Sigöldugljúfur - the Valley of Tears

You can see why this beautiful gorge has been dubbed the ´Valley of Tears´

I first saw a picture of Sigöldugljúfur in a collection of stunning photographs of Iceland taken by the professional photographer Iurie in his gallery shop in Reykavík and determined there and then that I had to find this incredible place.  It hardly looks real; this beautiful canyon with its wall of waterfalls and ice-blue river below.

A hazy summer´s day looking down at the lush canyon

Sigöldugljúfur is often missed or overlooked by visitors to Iceland, largely because of its location which is in towards the central highlands and quite a drive from the main route 1 ring road.  To get to it you will have to drive along kilometres of gravel roads through rocky and barren terrain.  It feels as if you are in the middle of nowhere, with no indication of anything much worth seeing, let alone anything so spectacular. Once there, there is a gravel parking lot beside the road, and from there you can walk the last kilometre or so to the canyon along the gravel road.

Sigöldugljúfur in May - still quite icy and not yet green with summer plants

However, the first time we ever went there we had a slightly different journey.  It was the 14th of May so nothing to indicate we would have any issues getting there, and we had driven for ages, through the inhospitable and barren landscape, wondering just when we would ever arrive.  Suddenly we came to a point where the entire road was blocked by a metal gate with signs saying the road was closed from this point, due to thawing soil….  This was the main road to Landmannalaugar in the central highlands so it had not even occurred to us that it could be closed.  We knew that access wasn´t possible in winter, but this was mid-May…..?

The unwelcome sight that greeted us after a long drive….

As we sat there, wondering what to do, we realised that we were within only four kilometres or so of the canyon itself, so rather than just turn round and make the trek back we decided to park up and continue on foot.  Not knowing the way, or the terrain we decided to play it safe and stick to the road, so we set off walking along the route that should have taken us just a few minutes.  Using google maps we could ensure we were going the right way and wouldn´t miss the canyon.  Much of the walk was uphill, until we got to the highest point of the road at which point there was a steep downhill descent, which was useful as we could see what we thought was the little parking lot ahead of us once we started to walk downwards.  Our phones indicated that the canyon was to the left of the road, so once we were near, we left the road and headed towards the river.  Although we could see glimpses of the river, we didn´t see Sigöldugljúfur canyon itself until we were almost on top of it.  Then suddenly there it was stretched out in front of us.  All along the right wall of the canyon we could see them any waterfalls spilling out from the canyon walls.  It really is an incredible sight.

Our very first glimpse of the canyon itself

I´m not sure how long we spent at Sigöldugljúfur, but we were there for a good long time as we decided to walk along the rim for different views of the canyon and its waterfalls.  It did feel very strange being in such a beautiful place with absolutely no one else there.  I don´t think Sigöldugljúfur is ever packed with visitors, but you would expect there to be someone else at least, yet we had the entire canyon to ourselves.  It felt very special indeed.

As you walk along the rim of the canyon, more and more waterfalls can be seen

Sigöldugljúfur is also called The Valley of Tears, named for the many waterfalls that drop from the vertical walls of the canyon and although it is not as large as some other canyons in Iceland, it is nevertheless renowned for its beauty. 

Interestingly, it was not always a canyon but was once filled with the water from the Tungnaá river, before the building of the Sigala hydro-electric station which changed the geography of the whole area. The dam from the hydro-electric plant caused the water level to drop, thus revealing the  many waterfalls that fall into the vivid blue water below.  Absolutely captivating and having an almost fairy-tale quality, Sigöldugljúfur is quite an extraordinary natural wonder with its many spring-fed streams, small ponds, crystal clear waterfalls, bright blue river below, colourful vegetation, and fascinating cliffs – this beautiful canyon is almost magical and could easily be a scene in an adventure story or a fantasy movie.  One of the strange things about it is the contrast between the two sides of the canyon; on the one side of the river the canyon walls are grey and barren and yet the other is green and full of life with abundant vegetation.  I don´t know why this is, but it is yet another oddity in this otherworldly place.

This pic shows how one side of the gorge is green and lush, the other barren. It also shows the incredible colour of the water

Given the time it had taken to walk there along the road, and the steep climb involved, we decided to return to the car by a cross-country route, cutting out the large loop of the road and walking much more as the crow flies.  It was a little hair-raising at times, as we scrambled along a hillside where there had been a little bit of a landslide due to the thaw, but we took it slowly and carefully and eventually reached the road where our car sat abandoned and alone.  What an adventure!  We did feel very smug having found both the canyon and our way back and of course we had also had the benefit of having the entire place to ourselves.  No one else it seems was mad enough to have made the trek on foot.  As we returned, we passed a couple of vehicles heading in the direction of Sigöldugljúfur and Landmannalaugar and stopped to tell them about the roadblock ahead of them, so that they had the option to turn back before the going got too bad. 

This canyon is unlike any other I´ve seen with its bright blue water and many waterfalls

On the way back we had slowed down to look at the hydro-electric power plant near the canyon and noticed a little signpost for Sigöldufoss.  Being partial to a waterfall, we decided to go and have a look.  We spent a very happy half hour or so there taking photographs and exploring the little waterfall that we would otherwise have completely missed as we hadn´t been able to see it from the road.

Sigöldufoss

Sigöldufoss waterfall is another of those peculiarities in the Icelandic landscape that has been transformed by an enormous engineering project. Prior to the Sigalda Power Plant being installed some decades ago, the waterfall was much bigger than it is today with a higher drop.  But then the glacial water was diverted from the river into a tunnel to drive the hydroelectric turbines to produce electricity. What was left was a small river (compared to the much greater force from the original glacial river) of spring water, and this part of the river mainly became a spring water stream. 

So although the waterfall is now smaller, it is probably more beautiful today. The original waterfall was powerful as it thundered down the river, carrying with it all the silt and rocks that had been churned up by the river.  Today, it is less powerful, but the water that now flows in Sigöldufoss is pure and clear,  as it falls into the turquoise blue pool below, giving the waterfall and its environment an extra charm.

All in all, our first trip to Sigöldugljúfur was a great adventure and we were very glad that we went.  We have been back since (in the summer) and revisited the canyon and waterfall on the way to Landmannalaugar.  It is a trip that I would definitely recommend – just possibly not outside the summer season!