ICELAND _ NORDIC COUNTRIES II

Near Reykjavik, actually only 45km drive from the capital, lies the town of Hveragerði. It is known for being located in a geothermally active area. The hot springs are used for heating the many greenhouses as well as for leisure. The trailhead starts directly at the parking lot just outside the town.

We prepared our backpacks for the walk and made sure to pack our swimming suits and towels. The path along the ‘smoking valley’, as the name traduces literally, leads the wanderer 4km along the geothermal area slowly gaining altitude.

Just after the first steps the name of the valley becomes self-explanatory. Steam clouds appear to the sight and are carried away by the wind giving the landscape a surreal feel. Directly alongside the path lie several hot springs with boiling mud. The mountains that surrounded us and the trail itself was covered in snow. Only around the springs and were the steam was blown by the wind the green grass that lied underneath appeared.

Continuing on our way the path led us further up along gorges with rocky cliffs. Again, we passed through clouds of steam. We could hear the water boiling in hot pools nearby. Signs along the way alerted the passersby about the water temperature not being suited for bathing.

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