Have you ever thought to yourself “I should go into the magma chamber of a volcano”? If your answer to that question is “YES!”, then we should be friends. If your answer was “why would anyone want to do that”?, let me see if I can change your mind.
My first big adventure trip after getting all my COVID-19 vaccines, was to Iceland. It had been on my list for a while to go and explore, and due to some lucky timing, I was able to score wicked cheap flights into Keflak last August. Thus, the adventure began.
My trip to Iceland was amazing, but the most unique thing I was able to do was travel into the magma chamber of a volcano called Þríhnúkagígur which translates to Three Peaks Crater.
To begin this story, we need to go back to the 1970s when Árni B. Stefánsson became the first person to travel 400 feet down to the bottom of the volcano into the magma chamber. Thanks to Dr. Stefánsson, word of this breathtaking experience spread until a documentary about this volcano took place. To allow the documentary team to get down in the chamber, in a way to not destroy their equipment, an elevator was built. However, maybe not an elevator in the way that you are imagining. Picture an old German window cleaning box that you see in history class hanging from the side of a skyscraper. This is what was created for going into the volcano.
The tour started with us hiking about an hour to the base camp where we warmed up with some cocoa and tea. Then we were outfitted with safety gear, which I do say I looked pretty cute in, and finished the hike up the external crater of the volcano. Once there, we crossed a small bridge to the elevator. The ride down was amazing! You got to literally see the colors of the volcano come to life – the brightness a sharp contrast to the dark fields of lava rock you see above ground. Our operator was really amazing and told us things to look at on the ride as well as when to hold one. Because unlike a typical elevator, our ride was not straight down. We had to shift on the cables, and at one point go up a bit on our side.
After a 7-minute journey into the center of the Earth, well maybe not quite that far, I finally reached the moment I had been waiting for – the magma chamber. It was incredible. There were colors of all shades of jewels painting the walls. Imagine being inside a geode that you cracked open on a hot summer day.
I had 30 minutes to trek around the floor of the magma chamber, and it was at times quite challenging in itself. Unfortunately, the magma did not dissipate in a flat manner – as nature does, so there was some minor climbing to reach some of the parts. Which just adds to the charm in my opinion.
Then I got back in the elevator, and let’s just say the operator on the ride up was ready to get us out because he zoomed us up. Then I walked back to base camp and was greeted with more hot cocoa and stew. It was the perfect thing to warm me up after the chilly journey within.
If you are ever in Iceland and want something entirely unique, I recommend this activity. This is the only volcano in the world that you can venture into the magma chamber, so it really is one for the record books!