The Highlands of Iceland are truly unlike any other landscape in the world. The sheer variety of landscapes and the contrasts in the scenery are unparalleled. From bright green mossy volcanoes in a black lava landscape to splashing waterfalls in valleys, there is so much to find. We bundled all this splendor into a Highlands photo trip and finally it was time for the trip. At the airport in Keflavik, Jos and Kevin picked up the participants and then drove to the first accommodation. Ready for an unforgettable adventure!
THE LAND OF FIRE AND ICE
Iceland is enchanting in everything but the Highlands are so unique. This week was already supposed to be one full of wonder but just before the participants' arrival, Mother Nature added to it. Just two days earlier there was a volcanic eruption quite close to the airport. So it was only natural that we began this adventure with a visit (remotely) to the volcano. With the telephoto lenses on the cameras, everyone managed to photograph this beautiful phenomenon. Even at great distance something like this is already unprecedentedly beautiful but by quite a few millimeters you could digitally get a little closer and wow.... Then it was time to drive to the first accommodation. From there the program was to visit Kerlingerfjoll. However, we are in the land of fire and ice and there was already an early snowfall so the road to this area was closed. Snow is also one of the reasons that this photo trip is in August. The Highlands are only accessible about 3 or 4 months of the year because snowfall makes the roads impassable. You have to drive through a lot of rivers and that can be quite a challenge with a lot of snowfall. :) Not to worry, there is plenty of beauty to see besides Kerlingerfjoll and so we continue our adventure.
A LIVING SHIELD
We continued our journey toward Landmannalaugar. This region is the busiest region of the Highlands because it is still reasonably accessible with a small SUV car. The surreal colors make this landscape like a living painting you walk through. Our group consisted of quite a few tough guys because we climbed the highest mountain in this area, the Blahnukur. Tell me, doesn't that sound just like talking about a mountain range from a Lord of The Rings movie? The intense climb is rewarded with breathtaking 360-degree views. After some great days in this region, it was time to head further into the Highlands. Even more bumps and rivers to cross! The roads are becoming more and more of a challenge so from this point on, you hardly meet any other people.
DRONE PARADISE
The southern part of the Highlands looks completely different again from Landmannalaugar, driving through huge lava plains with ancient volcanoes and craters covered with green, bright green moss all around you. It often feels like you're on another planet. Fortunately, almost all participants had a drone with them because the Highlands lend themselves perfectly to this. The river deltas from above are a work of art of lines in various colors and the craters from above give you a good idea of how wide the landscape is and how small we are.
MOONSCAPES?
Traveling in the Highlands does take some doing. We hike to some higher points, we are up early and the roads are anything but comfortable. But everything is rewarded with so much beauty that you will probably rarely experience in your lifetime. The roads of black lava sand, the rivers we cross, the unique compositions, the whole adventure is indescribably cool. On the way back we passed a bunch of craters over 1,000 years old via the ring road and we couldn't resist going back to the volcano this time in the blue hour. We enjoyed ourselves and the participants were the best part of our trip! What memories we made together. Next year we will go again!
