12-14 August 2025
I'll take a break now and go to the Icelandic Highlands. In Iceland, "Highlands" refers to the interior of the island, which is generally mountainous, but typically only 2,000 to 3,000 ft above sea level. (The volcano peaks, however, are higher.) The real issue is that the roads are barely maintained, poorly marked, and in some cases, nearly impassible. Bridges are rare, so stream crossings are fords, with entrances and exits not always obvious. A high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle is required. Driving a rental car on these F-roads (route numbers start with "F") will void all your insurance.
We drove through the Highlands for parts of three days with Natural Habitat Adventures ("Nat Hab"). We had a well-equipped 4WD Mercedes Benz Sprinter bus. Equally important, we had a superb driver, Hlíf, who knew the roads.
12 August
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| We drove up into the Highlands towards the Laki craters area. Our first stop was Skaftárhreppurfoss. While there was a lot of moss and crowberries, the landscape was pretty forbidding. |
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| The ravine/canyon around Skaftárhreppurfoss. |
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| Another waterfall, Fagrifoss, was a bit further up the road. |
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| The Fagrifoss parking lot also has a "Toblerone" pit toilet - a structure unique to the Icelandic Highlands. |
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