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the Degree Confluence Project
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Iceland

16.4 km (10.2 miles) WNW of Kálfafell, Vestur-Skaftafellssýsla, Iceland
Approx. altitude: 445 m (1459 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 64°S 162°E

Accuracy: 6 m (19 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: North view #3: East view #4: South view #5: The gate was closed with a padlock so we had to walk #6: River disappearing into the lava #7: Strange lava figures #8: Beware, big potholes on the road #9: Photo of the group on the spot #10: GPS #11: Total trip was 43.1 Km in 10 hours and 43 min.

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  64°N 18°W (visit #1)  

#1: West view

(visited by Arngrimur Magnusson, Vidar Thorsteinsson, Pall Gestsson and Einar Gislason)

09-May-2004 -- We arrived at the farm Þverá (16,2km straight line from the confluence) on the evening of 8.5.2004 before we visited confluence 64°N17°W. The reason for this visit was to get a permission from the farmer Davíð Pétursson to drive a private road he owns that leads to the confluence. The road goes to a shepards cabin that is used once a year, 18,6km from the farm. The road goes straight from the farm but it is closed half the year from November to June because of snow and mud. We were optimistic to get the farmers permission because the summer came early this year and there was no snow or water on the area at the time. The farmer said the road was closed and that he was not in a position to make any exemptions but that we were welcome to walk the road.

The next morning we were back at the farm ready to walk to the confluence. Weather was excellent by Iceland standards 13°C partly clouded and hardly any wind. We walked the road which was in excellent condition, much better than we had expected. The terrain on both sides of the road is extremly hard to walk and impossible by car or horses. It is very rough lava with moss. It is called Eldhraun and was created in the one of the biggest eruptions on earth during historical times in 1783.

It took us about 4 hours to walk up to the cabin and we arrived there at 14:00. We had a quick look inside the cabin. There was some debris there from a second world war fighter plane that crashed there during the war. We also took a peek in the guestbook and found that this cabin seems to be popular with both foreign and native cave visitors during the summer.

The road ends at the cabin 2km from the confluence but there is still a track drivable by 4x4. We reached the confluence at 14:52. It is only about 50m off the track. The total hike was 43km long and took us 11 hours to walk. It would have been easy to drive the road in our SUV in an hour, back and forth.


 All pictures
#1: West view
#2: North view
#3: East view
#4: South view
#5: The gate was closed with a padlock so we had to walk
#6: River disappearing into the lava
#7: Strange lava figures
#8: Beware, big potholes on the road
#9: Photo of the group on the spot
#10: GPS
#11: Total trip was 43.1 Km in 10 hours and 43 min.
ALL: All pictures on one page