LOCALadk Magazine

On the 19th of March 2021, Iceland experienced its most recent volcanic eruption. It was forecast by what geologists call a seismic crisis, a protracted prelude of quakes and aershocks numbering in the thousands, located in an area known as Reykjanes. e valley Geldingadalur is only a short distance from the towns of Grindavik, Keflavik, and Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, a place where lava from an enormous earlier eruption was deposited many years ago. Given the proximity to more than half of Iceland's population, had this event been similar in magnitude to that ancient eruption's, the destruction would have been catastrophic. My son Antonio (Tony) lives in Reykjavik. It didn't take him long to plan a visit to Geldingadalur. What follows is his account of that visit less than a week aer the volcano's inception. Equipped with a Nikon D810 and a DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone F1.2, 48MPX camera, and hiking gear suitable for rough terrain, Tony and his friend Ingthor Juliusson le Reykjavik March 23rd at about 5:30 p.m. Upon arrival at the trailhead, they were met by a roadside parking jam much worse than any found in the Adirondacks. Due to high concentrations of sulfur dioxide and a shi in the wind, authorities had ordered a mandatory evacuation. People were returning in droves from the roughly 8-kilometer hike to the site. It would be another 24 hours before Tony and Ingthor would make it to the volcano. e next, successful, attempt took place the following day. Rather than struggling to find parking at the trailhead, Tony and Ingthor (both physically fit) parked in Grindavik and rode mountain bikes 10 kilometers to the trailhead, arriving there just before 6 p.m. ey calculated it would take about an hour and a half to reach Geldingadalur, giving them an opportunity to capture images just before sunset as well as aer. e old- lava terrain, with a 4- to 5-inch coating of moss covered by fresh snow, made the trek challenging. An elevation gain of about 700 feet near the end of the hike coupled with intermittent snow squalls and heavy winds didn't help. Tony and Ingthor passed numerous hikers in small and large groups coming from and heading toward the eruption. As they continued, the glow on the horizon intensified with each step. Both remember feeling a surge of adrenaline, automatically hastening their pace. Soon they were passing others who were headed for the site. ough breathless, they didn't stop until they'd arrived at the top of the hill overlooking the eruption. More than three months have passed since Tony and Ingthor visited Geldingadalur. ere have been dramatic changes since then. / / / GELDINGADALUR VOLCANO LOCALadk 52 Photography by Antonio Rabasca & Story by Anthony Rabasca

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