Fieldnotes from Iceland

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Mary Chapin Carpenter

April 29, 2026

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Geology Maps

Geology Maps of Iceland from the Natural Science Institute of Iceland: Explore the layers - you can turn on English language option. Useful for finding the age and type of lavas e.g. mafic on the peninsula. Mafic lavas are a type of lava characterised by a low silica content (45-52%) and high ferromagnesian mineral content (iron and magnesium). They are typically associated with hotter temperatures, lower viscosity, and effusive eruptions, resulting in the formation of features like shield volcanoes and flood basalts. They take their name from magnesium and 'ferric' - relating to iron which should be easy to remember.

New Via Ferrata option for SW Iceland

If you are looking for alternative activities a new via ferrata has opened in Iceland. It is called Fálkaklettur, and is located on Mt. Esja. The name means Falcon Rock. Starting from Mt. Esja Hiking Center (Esjustofa), only a 25 minutes drive from Reykjavik city center. The tour takes 3 hours. Climbing Fálkaklettur is a great achievement you can be proud of, overcoming challenges. Minimum age is 14 years. Under 16s need to be accompanied by an adult. This means it could be an option for school groups. You get pretty decent views by the looks... I'd be up for having a go. Images from the Fálklaklettur website. Price?

Tourism fatigue?

In the week when we had another casualty on the black sand beach, the Reykjavik Grapevine's editor Jón Trausti Sigurðarson has written about "tourism fatigue" in Vik. Over 5000 people a day visit the small town in the season (including me on every trip with Rayburn). These have overloaded the town's toilet facilities. Iceland is vast. It is 30% bigger than Ireland, with roughly 7% of that country’s population. So much of this island is “empty”. Unpopulated fjords are numerous, the highlands are all but empty. If you want solitude, it’s everywhere. You only have to walk a few hundred metres in almost any direction from a popular tourist destination and find yourself alone Image: The road to Vik - Alan Parkinson - shared on Flickr under CC license

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Mary Chapin Carpenter

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