HEIMAEY. VESTMANNAEYJAR ISLANDS

L’única illa habitada del arxipèlag Vestmannaeyjar es Heimaey. Petita illa de tan sols 13,4 km2 que va veure incrementada la seva superfície en 2,2 km2 quan el 23 de gener de 1973 va fer erupció el volcà Eldfell. Illa de poc mes de 4000 habitants que viuen bàsicament de la pesca. Te notables punts d’interès, destacant els volcans, una costa amb escarpats penya-segats, i una abundant colònia d’ocells, destacant els frarets.

Ruta: Heimaey harbour (1 m) – Eldfellsvegur (60 m) – Eldfell (203 m) – Lava crater (197 m) – Fellavegur (103 m) – Helgafell volcano (238 m) – Fellavegur route (138 m) – Saefell (203 m) – Kópavik (131 m) – Gardsendi (23 m) – Storhöfdi (133 m) – Gardsendi (10 m) – Ofanleitishamar (75 m) - Halldórsskora. Elefant Rock (23 m) – Herjoörlfsdalur (12 m) – Há (40 m) – Heimaey (1 m)

Accés: S’hi arriba amb ferry des del port de Landeyjahöfn, en un trajecte de 40 minuts. Hi ha uns quants Ferrys diaris, especialment a l’estiu. També s’hi pot arribar en avió des de Reykjavík.

Caminada: Hem iniciat el recorregut al port de Heimaey, rumb al S i al E, per anar a buscar el camp de lava de l’erupció volcànica de 1973, en la zona que va colgar mes d’un centenar de cases. Es poden fer diferents rutes de sortida de la població. Aquesta n’és una. Un cop al camp de lava ens dirigim a enfilar-nos al Eldfell, el volcà de la darrera erupció. Un camí ben marcat ens porta fins al cim de la muntanya, i un xic mes al N, el petit crater. Espectacular vista de tota l’illa i del arxipèlag. Baixem vers el O i anem a buscar la carretera de Fellavegur. Deixem enrere un petit coll i ens comencem a enfilar al segon volcà, el Helgafell, per un camí gairebé imperceptible. Arribats al cim podem contemplar, encara amb mes perspectiva, el creixement de l’illa com a conseqüència de l’erupció del veí Eldfell. Fa bon temps i no fa vent, així que decidim dirigir-nos a la península de Storhöfdi. Baixem del Helfafell, seguint un camí rumb al S, que gira al E per anar a buscar la carretera de Fellavegur. Arribats a aquest punt ens atansem als penya-segats, arran de mar, on un camí es dirigeix al S, passa just per sota el final de la pista del aeroport i comença a enfilar-se al Saefell. Una altre magnifica vista del arxipèlag. Baixem, sempre seguint camins, passem per damunt de Kópavik i anem a buscar l’istme de Gardsendi. Comencem a enfilar-nos, seguint camins, tan a prop del penya-segat com ens es possible, per poder començar a veure els primers frarets, força abundants a l’estiu. Fem una pujada fins al far, el mes antic d’Islàndia. Tornem a baixar prop del penya-segat, emprenent el camí de tornada que farem per la costa Oest de l’illa. Aviat trobem un amagatall des d’on podem observar ocells. Gaudim de la visió de diferents tipus d’aus i seguim la ruta baixant de nou a l’istme de Gardsendi. A prop de la línia de la costa, anem seguint camins per els penya-segats de Ofanleitishamar, gaudint de la visió de diferents tipus d’aus, i especialment dels frarets. Així arribem a les immediacions d’un camp de golf, passant entre aquest i la línia de costa fins arribar a Halldórsskora Elefant Rock, havent deixat enrere un monument als mormons islandesos que van emigrar a Utah. Ara ja deixem la costa, baixem fins al extingit volcà Herjoörlfsdalur on es creia que havia viscut el primer colonitzador de l’illa. Acabem retornat al port.

Cartografia: Iceland Topo - Scala: 1:25.000-1:750.000 - Source: Landmælingar Íslands (LMÍ)


HEIMAEY. VESTMANNAEYJAR ISLANDS
The only inhabited island of the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago is Heimaey. Small island of only 13.4 km2 that saw its area increased by 2.2 km2 when the Eldfell volcano erupted on January 23, 1973. Island of little more than 4000 inhabitants that basically live on fishing. You will notice points of interest, highlighting the volcanoes, a coast with steep cliffs, and an abundant colony of birds, especialy puffins

Route: Heimaey harbor (1 m) - Eldfellsvegur (60 m) - Eldfell (203 m) - Lava crater (197 m) - Fellavegur (103 m) - Helgafell volcano (238 m) - Fellavegur route (138 m) - Saefell 203 m) - Kópavik (131 m) - Gardsendi (23 m) - Storhöfdi (133 m) - Gardsendi (10 m) - Ofanleitishamar (75 m) - Halldórsskora. Elefant Rock (23m) - Herjoörlfsdalur (12m) - Hi (40m) - Heimaey (1m)

Access: You arrive by ferry from the port of Landeyjahöfn, in a 40 minute journey. There are a few daily Ferrys, especially in the summer. You can also get there by plane from Reykjavík.

Trail description: We started the route from the port of Heimaey, heading to S and E, to go for the lava field of the volcanic eruption of 1973, in the area that hung more than a hundred houses. Different exit routes from de vilage can be made. This is one. Once in the field of lava we went to climb Eldfell, the volcano of the last eruption. A well-marked path leads to the top of the mountain, and a little more to the N, the small crater. Spectacular view of the entire island and the archipelago. Go down the O and we will look for the Fellavegur road. We leave behind a small pass and we start climbing to the second volcano, the Helgafell, on an almost imperceptible path. At the top we can see, even more prospectively, the growth of the island as a result of the eruption of neighboring Eldfell. Good weather and no wind, so we decided to go to the Storhöfdi peninsula. We go down from Helfafell, following a path heading to the S, which turns to the E to look for the Fellavegur road. At this point we stuck to the cliffs, by the sea, where a path goes to the S, passes just below the end of the airport runway and begins to climb to the Saefell. Another magnificent view of the archipelago. We go down, always following paths, we pass over Kópavik and we will look for the isthmus of Gardsendi. We begin to climb, following paths, as close as possible to the cliff, to start seeing the first birds, quite abundant in the summer. We make a climb to the lighthouse, the oldest island in Iceland. We go down again near the cliff, starting the way back we will do on the west coast of the island. Soon we find a hiding place from where we can see birds. We enjoy the vision of different cains of birds and we continue the route going down to the isthmus of Gardsendi. Near the coast line, we are following paths through the cliffs of Ofanleitishamar, enjoying the vision of different cains of birds, and especially the wild birds. Thus we arrive at the immediate vicinity of a golf course, passing between this and the coast line until reaching Halldórsskora Elefant Rock, having left behind a monument to the Icelandic Mormons who emigrated to Utah. Now we leave the coast, we descend to the extinct volcano Herjoörlfsdalur where it was believed that the first colonizer on the island had lived. We just returned to the port.

Mapping: Iceland Topo - Scala: 1: 25,000-1: 750,000 - Source: Landmælingar Íslands (LMÍ)