Another Hekla

Hekla views: from the farm. It´s about 50km away (as the raven flies).

Hekla

On 7 October I was up enjoying the summit of Hekla (ca.1500m) - one of the local volcanoes to the farm, and an active one (last erupted in 2000). Its a classic cone-shaped peak, with permanent ice along the crest of the summit ridge. I had already been hiking alone on the hill for the day, yet turned back because it was so snowy and the lava fields are never a good thing to cross under such conditions.... anyhow, at 4pm I was on my way back to the car (parked on an interesting intersection of the F225 Landamannalaugur road.... don´t try this at home with a Renault Clio kids!) when I met a few others just about to hike up. So, at this late stage of the day we all tramped up to the summit together - we made it for sunset and it was a stunner.

And what better way to end the day: camping at a hot pot - ahhh....
(this is me having breakfast in bath, the following morning!)

The roads to Hekla - good for my Clio and bad....

This all happened a few weeks back - the sun set at 8pm then. These days the sun is rising about 10am and setting by about 5.30pm.... hello winter!

Southern farm life

Well, I moved on from Stykkishólmur in September to work on a farm in S Iceland. Introducing Eystra Fróðholt, a small mixed farm nr Hvöllsvellir. Cows, horses, sheep, two kids:all good fun. The plan is to try to improve my Icelandic language skills, as Dad here doesn´t speak English at all and Mum works away in town in the day.... well, can´t say that I´m much improved but hey! I can discuss cows a bit now...

It is pancake-flat around here - 30k to the mountains. But oh! what mountains! I can see all the way up into the Þorsmork region (famous for hiking and trees! :))

So, my routine here is milking the 23 cows, helping out on the farm with the sheep when is needed, riding several of the 300-odd horses here (by this, i mean a few a day, when the weather is not horizontal rain and wind).

It´s a change from science, but I am still completing a Waders of West Iceland paper when I get spare time, which is a nice contrast to the farm work.

Here´s some pics, anyway.... (oh! and we had some snow - great to have it back)