Mývatn Tag 9

Tag 9: Mývatn

Today, several hikes around Lake Mývatn are on the agenda. The region revolves around volcanic activities. First, we visit a cave (Grjótagjá). It is an underground cave that contains a small lake. The water is hot. The cave was used in the past as a bathing option. From 1975 to 1984, the geothermal activities increased, causing the water temperature to rise above 60°C. Currently, the temperature is at 44°C, but bathing is still prohibited. We are happy because we are alone and can take our pictures. There isn't much space, and we climb a few meters into the cave.
Then we choose a hike over lava fields to Stóragjá, a gorge made of lava rock. We descend into the gorge, which also has pools. One can probably bathe here, as there is a rope leading into the gorge. We can't see the quality of the water and decide against bathing. The hike is 5 kilometers long. Back at the parking lot, we first drive to the thermal springs from yesterday. Erik has lost his chain, but unfortunately, it's not there. We hope to find it still.
Our next trip is a hike to Hverfjell. A tuff ring volcano. This was formed 2500 years ago during a steam explosion. From the parking lot, there is a steep path rising 90 meters to the crater rim. The trail is strenuous, but after 10 minutes we have arrived. The view of the region is very beautiful. The sun is shining, it’s warm, and we can see Lake Mývatn.
We could also walk around the crater. That would be 3 kilometers and another 100 meters of elevation gain. We want to see more special features of the region and descend again. After lunch, we head to Dimmuborgir, which is 10 minutes away. The region consists of a collapsed lava lake from 2300 years ago. There are several hiking paths, and we learn that the 13 Yule Lads also roam here. Unfortunately, we don’t see any of them.
Here, we also walk 5 kilometers through the guided path, past lava caves, natural arches, and many lava rock formations. We take a challenging route that cuts through the formations. At the parking lot, we are quite exhausted, but a stop is still ahead of us. The Skútustaðagígar are located directly at Lake Mývatn. There, pseudocraters have formed due to a lava flow. First, we look at the visitor exhibition and take a short walk to the craters. Lake Mývatn is home to many species of birds. At the water’s edge, some bird watchers with large specialized cameras are present. As a reward, we treat ourselves to an ice cream. We buy such expensive ice cream for the first time today. One scoop costs €6. For 4 ice creams, we pay a whopping €24.
Now, René drives another 30 minutes to the next campsite in Laugar. Upon arrival, we wash our laundry. The owners, an Icelandic firefighter and a German woman, are very friendly. The firefighter is part-time and on call. He mainly works with first aid missions.
The day has been exhausting overall, and I have walked a total of 19 kilometers. Completely exhausted, we collapse into bed.