What Is the Only Volcano in the World That You Can Explore From the Inside?
Are you as fascinated by volcanoes as nosotros are? Have you ever wondered what it looks like inside of a volcano? While it'south incommunicable to know what an active volcano looks like inside considering you – and anything you try to put down inside it – would be burned up in seconds, you tin descend 120 meters in to the magma bedchamber of the dormant Thrihnukagigur volcano in Iceland with Within the Volcano.
And Thrihnukagigur is the only place on earth you lot can really go within a volcano.
It takes nearly six minutes to reach the floor of the magma chamber
Thrihnukagigur Volcano Iceland
Located virtually 15 miles from Iceland'southward capital, Reykjavik, Thrihnukagigur is a dormant volcano that final erupted over 4000 years ago. The unpronounceable Thrihnukagigur, which means 3 Peaks Crater, is credited with helping to create the north Atlantic island we know as Iceland when it erupted some 4000 years ago.
It was discovered and named by Árni B. Stefánsson, a doctor and cave enthusiast from Reykjavik, and he was the very first to descend down in to the chamber in 1974. It's also thank you to him and his case for making such a phenomenon open to the public that the Inside the Volcano tour Republic of iceland was born.
Thrihnukagigur stands 550 meters above bounding main level and is a prominent landmark in the skyline of Bláfjöll Nature Reserve.
The most n-easterly of the three peaks is a cinder cone and it stands 35 meters (100 feet) college than the rest of its surroundings. Looking at it, you'd never think the tiny 4×iv meter (12×12 feet) opening leads to the incredible bottle shaped magma chamber that it does.
The Statue of Liberty would fit within with room to spare
The chamber is massive at 120 meters (394 feet) deep and 50×70 meters (160×200 feet) wide on the ground at the bottom. To put all those numbers in to perspective, the Statue of Liberty would fit within with room to spare.
Volcanologists consider Thrihnukagigur unique and, quite peradventure, one of a kind. Typically the magma chamber is sealed afterward an eruption past the cold, difficult lava left behind. But with Thrihnukagigur, it'southward like someone pulled the plug of a drain and the magma just ran out.
There are passages that continue downward to 200 meters (700 feet) below the Earth's surface
Nosotros're left behind with the massive magma chamber, which even continues with volcanic passages running downward to a depth of 200 meters (700 feet), that has given scientists a unique opportunity to study "the plumbing organisation" of an agile volcano like has never been washed before. And lucky for u.s. common folk, Thrihnukagigur is recognized to be special enough to requite the public the opportunity to run across it for ourselves. Going inside is definitely the ultimate experience when it comes to Iceland volcano tourism.
Fog, rain and high winds just added to the risk
Thrihnukagigur Volcano Tour
Thrihnukagigur is just 15 miles from Reykjavik, simply it's technically located in the Highlands and is only accessible for a short period from mid-May through mid-Oct. And even in those summertime months, the Bláfjöll Nature Reserve can feel worlds away from Reykjavik.
Information technology's just possible to descend in to Thrihnukagigur on the Inside the Volcano tour because of safety and security reasons. You can either be picked upward at your hotel in Reykjavik, or you tin can opt to arrive at the mountain hut in the Bláfjöll Nature Reserve on your own though. At that place's a paved road leading to the mountain hut, though the weather tin can be foggy, rainy and extremely windy fifty-fifty in the meridian of summertime – and nosotros experienced all of it as we we collection to the Within the Volcano coming together point.
Early and as the current of air rocked our 4×iv motorcar rental, we wondered if we'd notwithstanding be able to go along the tour. Having to agree your car door so it literally doesn't accident off, sideways pelting and current of air blasting you on a trek beyond a lava field might sound like an take chances to about of u.s., but that's pretty much a normal occurrence to the Icelandic.
Seemingly unfazed by the weather, the guides arrived with the rest of the group that was picked up from Reykjavik. I dug a few extra layers out of my bag, zipped upwardly and braced myself for the wind.
Anybody was given 66°North full length pelting coats and I chose a larger size and so I could fit the camera bag underneath too. And with that, nosotros set off for a three kilometer Thrihnukagigur volcano hike across a lava field to the Base Camp, where we'd change to harnesses and helmets.
The air current was blasting us that day at 30mph, and thankfully on the trek out to Base of operations Camp information technology was at our backs. The group trekked together in a unmarried file line with one of our guides leading the way and another bringing up the rear. With the wind helping to move usa along, it felt like it took no time at all to attain Base Military camp.
At that place, we could warm upwardly with hot tea or coffee while we received a rubber briefing about existence lowered inside the volcano. We were divided upward in to small groups of vi, and since we were headed straight to the airdrome after our tour, nosotros were in the get-go grouping.
We fabricated a short, but windy 5 infinitesimal trek up to the opening of the volcano. There's ropes and chains to agree on to, which are admittedly necessary on a twenty-four hour period like the day we did the tour.
This surface area of the bedchamber had holes burned in from the hot magma. We think it looks like a face up.
It takes about six minutes for an open basket elevator that looks a lot like a window washer'due south lift to slowly descend the 120 meters downward in to the magma bedroom. The harnesses are all clipped on to the handbasket, so there'due south no worries and you tin have an up close look at the colors left backside from the hot magma that was once hither.
I've climbed an erupting volcano and now I've been inside a magma bedchamber
One time on the floor of the magma bedroom, the guides give a brief talk about the chamber and answer any questions. Yous're then gratuitous to explore the chamber on your own for about xxx minutes. You just have to stay within a roped path that makes a loop effectually the entire chamber floor. It's easy to get off the path, so be certain and pay shut attention. The ropes are there to assist protect the fragile environment and being respectful of that helps to keep volcano tours in Iceland similar this i open up to the public.
Traditional Icelandic lamb soup is waiting subsequently you arise from the magma chamber
Afterward returning to Base Camp, more than hot tea or java and either traditional Icelandic lamb soup or a vegetarian version awaits. And later the wind blasted trek and being a fiddling moisture and cold, that soup really striking the spot.
If you lot drove to the mount hut on your ain, you lot tin can make the trek back beyond the lava field at whatever time. We did with three others that had also driven on their own instead of waiting for the residual of the group.
It takes from 5 – 6 hours for the Inside the Volcano Iceland bout, with a 6 kilometer round trip hike to Thrihnukagigur. Booking the very outset tour of the day, we had enough of time for the bout before heading to the airport for a belatedly afternoon flight.
While the price tag for this run a risk is on the steep side, it'south absolutely worth it for an experience that will leave you in awe of our planet and the forces of nature. None of the other volcano tours in Republic of iceland offer anything like it.
Know Before Y'all Go
Getting There Booking
Pick-up from Reykjavik hotels in included in the tour. You lot can besides run across at the mountain hut in Bláfjöll Nature Reserve using this map to get in at the Inside the Volcano coming together point on your own.
The Republic of iceland Inside the Volcano tour operates from May 15 – Oct 15. Children from ages 12 and older welcome.
You must be able to walk iii kilometers (nigh ii miles) each fashion over uneven, lava rock strewn ground. Vesture waterproof outdoor vesture and practiced waterproof trekking shoes for this Republic of iceland volcano tour.
Our bout was provided by Inside the Volcano in order to bring you lot this story. However, Luxe Gamble Traveler maintains full editorial control of the content published on this site. As always, all thoughts, opinions, and enthusiasm for travel are entirely our ain.
Source: https://luxeadventuretraveler.com/inside-the-volcano-iceland/
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