Every spring and summer, the Hvita River swells high and mighty with snowmelt and silty glacial effluent, tumbling through a short canyon in southwestern Iceland in a series of cascades known as Gullfoss. The better-known, higher dropoffs reside just below the cataracts here, yet I also found these interesting and photogenic because of the eye-level, seemingly “in the water” perspective one can get from a small basalt ledge that sticks out over the floodwaters. One had better not fall into this turbulent and frigid torrent! As with most major hydrological and hydrothermal features in Iceland, it is not fenced much (if at all). Trek at your own risk.
10 ENE Blaskokabyggd, Iceland (11 Aug 14) Looking ENE
64.3272, -20.1209Hvita Meltwater Torrent
Every spring and summer, the Hvita River swells high and mighty with snowmelt and silty glacial effluent, tumbling through a short canyon in southwestern Iceland in a series of cascades known as Gullfoss. The better-known, higher dropoffs reside just below the cataracts here, yet I also found these interesting and photogenic because of the eye-level, seemingly “in the water” perspective one can get from a small basalt ledge that sticks out over the floodwaters. One had better not fall into this turbulent and frigid torrent! As with most major hydrological and hydrothermal features in Iceland, it is not fenced much (if at all). Trek at your own risk.
10 ENE Blaskokabyggd, Iceland (11 Aug 14) Looking ENE
64.3272, -20.1209