhyolite Mountains. During our trip we had come across small amounts of cotton grass along the roads, but I never expected to see such a huge field of it. This image represents what Iceland is all about. Just when you think the landscape can’t surprise you anymore, something else even more amazing comes along.

From National Geographic.