Lavapeak is buzzing
POSTED IN Travels 3.08.2008
We went for a hike up to Lavapeak/Hraundrangur and the lake at the roots of the peak, Hraunsvatn, in Öxnadalur. A fantastic day, a very very warm day, one of the days that reached record temps for the last century or so since measurements took place in Iceland.
A totally recommended hike, but it’s so much more nicer if its a bit more cooler weather than 25C and no winds. We went with our friend Daníel, who by the way has not posted any photos because of screen failure, but is an awesome photographer, even though he insists Olympus makes the best cameras 
We started the hike from the old farm at Hraun, the birthplace of Iceland’s beloved poet Jónas Hallgrímsson. A two hour hike up to the roots of the peaks, where we could play around with shouting into the wilderness just to hear the echoes (which proved handy once Völundur decided to stray a bit off-path to photograph the flora).
After having a picnic of dried-fish and fresh avocados, while thinking where the hell the creeks were (as Icelanders we were foolish enough to think we could rely on fresh water in abundant supplies running just about everywhere…not so after a couple of above-average temp weeks) we headed away from the peaks and towards the lake where Pastor Hallgrímur (Jónas’s father) drowned.
Lake Hraunsvatn’s depth varies when you look at different “reliable” sources, like maps and handbooks, but the average says it is around 50m deep. Greeting us with the soundtrack of a million gnats, and the most heavenly blue color, the fish making small circle ripples in the water; we decided to take a hike all around the the lake.
A family of Swans had taken up residence at the far side, 2 adults and 4 young ones, swimming stoically while we tried to gauge the thread-thin sheep tracks through the tightly woven fly nets on our heads while we made our way around the lake. All the while cursing as those tiny flies made the view blurred, the breathing unintentionally like eating small bits of flying proteins, buzzing in your hair, nose, ears, hair….and cursing loud as you came home to see how many the flies really were (see red circles on photo).
As the sun set we had reached full circle and decided to head down the mountainside, coming down at the farm Háls, where they run a restaurant called Halastjarnan/The Comet.
We soon found out that after spending a day at a quiet mountain lake, the feeling of walking along highway no. 1 was like a torture for all senses; the sounds, the smell, the shock wave of just another car going by felt a lot worse than cursing the numerous homely gnats flying carelessly in the sun where the small brooks gathered in a deep azure lake under the watchful eye of the peaks.
An awesome day!
Oh, and do check out the gallery link here at the top of the page, we do keep adding in as we go (and as we can), more will come in the next while.
-and don’t be shy to comment! We love your comments 
……and if you hadn’t figured this out: its so cool…You can actually click on the photo’s thumbnails here on the blog and you get a much larger view.
If there are more than one photo in the post you can use your mouse to go left or right (of the photo in full view) and view them all in much bigger (and much nicer) size.
A short reminder; there are still a few postcards left from the summer collection if you’d like a couple, a few types are about to be sold out (as in only a couple left and literally so…). So if you want some, let me know!
Hello – I just had to comment because your post brings back so many great memories of the Öxnadalur hike I took 2 years ago while on vacation in Iceland. I was hiking around the country for 10 days, saw so many awesome things, yet that was my favorite place of all. I loved the landscape there, the meadows and hills, that blue Lake Hraunsvatn (where there were too many gnats to eat lunch! I too cloned many out of my pics from there! Your photo made me laugh out loud), the spire-like peaks above, all the wildflowers… Anyway, it was great to revisit with your words! My trip there, and to your country in general, impacted me in many ways, one being it got me into photography! All the mind-blowing beauty there, and all I had was a point and shoot. I’ve upgraded since then and hope I can make it back with a “real” camera sometime soon. Thanks again for your post and your pics. I’ll stop by again! – Jacki
My Oxnadalur pics are here: http://flickr.com/photos/justbelightful/tags/oxnadalur/ and (more) http://web.mac.com/jddances/iWeb/Iceland/9.html
Daníel is correct
Are the peaks here the ones you can see to the North of Hwy 1, heading from Akureyri down towards Blönduós ?
Thanks Julie!
Yes, David, those are the same peaks.