Globe hopping
14 / Iceland
Land of
extremes With natural wonders that range from geothermal waters to an erupting volcano, Iceland is a must for clients looking for a truly unique experience, says Mark Stratton
faGradalsfjall volcano is icelan’d’s latest natural spectacle
W
henever iceland is in need of a dramatic reinvention this profoundly volcanic island is able to reach down into the bowels of the earth and conjure up something truly astonishing. Two months before Iceland made it onto our travel green list a new volcano, Fagraldsfjall, annonced itself by way of a spectacular eruption in a desolate valley on the seismic Reykjanes Peninsula. The volcano is growing explosively in size, day by day, yet remains an easy hour-long trek off road. As I follow a blackened rocky track towards it, Fagraldsfjall requires few signs to guide me because on the horizon is a billowing cloud of cinders and molten fragments belching skywards like the emissions from a dodgy carburettor. Although I’m compelled to venture forward, the sight before me lends a
nagging sensation: I’m heading through the gates of hell, a feeling scarcely allayed crossing a final bleak ridge to witness the most visceral force I have ever encountered. Amid a newly formed lava plateau of burning basalt, the coal-black fledgling cone is angry, erupting orange magma so intense it’s like staring at the sun. At first it gushes quickly through a breach in the crater, accompanied by a grinding roar. A lava cascade explodes upwards over 400 metres, driven by unimaginable force, before settling down again a minute or so later. The issuing molten lava scythes its way across the surrounding plateau. The whole cycle is deeply mesmerising. With every pulsating eruption I’m warmed by the searing heat and left feeling I am witnessing before me the very essence of our planet’s formation.
an explosive relaunch By constructing a nearby carpark and creating a trekking path to Fagraldsfjall – rendering this the most accessible erupting volcano on Earth - Icelandic tourism hasn’t hesitated in promoting it as a flagship attraction throughout this summer. It’s a spectacular statement of reopening that will likely override cautions travellers have about holidaying. Unlike the relative fiasco playing out with regards to travel by the UK Government, the Icelandic roadmap to reopening is mature and considered. Explaining to clients the paperwork and testing around Covid-19 can seem rather daunting, yet Iceland is refreshingly clear and efficient. The country currently accepts only fully-vaccinated travellers, or those with documentary proof they have had the virus. At the border, I present my nHS-app
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