A group watches as lava travels through one of the ‘vents’ down the Geldingadalir volcano in Iceland. Courtesy/Kristen Honig 

Kristen Honig poses in front of still very hot, hardening lava in Iceland. Courtesy/Kristen Honig

A perfect shot of the Geldingadalir volcano erupting in Iceland in April. Courtesy/Kristen Honig 

By KRISTEN HONIG
Los Alamos

Iceland started accepting vaccinated tourists without quarantine in early April, so as soon as I completed my second shot and waiting period, I headed out for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Iceland was actually the last trip I took prior to the pandemic, when I traveled to the country in February of 2020 to tour their fascinating ice caves. This time around it was fire that drew me to the country instead of ice. I spent two nights at the Geldingadalir volcano, hiking 8 miles round-trip across steep terrain.

Despite all the news coverage prior to my departure, nothing could quite prepare me for the sight that unfolded when I crested the final ridge and stared down into the volcano. We were so close that the hillside was littered with golf ball-sized volcanic tephra, and I was able to shoot full-frame video with my phone—without zooming in!

The eruption started with two small vents that slowly oozed lava continuously. A few weeks later more fissures opened up in a line as if the earth’s crust was unzipping itself. But days before my trip, all the vents went silent except for one, which began cycling between calm and a gigantic fire geyser shooting lava more than 1,000’ into the air. The sound was like ocean waves crashing ashore that crescendo’ed to the roar of a jet engine.

And the heat? Even on the hillside you could feel the warmth, but within a few feet of the cooling lava edge you only could tolerate a few seconds. Instead of the roar of the erupting cinder cone, however, this part of the volcano sounded like broken glass as it crept forward ever so slowly.

It was truly the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to resume traveling again in a safe manner.

Editor’s note: Photos from Kristen Honig’s trip to Iceland will be included in an upcoming solo exhibit in Fuller Lodge Art Center’s Portal Gallery, titled “Fire and Ice”, showing August-September 2021.

A close up of the Geldingadalir volcano erupting in April in Iceland. Courtesy/Kristen Honig

The Geldingadalir volcano sends lava geysers shooting up more than 1,000 feet. Courtesy/Kristen Honig 

Pieces of lava rock from the erupted Geldingadalir volcano in Iceland next to a bottle cap for reference. Courtesy/Kristen Honig