Iceland from Above

Getting ready...

IT WAS MY SECOND TIME IN ICELAND DURING 2014 IN SEPTEMBER AND FINALLY AFTER SOME 8 DAYS OF HIKING THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR SATURDAY SHOWED SOME PROMISING DATA. I CALLED ARNI, THE PILOT, AND HE CONFIRMED WE HAD A GOOD CHANCE TO GET SOME NICE VIEWS. I TOOK MY CHANCES AND DECIDED TO GO FOR IT.

WE TOOK OFF FROM A SMALL AIRPORT JUST OUTSIDE REYKJAVIK, HAD A SHORT STOP AT THE GAS STATION FOR MORE FUEL FOR OUR FLIGHT (YES, WE LANDED STRAIGHT ONTO THE ROAD AND “DROVE” TO THE REGULAR GAS STATION JUST AS ANY OTHER CAR :-D) AND THEN FINALLY HEADED TO THE HIGHLANDS.

Warm-up

AT FIRST WE FLEW OVER HÁIFOSS AND GRANNI WATERFALLS. IT WAS THE GREAT CHANCE TO TRY AND TEST THE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHING. SO I OPENED THE DOORS ON MY SIDE, LEANED OUT OF THE PLANE AND CAPTURED THE FIRST SHOTS. AFTER THAT WE HEADED TOWARDS LANGISJÓR.

Langisjór

HERE IT ALL STARTED. SPECTACULAR SHAPES OF GLACIER RIVERS, PHOSPHORESCENT MOSS COVERED MOUNTAINS, VOLCANIC SAND FIELDS AND THE WONDERFUL CREATIVITY OF MOTHER NATURE AT ITS BEST.

Way to Landmannalaugar

AMAZING VIEWS AND ABSTRACT “PAINTINGS” WHEREVER WE LOOKED.

Laugavegur trail

AFTER FEW CIRCLES ABOVE COLORFUL MOUNTAINS OF LANDMANNALAUGAR WE HEADED SOUTH AND LITERALLY COPIED THE LAUGAVEGUR TRAIL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THÓRSMORK.

WE HIKED THE SAME TRAIL JUST FEW DAYS AGO, SO IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE TO PASS THE TRAIL FROM THE BIRD’S PROSPECTIVE NOW.

IN THÓRSMORK WE AGAIN TOOK A LITTLE BREAK, JUST TO STRETCH OUR LEGS AND TO ENJOY THE SUN AND BEAUTIFUL WEATHER.

Rivers from the other world

AFTER THE BREAK WE TOOK OFF FOR THE 2 LAST PARTS OF THIS UNFORGETTABLE FLIGHT. WE REACHED THE SOUTHERN COAST OF ICELAND AND ON THE WAY BACK TO REYKJAVIK WE FLEW OVER SEVERAL GLACIER RIVERS , WHICH WAS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP. THE GLACIER RIVERS FORM UNBELIEVABLE SHAPES ON THE VOLCANIC SANDS CLOSE TO THE OCEAN AND IT TRULY LOOKS AS IF THEY WERE NOT FROM THIS PLANET.

HAVE A LOOK BY YOURSELF…

Reykjadalur valley

THE LAST IDEA I HAD WAS TO FLY OVER REYKJADALUR VALLEY NEAR HVERAGERDI TOWN. REYKJADALUR IS A GEOTHERMAL AREA CLOSE TO THE HENGILL VOLCANO AND APART OF ITS NATURAL BEAUTY IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE GREATEST PLACES IN ICELAND TO EXPERIENCE BATHING IN NATURAL HOT SPRINGS. THERE IS ACTUALLY THE HOT RIVER FLOATING ACROSS THE WHOLE UPPER PART OF THE VALLEY WAITING FOR YOU.

ME AND MY FRIENDS INTENDED TO HIKE UP HERE ON TODAY’S EVENING, SO AGAIN IT WAS A COOL EXPERIENCE TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT AND PHOTOGRAPH IT FROM ABOVE. FROM HERE UNFORTUNATELY REYKJAVIK IS NOT FAR AND IT MEANT WE HAD TO COME BACK TO THE AIRPORT AND SAY GOOD BYE TO EACH OTHER WITH ARNI.

IT WAS AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE AND I MANAGED TO FULFILL ANOTHER ONE OF MY DREAMS!!! TOTALLY RECOMMEND IT…