Page 46 - 2000 ICELAND

THÓRSMÖRK

Morning as usual in every way. The trip to Thórsmörk
took two hours. The area has been designated a

nature preserve
so there’s no

grazing, farming,
haying, or other

human activity

except for
recreation:

hiking, camping, picnicking, etc. It’s another long valley surrounded on
three sides by green, green, huge bluffs with water constantly cascading

down their colorful faces. It reminded us here very much of New Zealand
with the same sort of valleys. Magnus drove along in what appeared to be

braided riverbeds.

Around 10:30, he stopped and let us out to cross the streams on our own

until we got on a footbridge which took us up and over a faster, deeper
stream. Then we had a little “up and down” in the copses lining the river

until we reached the campsite area with potties. After everyone availed
himself/herself of the facilities, we headed off on our real hike. Up, up, up

and over a saddle and into a long and interesting gorge with many dizzying
views of huge chasms, braided rivers in the distance, snow covered peaks,

and the ever-present “green fronts.”

This landscape looked as if Odin and his 8-footed horse had galloped and

dashed over it as well, leaving overturned rocks, deep footprints turned into
pools and lakes, fracturing stones into gravel. The hiking was not

particularly easy since it was “roller-coastery” and often on very narrow
trails with steep and deep fall-away. Some slipping and sliding was

inevitable and the ups were pretty “puffy” and downs often gut-wrenching.