A trip to the fairy land of Iceland: Fjadrargljufur
There are times in life when one comes across a place that is so mesmerizing and enchanting that one cannot stop thinking about it. Fjadrargljufur is one of the best places in the world to visit to feel close to nature. Tucked away in southeastern part of Iceland, this canyon presents striking ice formations and an unearthly natural display of beauty. A walk of two kilometers in the 100 meters deep canyon is walk to remember for a lifetime.
The History of Fjadrargljufur
Fjadrargljufur is believed to have formed towards the very last part of the Ice Age and is thought to be almost nine thousand years old. The place where it is located was earlier covered by a glacier which gradually retreated. This led to the formation of a lake in the valley that was created due to the space made because of the moving away of the glacier. The water continued to run-off from the lake to a place which finally turned into a canyon. This canyon is today’s Fjadrargljufur. The rivers of the glacier continued to carry sediments into the lake. As a result, a river was formed which is the modern day Fjora River. This river dug itself into the hard resistant rock and finally cut through it and flowed onto the palagonite which lay in its front. As the drop was so large, the flow of water became so powerful that it could dig out the canyon. Slowly, the lake continued to fill with sediments till a time came when its size dwindled to almost half of original. The sediments continued to accumulate. Finally, the lake filled up completely with them. The river by nature flows, so now it starting cutting into the sediments that it had earlier left in the valley. This eventually gave rise to fluvial terraces which lie on both sides in the valley. These terraces also give a clue about the original altitude and positioning of the lake. The yawning channel in the palagonite acts as a quiet memento to the nature’s power and the marvels it creates.
A Tour Guide
A trek to the canyon needs comfortable clothes, a good pair of rubber or quick drying boots, an umbrella and of course a camera to capture the beauty of the place. A stick can be carried as some places are too steep to climb and an additional support is helpful particularly while coming down. Some of the earlier view-points have been roped off now keeping in mind the safety of the tourists. Now the visitors get to walk on a finely constructed walkway which has gravel spread over it for better grip and comfortable walking. The trek takes anything between 2–4 hours depending on the tourist taste and interest. The walk up can be completed in around 35 minutes and the walk down of course is faster and less time consuming. Rest depends on how much time the tourist wants to spend while they enjoy the lake and the waterfall.
