Iceland’s volcanic landscape is one of its big draws for visitors – Iceland Specialist, Eric took a Superjeep excursion up the now infamous Eyjafjallajokull to get a better view.
Being taken up on to Eyjafjallajokull was the highlight of my trip to South Iceland. It would have been a fantastic experience to visit any volcano, however to visit the site of the eruption that made the headlines in 2010 made it even more special.
We met our guide Saeli at the South Coast Adventure Base and he talked to us about the area and his Superjeeps (which he was very proud of!) before driving in convoy along the main ring road on our way to Thorsmork.
When we got to this famous valley we did some off roading, putting the Superjeeps – which are fully customised to allow the drivers to go through rivers and streams – through their paces. He often waited until the windows were open before speeding through the river, splashing us all!It was so nice to see his enthusiasm; you can tell he really enjoys taking people on the trips.
As we drove through Thorsmork and towards the foot of Eyjafjallajokull, Saeli told us many folk stories about the mountains, and how they were trolls that were caught in the sun.
We started our climb in the Superjeep up the volcano. It was a beautiful day with the sun beaming down on the green grass at the foot of the volcano. As we got higher and higher it was incredible to see the change in the landscape. When we started there was green grass and small lakes, whereas an hour later we were surrounded by snow and ice.
We climbed and climbed, racing the other Superjeep to the top. When we reached the top it was so quiet. I stood there taking in the surroundings and I found it so difficult to believe that this peaceful volcano caused so much disruption in 2010. And then we decided to try sledging down one of the snowy slopes, on our backsides, which was hilarious! That’s Iceland for you though – a resilient country where nothing is quite what you expect, but the view is always incredible.
Find out more
Thorsmork & Eyjafjallajokull by Superjeep runs between June and October.
Get in touch with our Iceland Travel Specialists to plan your own Iceland adventure – call on 01737 214 250 or send an enquiry.
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