The setting of Katla in Iceland, one of many nation’s most unstable volcanoes, resembles Mars.
This is a spot the place volcanic eruptions have occurred towards comparable breathless landscapes.
To put it merely, I’ve by no means skilled or seen such terrain. After all, I’m from Malaysia, the place we’ve but to expertise pure disasters of such magnitude as a result of we reside simply off the Ring of Fire.
So, it’s not shocking that Katla has typically been used as a film location, featured within the likes of blockbusters resembling Star Wars, Game Of Thrones and Transformers.
Three hours after driving from Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, we lastly hit the desolate rural roads.
The closest civilisation is Vik, a distant seafront village the place Katla is situated.
Most roads outdoors the capital are slender. With unscheduled stops, it turned out to be a gruelling 5 hours in the long run.
Finally, our automobile slipped off the principle highway and the bumpy trip commenced. Now, right here’s the place the enjoyable actually started.
We needed to first navigate by the rugged terrain in direction of Katla on a 4×4 tremendous Jeep.
Drinking pure water straight from the rocks of Katla, a volcano in Iceland.
Barely quarter-hour in, I noticed insanely jaw-dropping sights of black volcanic sand plains juxtaposed towards moss-covered inexperienced hills.
These had been merely gorgeous formations that I’d by no means seen earlier than.
On my second go to to Iceland within the latest summer season, I couldn’t resist the temptation of strolling on each a glacier and a volcano.
Katla is well-known for its iconic blue ice cave throughout winter and in the summertime, it’s basically simply black sand, however I nonetheless didn’t wish to forego this journey.
After all, this is house to the Katla volcano and the Myrdalsjokull glacier, the southernmost glacier in Iceland, masking practically 600sq km, with its highest peak virtually 1,500m excessive.
So, what’s wanted for this ice-capade? For starters, there’s loads of strolling. My spouse and I had determined, years again, that with our knees nonetheless robust, we might tackle all these robust journeys first.
There’s a certain quantity of mountaineering, too, and in some slippery components, I opted to go on my knees and buttocks even!
There had been carved steps in addition to ropes for guests to carry on to when coming into the cave, however I used to be nonetheless apprehensive and nervous.
The factor with glaciers is that the panorama retains altering. It’s maybe simpler to stroll by the terrain in summer season. With snow-covered grounds throughout winter, it could possibly get slippery and tougher.
Warm and waterproof clothes is a should in Iceland, except it’s summer season, after all. A pair of sturdy sneakers will take you the space, too.
The author at Katla, a spot he must return to quickly to expertise the ‘blue ice’. — Photos: FLORENCE TEH
You’ll want to hitch a tour, the place you’ll be supplied with security helmets, gloves, head lamps and crampons (a metallic plate with spikes fastened to a boot for strolling on ice).
The glaciers and pure glacial ice caves can solely be visited with a educated and skilled information.
I’d nonetheless wish to see the blue ice of Katla, which has made these caves iconic. Known as glacier blue, this is the results of air being squeezed from the frozen ice and snow. The scientific rationalization is, the ice absorbs each different color besides blue.
As the journey ended, the information switched on the radio, and David Bowie’s late Nineteen Sixties nugget Space Oddity, got here on, and I immediately knew it was an indication that I needed to return.
Yes, the mission has not been accomplished. And like Major Tom looking for redemption, I need to return within the winter. I need to see the blue ice.
If I can’t make it to Mars, the mysterious and gorgeous landscapes at Katla are shut sufficient for me.
