Don’t Go To The Volcano, Because You Might Die

It has escaped no one’s attention that yet another eruption is taking place on the Reykjanes peninsula. Just like the other four eruptions this year, this one is closed to visitors. I’ll say this again: The area has been closed off by the authorities, and the ban is being enforced by the police. So there’s no going there, no hiking, and no pulling over on the road between Keflavík and Reykjavík.

The temptation to go for a look is strong, and understandable. Most people don’t get to see an erupting volcano in their lifetime. But this eruption and its recent predecessors are closed for some extremely good reasons. And we, your friends at the Grapevine, are here to help you not hurt yourself with this official Reasons You Shouldn’t Visit The Volcano FAQ.

Q: Why can’t I hike to the volcano?

A: Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable — because the reasons why hiking in the area is banned are numerous.

Firstly, the ground in the erupting area is extremely treacherous. It’s old lava that’s full of crevasses. Sometimes the chasms are superficially covered by soft, overgrown moss, meaning even the most careful eyes won’t see the danger until it’s too late. So if you’re looking to break a leg, or disappear forever — or to hide a body, nudge nudge — that’s your hike.

Second, there are now five overlapping recent lava fields in the area, and even though they might seem solid, they’re anything but. Only the top layer has solidified, with steaming hot lava right beneath the surface. And if you’ve seen the end of Terminator 2, you know what falling into hot lava does to a killer robot from the future, never mind a soft-bodied tourist like you.

Third— even if there were a hiking trail, it would start near the Grindavík-Keflavík road junction. This area used to be a training ground for the US Army back in Dr. Strangelove times. The US Army is not known for cleaning up messes they’ve created — remember Iraq? — and they left unexploded bombs strewn all over the area. Yeah, we’re not even kidding. So if you ignore the hiking ban and somehow manage to not break a leg or fall through the ground into lava, you might step on a Korean War-era mortar round and explode.

Q: Well can I at least drive there and take a look?

A: Sorry, but no. The ban on cars pulling over and parking on the road that passes the eruption is a simple safety issue. It’s a 90 km/h road, and cars slowing down suddenly, parking willy nilly on the side of the road, or just behaving unpredictably creates obvious collision hazards. So if that volcano glow catches your eye — keep your eyes on the road, and your phone in your pocket.

Q: Okay, okay, no volcano, I get it. Am I allowed to do anything fun?

A: We recommend hiking to dormant rather than active volcanoes. And since Iceland is basically one big dormant volcano, your options are many. Here are a few of our favourite places to witness nature while also not dying. Many of them are within easy reach of Reykjavík.

Mt. Helgafell
(338 metres)
Our first recommendation is located in the Hafnarfjörður vicinity at the southern end of the Capital Area, so not that far from the live volcano. It’s basically a round pile of subglacially formed volcanic rock that stands in a flat, solid lava field that one has to hike through before getting to the base of the mountain. It’s a pleasant, easy hike with an incredibly good view for little work.

Búrfell Crater
(179 metres)
If you want to see how a volcanic crater looks, this 7.000 year old crater near Hafnarfjörður is a good, safe choice. The hike to the crater is three or four kilometres, and you hike there through a beautiful long lava channel called Búrfellsgjá.

Mt. Esja
(770 metres)
On the northern end of the Capital Area you’ll find Mt. Esja, the favourite mountain of the local population. Most people measure the hike up to the so-called “Rock” at 600 metres of elevation. The view to the north is limited by the mountain itself, but on a good day you’ll get a good view of the whole capital area. The trail is about three kilometres each way and takes one to three hours based on your fitness, or how hungover you are.

Photo by Diego Delso/Wikimedia Commons

Akrafjall
(566 metres)
If you drive northwest from Reykjavík you’ll get to the town of Akranes in about 40 minutes. The town stands next to a mountain called Akrafjall, which has a straightforward path eastwards along the southern edge of the mountain. You’ll be at the top in an hour and a half.

Grábrók Crater

Grábrók
(170 metres)
Since our choice of hikes have been slowly taking you northwest, it seems good to end with this gem. It’s situated on the Ring Roadm about 45 kilometres north of Borgarnes. It’s a proper 3.400 old crater, and it’s also the easiest of all these hikes — you’ll summit within minutes of parking your car next to it.

We hope this article talked you out of potentially becoming a news story yourself. Have fun out there, and stay safe.