Day 3 Day trip to southern Iceland

Today I will visit Thórsmörk (Icelandic: Þórsmörk). This is a mountain range in the south of Iceland in the shadows of some major and high active volcanos in Iceland. Hekla, Katla and Eyjafjallajökull who erupted last year. Today it is Katla who is monitored very closely as she is about to erupt as her 80-100 year cyclus has passed by. And if she erupts is is likely catastrophic. The danger is the glaciers covering Katla, (not really the volcano itself), who will melt in seconds to boiling and steaming water, the floods called 'jökulhaup' in Icelandic will kill all on its way. Katla has been rumbling since the eruptian of Eyjafjall some times, the last one was July 2012. Usually Katla erupts within few months after Eyjafjall. Those information a bit scares me. But well, worst case scenario is to have to stay on Iceland a bit longer ;-) Best case scenario is to watch it. 

Here is Katla sleeping (I hope she still does... the Earth is rumbling around her): http://www.ruv.is/katla
And here is Hekla as well: http://www.ruv.is/hekla
Þórsmörk has no webcams. And the ones of Eyjafjallajokull dont work.

Þórsmörk the name means Thors Forest Directing to the ancient Viking time when the northern Gods and Goddesses were still honored. I am not yet aware why it is called this way. I do know there is a place in Iceland where there is a rockformation that is believed to be the hoofprint of Sleipnir when it touched Iceland. This to say that every place named after a deity (and there are a lot in Iceland) probably has a meaning. But for this area I have to find out yet. Maybe it has to do with the weather, who can say? Not me at this point.

What to find here is a diverse colored earth, due to many different minerals. You can find all colors here. High mountain ridges covered in snow, glaciers, glacier streams, waterfalls including the famous Dettifoss, volcano rims, bushes and hardened lava rivers. It is believed to be one of the most beautifull places in Iceland loved by hikers. And, here you can camp on a volcano. Probably not Katla ;-) 
I am very curious to this area, it may be the highlight of my trip to Iceland. I am however advised to take waterproof clothes, even if it is dry and sunny, strong winds lift up waterdrops from the waterfalls and sweep them high up to the mountains. Not to mention the need to cross several streams. And, watching waterfalls is always a cold and wet activity, since most if not all Icelandic waterfalls start as glaciers.

Well, I am going to see it!