Fire: Visiting Fagradalsfjall

Fagradalsfjall in full flow

On March 19th, 2021, the Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted after lying dormant for 800 years.   I was still living in the UK at the time and heard the news from Matthew who had been keeping me updated on the regular  earthquakes that had been happening for some time.  Icelanders had been bracing themselves for an eruption for several weeks, having recorded more than 50,000 earthquakes during that time!  Of course, being Iceland, there was no panic as I might have imagined… admittedly the eruption is in a non-populated area of the Reykjanes Peninsula but it is only  32km from the capital of Reykjavík and even closer to Keflavik airport.

Lava started to burst from a crack in the Fagradalsfjall mountain on Friday evening.  The site was initially blocked off but by Saturday afternoon people were allowed to make the trek to see what was happening and crowds of Icelanders flocked to see the action!   As I watched on the news, it seemed crazy to me that people were allowed to be there, but the eruption was deemed to be relatively small and controlled and the authorities marked out safe routes to take, in order to trek to see it.  It seems to be the Icelandic way.

Two months later I too was trekking up to catch a glimpse of this incredible sight.  A couple of days after arriving in Reykjavik  we decided to make the hike to see the volcano - we had already been able to see the orangey smoke billowing up from it and the glow that emanated from the hot lava bubbling and spewing out from the crater could be seen from Reykjavík itself!

Walking towards the ridge from where we would be at the closest point to the volcano - even here we had amazing views…

The trek was relatively challenging and it took us a good hour and a half to get up to the top of the ridge opposite the volcano, but although arduous it was worth every step - even though I was suffering with a frozen shoulder as a result of a nasty fracture, I wouldn’t have missed this experience.  As we walked down the slope of the ridge on the side facing the volcano we could feel the heat on our faces as it erupted every 10-12 minutes - you could almost predict when it would get going again, it was so regular.  Suddenly we would see the lava that was flowing from the mouth of the crater increase in volume and then within 30 seconds we could see it rising up in the centre of the crater - almost like a pan boiling over - and then it would erupt, a bright orange fountain of molten lava rising up out of the crater and pouring out over the sides as it rained down on the mountain that was being formed by this very activity.  From where we stood we could feel the heat on our skin, smell the hot lava and hear the rumbling and roaring of the eruption.  Even as it began to die down, there were bangs and booms from inside the crater itself, sounding like a series of incendiary devices going off.  I presume this was due to smaller explosions or the rock on the inside of the mountain cracking and breaking in the heat.  As we stopped frantically clicking away, taking photographs of this immense activity we continued watching the glowing crater and the rivers of lava as they flowed slowly and serenely down the mountainside.  It was at the same time terrifying and unbelievably beautiful.  

Mesmerised and awestruck, we  stayed there for a couple of hours, halfway down the side of the ridge, surrounded by black hardened lava and glowing orange rivers, watching this wonder of nature as it built up and erupted again and again and again.  The exhilaration of watching nature explode in all her raw and elemental power up close and personal was something I have never before experienced.  So taken aback was I by what I was seeing that I WhatsApped and Facetimed our children and my Mum so that they could see this happening in real time and share a little of what we were experiencing, without actually registering that in the UK it was well past midnight….  Oops!  

Eventually, and reluctantly, we decided it was time to start making the long trek down to the area that had become an impromptu car park for Iceland’s latest attraction.  As we began the descent, I watched hikers climbing up and envied them that first glimpse and stunned realisation of what they were seeing that awaited them.  Even as we trekked down the mountain, we couldn’t help but turn every time we heard the familiar roaring and booming noise to see Fagradalsfjall erupt yet again. This was a night we were not going to see the like of again and we didn’t want it to stop.

Selfie in front of the volcano

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And as I write, the volcanic activity shows no sign of ending, although the pattern of eruptions has changed drastically.  The volcano is now going through phases of very high activity, alternating with long periods of low activity so that it seems nothing at all is happening.  These phases seem to be alternating every 12 hours or so which makes it harder to plan a trip up to see the volcano.  When it is active the crater fills with a glowing lake of lava that overflows and pours down the sides of the mountain in many different rivers that flow down to join the lava plateau.  The volcano itself has grown enormously in hight since we went up and  the diameter of the crater at the top has decreased, which means that when it erupts, the fountain of lava travels further and is even higher than when we were there.  However, there has been so much lava flow that the ridge we walked along has now been completely cut off by the rivers of molten lava that are spreading out in every direction and is now totally inaccessible, rising out of the lava plateau like an island.  As a result, the hike to see the volcano has got longer and it’s not possible to get anywhere near as close as we did.  We were so very lucky to go when we did!  

Incredible experience, feeling the heat of the flames and the lava on our skin

I heard recently that the name Fagradalsfjall is made up of the Icelandic words for ‘beautiful valley mountain’.  That seems pretty appropriate and I feel so thankful and privileged to have seen it.  To be able to see a volcano explode into life from a slumber that has lasted centuries is awe-inspiring, and to witness first-hand the enormous power of nature is incredibly humbling.  It’s also a reminder of how small and insignificant we actually are.  People often talk about once-in-a-lifetime experiences, but this truly was.  The photos cannot do it justice but hopefully will show some of the awesome beauty and power that we witnessed.  Truly a wonder of nature!  

Matthew enjoying the warmth of the volcano

Watch it for yourself! This is the most awesome thing I think I’ve ever seen; witnessing a volcano erupting right in front of us….