Exploring Þórsmörk with Midgard Adventure’s Super Jeep Tour
As the sun begins to rise, I find myself outside Hagkaup at 7:45 a.m., greeting Ragnar “Raggi” Jónsson, my guide for the day. Our destination? The breathtaking Þórsmörk region, where the adventures of Midgard Adventure await. We start our journey with a quick stop in Selfoss for traditional tebolla and coffee, where we also pick up our photographer before setting off to the base camp.
Founded just a week before the infamous Eyjafjallajökull eruption, Midgard Adventure has deep roots in the community of Hvolsvöllur. I meet CEO Björg and her daughter-in-law Hildur, who manages the base camp. A delightful blend of hotel and hostel, the Midgard Base Camp serves as a vibrant hub for both travelers and locals, hosting concerts and even growing rhubarb on-site. Inside, playful swings add a touch of whimsy to an environment that is otherwise serious about adventure.
Belly of the Beast
“Here, everyone starts off as strangers, but by the end of the day, we’re all buddies,” Raggi remarks as we venture deeper into Þórsmörk. Just hours earlier, I was navigating Reykjavik’s bustling streets; now, I’m surrounded by towering glaciers, sprawling valleys, and glistening rivers. “This place is so dramatic,” Raggi observes, likely noticing my awe as I take in the stunning landscape. He shares two theories about how Þórsmörk earned its name: one suggests it was formed by the mighty Þór, hammer Mjölnir in hand, while the other attributes its origin to the frequent thunder and lightning that characterize the sheltered valley.
Our first adventure is a two-hour journey into the mysterious “Dragon’s Lair.” We cross a series of streams on our way to a cave, and Raggi thoughtfully reflects, “So much here feels ancient, even if it has changed recently.” His words echo a theme that resonates throughout our tour: the landscape of Þórsmörk is in a continual state of flux. “That rock wasn’t here last weekend,” he points out, or “That mountain was entirely covered in snow!”
Grandma Knows Best
As we leap from stone to stone, Raggi shares a lighthearted piece of wisdom from his grandmother: “Better wet feet than a bloody head!” We all chuckle and take her advice, stepping right into the cool water for an easier trek onward.
Eventually, we arrive at the “lair” itself—a tranquil cave featuring mossy green walls contrasted against dark stone and an open circle of brilliant blue sky overhead. “Every time I see this, I’m in awe,” Raggi admits, and I can’t help but feel a twinge of envy for his weekly encounters with this beauty. He has earlier advised tourists from New York City to not just observe, but to truly listen. Taking his words to heart, I center myself, focusing on the lively birds, the rush of the waterfall, and the gentle plinking of water against stone.
After filling our bottles with cool, crisp water from the cave, we make our way back to the Super Jeep and continue our journey.
Troubled Taxi
We pull up to Skagfjörðsskáli, where we indulge in a quintessentially Icelandic lunch: hot dogs, bubbly Appelsín, and Hraun, a local confection. The charming owners are basking in the sun, while Raggi mingles with other guides and cheerful hikers taking advantage of the splendid weather. I’ve long had the Fimmvörðuháls hike on my bucket list, and to my excitement, I learn that Midgard Adventure offers this full-day excursion every Thursday throughout the summer. “Perhaps I’ll need to return,” I think as I pile on a second helping of hot dog.
As we eat, Raggi delves deeper into the tour philosophy at Midgard Adventure. “There’s no such thing as a standard tour,” he explains. “You could have a family dressed in jeans or Austrians decked out in Gore-Tex.” As we watch hikers come and go, our attention turns to a daring truck attempting to cross a river. Raggi chuckles as he shares the tale of a Tesla taxi that attempted the journey just a day before. While that taxi may have made it, I’d say your best chance lies with an experienced driver in a rugged Super Jeep.
The Tearjerker
The final two stops of our tour take on a more reflective tone. Our first stop is Gígjökull, where the glacier, still cloaked in ash, sends a chill down my spine. Raggi introduces a term for the sensation of glacial wind on the skin: “jökulkoss,” or “glacier kiss.”
Afterwards, we make our way to a windswept beach. “I call this spot ‘the tearjerker,’” Raggi reveals, noting that it’s often here a middle-aged American woman finds herself in tears. He revs the engine, cranks up Sigur Rós’s poignant “Untitled #3 – Samskeyti,” and we speed across the black sand. With glaciers on one side and the vast ocean on the other, I, too, feel a lump in my throat as the scenery embraces me.
As the last notes of the song fade away and we transition back onto the road, I take in the patchwork of farms dotting the landscape as we head back to base camp. Raggi had mentioned that this drive often lulls people to sleep after a day of adventure. I close my eyes, reflecting on the wonders of Þórsmörk, drifting softly into dreams of natural beauty.
Midgard Adventure’s Base Camp is located in Hvolsvöllur, and you can book their Super Jeep tours at https://midgardbasecamp.is/
