Travel – Page 4 – David Kotz

Iceland – Gluggafoss

A waterfall with windows…

Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.

I like the name of this waterfall – Gluggafoss. The sound of the name, alone, makes it seem like an interesting place to visit! The name means window waterfall, because the waterfall has eroded deep into the cliffside, visible at parts through ‘windows’ in the rock face. As with some other Icelandic waterfalls, the upper section cuts easily through a layer of tuff, before landing on a harder layer of basalt; the lower cascades flow over this basalt layer. This two-tier foss emerges out of those windows, high on the rock face, then falls free into a pool below, then cascades over a lower set of falls, before calmly turning into a brook that bubbles past the nearby carpark. Few people were present when I came by, and I had plenty of opportunity to explore different angles for capturing the beauty of this unusual waterfall. Read on…

Gluggafoss waterfall, southern Iceland. — Gluggafoss waterfall (upper part).

Iceland – Nauthúsagil

A strange encounter with a seagull.

Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.

I was very nervous about visiting this waterfall. From the guidebook description it sounds fascinating, with a challenging approach through a deep ravine. In one section, you can only progress further by holding a chain and doing a sort-of layback along the left edge of the ravine, bypassing a deep pool and a small cascade. Despite passing all those tests, last year my son managed to dislocate both shoulders(!) merely by leaning down to drink from the stream here. Today, as I drove alone up the rough gravel road to this remote location, and seeing only one other person on site, I was wary about a slip or mistake that might leave me injured. Spoiler: I survived unscathed 🙂

Approaching Nauthúsagil waterfall, southeast Iceland.

Iceland – Gljúfrabúi

Very tight, very dark, very wet!

Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.

After a morning visit to Seljalandsfoss, I hopped in the car and plugged in the address for Gljúfrabúi waterfall, which I knew to be nearby. Little did I know, it is in walking distance! Back to the same carpark I went, and re-donned my now-familiar waterfall kit: parka, rainpants, sandals, and waterproof hat. I followed the trail along the cliff face, passing several other unnamed waterfalls that, in New Hampshire, would be worthy of a name and a carpark all their own… but here are just a sideshow to the massive Seljalandsfoss and the mysterious Gljúfrabúi (officially known as Gljúfurárfoss). The trail to Gljúfrabúi then dives into a narrow cleft in the cliff – one could almost overlook it. Read on!

Entrance to Gljúfrabúi waterfall (barely visible at upper-left, next to the sky). Southern Iceland.

Iceland – Seljalandsfoss

One of the largest and most iconic waterfalls in Iceland.

Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.

Likely one of the most recognizable waterfalls in Iceland, at least outside those within the Golden Circle, Seljalandsfoss is a massive, free-falling, overhanging waterfall visible from 50km away as you drive the Ring Road. An extensive (and crowded!) carpark corrals the tourists as they stream toward the short trail up to the falls. I purposely arrived early, around 8:30am, in hopes I might beat most of the tourists coming from Reykjavik. I did, but there were nonetheless over one hundred people already there, each angling for a selfie or family photo. This waterfall is especially exciting because one can walk up to, and behind, the waterfall. Read on!

photo of Seljalandsfoss, from behind, with tiny people visible at the base of the falls. — People walk behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall, southern Iceland.

Iceland – Stjórnarfoss

Wading into the icy water led me to better photos!

Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.

Stjórnarfoss was unusual among all the falls I visited – hardly anyone else was there. In my half-hour on site, perhaps a dozen people came by to snap their photos. In the photo below, the presence of a few people give you a sense of scale for this two-tier waterfall. Here I deployed my secret weapon: water sandals, which I used at about half of the waterfalls on this trip. The water was cold, and lapped at my rolled-up pants, but the opportunity to wade shin-deep allowed me access to compositions impossible for those who needed to keep their feet dry! Read on…

Stjórnarfoss waterfall, southern Iceland.

Iceland – Svartifoss

A beautiful 20-meter free-falling waterfall.

Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.

Svartifoss waterfall is impressive, in part for its 20-meter free-fall from the cliffs at the head of a deep gorge. The horseshoe-shaped wall behind the falls is made of columnar basalt, providing a dark, geometric backdrop to a dazzling chaotic flow of whitewater. Hundreds – if not thousands – of tourists hike the short trail to these falls, pausing on a low bridge across the stream below the falls, or on a metal platform cantilevered on the cliff off to one side. Signs ask people not to approach the falls at water level, but with some careful maneuvering I was able to find a spot where I could balance myself on boulders, place my tripod feet in the stream, and get some clear shots. In the photo below, I include a person on the viewing platform at right; although they are closer than the falls, it provides some sense of scale. Read on…

photo of Svartifoss, with people looking on from a platform — Svartifoss waterfall, southeast Iceland.

See four other photos in the gallery; I recommend slideshow mode!

Iceland – Kirjufellfoss

First in a series of waterfalls from Iceland.

Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls. Iceland is a magical place for anyone who loves waterfalls. The steep terrain, birthed from volcanoes and shaped by glaciers, leads to steep slopes and differential weathering that creates massive cliffs and deep gorges. Plentiful rain and glacial meltwater result in massive water flow that leaves visitors with a sense of wonder – and soaking wet clothes. For each the next 10 days I will share photographs from one of the eleven waterfalls visited on this trip.

I’m sneaking Kirkjufellfoss into my post-Greenland posts, although we actually visited it ten days earlier at the beginning of the cruise to Greenland. We spent a cloudy morning visiting these falls and walking a gravel path back to town, where our ship was docked. These falls, near the Kirkjufell volcano on the Snæfellnes Peninsula, are a favorite subject of photographers. (Mount Kirkjufell is often noted as the ‘most photographed mountain in Iceland.’) As with many of Iceland’s waterfalls, it is particularly challenging to capture this beautiful waterfall without a lot of people in the shot. In this case, the pathway for visitors literally passes above the falls on a low bridge across the stream, meaning any upstream shot inclusive of the whole cascade is bound to include the bridge and, today, several other tourists. Patience, and careful composition, led me to some decent shots. Read on…

photo of Kirkjufellfoss waterfall, Iceland. — Kirkjufellfoss waterfall, Iceland.

Iceland – Diamond Beach

Massive glaciers spill ice into a tidal lagoon – ice that washes ashore on a black-sand beach. Spectacular!

Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.

Although the trigger for this visit to Iceland was to board the National Geographic Endurance for an expedition cruise to southern Greenland, photography was the focus of my extended stay in Iceland. This post highlights photos from my first stop in Iceland: Jökulsárlón (aka Glacier Lagoon) and its adjacent Diamond Beach. While I’m at it, Fjallsárlón lagoon is just down the road and offers equally enthralling scene of an adjacent glacier calving bergs and berglets into a tidal lagoon. Read on to see photos!

diagram of Jökulsárlón and how its bergs flow out to sea and onto Diamond Beach — Sign with diagram of Jökulsárlón (aka Glacier Lagoon) and its adjacent Diamond Beach, Iceland.

Iceland – Fjaörárgljufur

A spectacular gorge with a pretty waterfall at its head.

Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.

Although Fjaörárgljufur ravine includes several beautiful cascades, it is best known for its deep and spectacular gorge. When I visited, on the afternoon of my first day, it was teeming with other visitors who hiked the trail on the high terrain for its various views across and down into the gorge. The trail ends at a precarious viewing platform overlooking Mögárfoss, a tall waterfall at the head of the ravine. Read on…

Mögárfoss waterfall in Fjaörárgljufur gorge, southern Iceland.

Revisiting Iceland

A few days of solo travel after Greenland allowed me to visit more of Iceland.

When I left Iceland last summer, after a wonderful family trip, I never expected to be returning so soon. But, I had the opportunity to cruise southern Greenland with Lindblad National Geographic Expeditions, this summer – and that trip began and ended in Reykjavik, capital of Iceland. I thus found myself back in Reykjavik barely a year later, at the height of the tourist season, with plans to explore the southeast coast (whereas last year we focused on the Golden Circle and the Westfjords). In a series of posts, I’ll share highlights from a brief exploration of Reykjavik prior to our Greenland cruise; a cruise stop at Kirkufellfoss in western Iceland; and my drive around the Ring Road as far as the Glacier Lagoon (380km), and back past more than a dozen incredible waterfalls. This first post is a bit of an introduction. Photography was the focus of my trip, so I’ll share many photos. Read on for more!

Scenery along the Ring Road, showing a barn, a steep cliffside, and a waterfall on the cliff. — Scenery along the Ring Road, southeastern Iceland.