As The Sun Goes Down..
..On our last day in Iceland, where better to watch the fiery colours than from atop an active volcano, billowing steam and sulphurous gases, before our descent into Reykjavik for one last night before an early flight home tomorrow. It has been an awesome journey; Poppy and her BB, C and Me on an excellent Icelandic adventure, circumnavigating the island of Iceland in the middle of a winter that, even by Icelandic standards, has seen super low temperatures and very high levels of snowfall.
We spent this afternoon battling through blizzard after blizzard in an attempt to reach Haifoss, a real highlight from my last visit here and one I wanted to share with Poppy and her husband on our final day. Waist deep snow at our final turn from route 31 made the ascent to the waterfall impossible. A foot or two of snow had been neither here nor there up to that point (well mostly neither here nor there*), but four and five feet of snow was a bit much to ask of our Jeep Cherokees..
I have a lot to share over the coming weeks and lots of blogs to catch up on. Thank you so much for your patience.. See you all back in Cornwall.. :-)
70mm F/4 1/125 sec. ISO-50
*While driving down a steep mountain road in your lowest gear, you brake and turn the wheel to make the tight turn necessary to avoid the precipitous drop down the mountainside (no barrier) that lies before you but, the car keeps going in a dead straight line (despite the ABS, sending its gravelly feedback to the brake pedal beneath your foot) and when every cell in your body is screaming to keep braking and keep turning the wheel away from the edge but that one sober brain cell sparks a synapse that sparks another and another that at lightening speed brings about an almost instintive flick of the steering wheel towards the edge whilst coming off the brakes to recover the skid before I have time to consciously come to the conclusion that this is the only way to keep the car on the road.. this is what I meant by mostly neither here nor there.. :-0
Cornwall Photographic 
Pure magic :-)
March 10, 2015 at 8:41 pm
Thank you Sarah, it really was! :-)
March 10, 2015 at 10:16 pm
Sounds like a fun drive.
March 10, 2015 at 8:41 pm
It was Emilio, thank you! :-)
March 10, 2015 at 10:16 pm
Beautiful Adrian. The driving part sound scary :)
March 10, 2015 at 8:44 pm
Thank you Edith! The driving was a little scary in places but for the most part, despite the conditions, we were very safe! :-)
March 10, 2015 at 10:19 pm
Stunning and what an adventure Adrian. Really looking forward to the next photos.
March 10, 2015 at 9:09 pm
Thank you Lee! It has been a fabulous adventure. :-)
March 10, 2015 at 10:19 pm
This is a fantastic picture! I’love.
March 10, 2015 at 9:34 pm
Thank you Isabel! I’m so glad you love this one!
March 10, 2015 at 10:20 pm
My husband has had much the same experience in the mountains in the western half of the United States and yes, it is scary! I look forward to hearing more about your trip.
Nancy
March 10, 2015 at 9:53 pm
Thank you Nancy! It certainly spikes the pulse rate when something like that happens but were here to tell the tale! :-)
March 10, 2015 at 10:22 pm
Stunning photo but risky driving – thanks this series from Iceland was enjoyable.
March 11, 2015 at 8:51 am
Thank you Carol! Lots more photos to come! :-)
March 11, 2015 at 11:08 am
Stunning photo. What an amazing trip!
March 10, 2015 at 10:43 pm
Thank you very much Emily! :-)
March 11, 2015 at 11:16 am
Ay yai yai! That drive down the mountain sounds pretty hairy, so glad you all survived to capture beautiful sights such as this. Love the blues contrasting with the apricot/orange sliver on the edge. Sublime photography.
March 10, 2015 at 10:56 pm
Thank you Jude, I’m glad we made it too! :-) It was a little scary but I controlled the skid thankfully and didn’t lose control for too long.. it felt like an age mind you with the edge looming towards me.. :-)
March 11, 2015 at 11:16 am
Get to the airport in plenty of time tomorrow! The bag-drop area is chaos in the morning as so many people are flying and have so many bags to check-in.
March 10, 2015 at 11:01 pm
Thanks for the tip.. Made it nice and early and was the first in the queue when the desks opened! :-)
March 11, 2015 at 11:13 am
Blimey! We got to airport at 6.15 for a 7.50 flight on icelandair and the queue was so long I was sure we’d miss our flight!
March 11, 2015 at 11:16 am
After reading your piece and seeing the image, all I could think of was this: Chillbrook, Poppy & Co’s Excellent Adventure!!! xox
March 10, 2015 at 11:22 pm
Thank you Marina! It’s been an amazing two weeks! :-)
March 11, 2015 at 11:11 am
I’m so happy not to have been a passenger in the Jeep. I know I would have been beside myself with fright. Wonderful image, Adrian. So glad you had a great trip. Safe travels home again. :)
March 11, 2015 at 1:07 am
Thank you Sylvia! I wouldn’t have been happy being a passenger either! I wasn’t too thrilled about being the driver but at least I was the one with the means to try and correct things.. :-)
March 11, 2015 at 11:10 am
Incredible!!! :)
March 11, 2015 at 7:58 am
Thank you Johanna! :-)
March 11, 2015 at 11:09 am
Awesome scene – safe travels and hello to Poppy!
March 11, 2015 at 1:53 pm
Thank you Mary! I will indeed! :-)
March 12, 2015 at 4:45 pm
I will travel to Iceland next year I think.
Wonderful land.Hope to see a lot of more photos.
March 11, 2015 at 6:01 pm
I hope you do Lou! I think you’ll have an amazing time. Thank you! :-)
March 12, 2015 at 4:45 pm
What an adventure you’ve had. A great final image. Scary driving. I remember skidding on black ice while driving a Porsche many years ago and, like you, something instinctive kicked in and I came off the brake and turned into the skid and the day (and the car) was saved. Phew!
March 11, 2015 at 6:22 pm
Porsches were prone to the odd skid or two, black ice or no. Glad to hear you were able to save yourself and the car.. It takes a few minutes for the nerves to settle doesn’t it? Iceland has been fabuous Andy. I can’t wait for the next trip! I suspect Iceland has got under my skin in a similar way to Switzerland has got under yours. :-)
March 12, 2015 at 1:54 pm
I would love to get there one day
March 13, 2015 at 4:57 pm
I hope you do Andy.
March 13, 2015 at 5:17 pm
Seeing it under the snow is really spectacular ! Iceland is a country that is worth visiting in both season, you get a different feeling !
March 12, 2015 at 7:28 am
You do indeed! Thank you! :-)
March 12, 2015 at 8:12 am
Aah ,,, *sigh that invisible Genie and panoramic sunset coming down over that hill into Reykjavik was just THE perfect ending to our laughter filled joint photographic – and at times adrenaline fuelled heart racing – Icelandic road trip ChillB !
Such an awesome adventure … already I’m looking forward to the next one xxx
March 12, 2015 at 11:21 am
That plume is definitely Genie-like Poppy.. It was a very fitting end to an amazing adventure and like you, I can’t wait for the next one. Iceland is a firm favourite for a return match I think along with a few other destinations we discussed.. I think we have all been infected by what Dina called the Iceland virus though. What a beautiful place it is, even in the dead of winter that raw beauty comes through and in many ways is enhanced by the extreme weather. Thank you for making it a special and very memeorable trip! :-) x
March 12, 2015 at 1:50 pm
Oh my gosh, otherworldly beauty captured in a masterful fashion. Amazing!
March 12, 2015 at 12:09 pm
Thank you very much Elena! You’re too kind!
March 12, 2015 at 1:51 pm
Beautiful image – and I’m looking forward to more!
March 13, 2015 at 2:59 pm
Thank you Noeline! :-)
March 13, 2015 at 3:39 pm
that looks beautiful :)
March 14, 2015 at 6:08 am
Thank you Joshi, it really was! :)
March 14, 2015 at 8:01 am
Sounds scary, that drive. What a thrilling, breathtaking trip!
March 29, 2015 at 3:29 pm
There were some quite scary moments I have to admit but I’d do it again like a flash. Thank you again Karen! :-)
March 29, 2015 at 9:08 pm