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Attractions : Mount Hekla

An active volcano for centuries, Mount Hekla is one of the most famous volcanoes in the world. Old tales tell of the belief that the souls of the condemned traveled through Hekla's crater on their way to hell. The whole mountain ridge of Hekla is about 40 km long. The fissure which splits the mountain ridge is about 5,5 km long. The mountain is about 1491 m high and rising. Hekla at a distance has a similar appearance to that of Mount Fuji in Japan, much to the delight of many Japanese visitors here. One has a great view of Mount Hekla from Hotel Ranga and the mountain is almost always snowcapped, except some years during the height of the summer months.

Many people choose to hike the top of Mount Hekla during good weather and hiking conditions. The view from the top is absolutely stunning on a clear day. It is a hike of 3-4 hours from the 900 meter summit. One should bring water, hiking sticks good shoes and be in good shape to try this. Always check weather conditions before starting such a journey. Winds and weather can shift very quickly so bring warm and weatherproof clothing as well! There are also some signs that predict Mount Hekla is close to a new eruption.

Over the past 7000 years Hekla has had five big fissure eruptions. The biggest eruptions were 4000 and 2800 years ago. Traces of these two eruptions can be found in the soil in the North and the North-East of Iceland. The biggest layer of tephra from one eruption fell in the eruption 2800 years ago. It covers about 80% of the country and its volume was around 12 cubic km. Traces of it has been found in various places all over Scandinavia and in parts of Europe. The explosions of Hekla (and Katla) have left deep traces in the South Icelandic landscape making it different from the north, east and west of Iceland.

It is thought that Hekla has had at least twenty eruptions since the settlement of Iceland. The biggest eruption was in 1104 and the last one resulting in severe destruction was in 1693. Hekla erupted five times in the 20th century, and the last time in 2000.

The effects of some of the violent eruptions were disastrous. The toxic fumes killed animals and people instantly. The whole island was strown with volcanic ash, which, where they did not smother the grass outright, gave it a poisonous taint. The cattle that ate of it were attacked by murrain, of which great numbers died. All of South Iceland was eventually abandoned for some time and one can now safely say that nobody lived in this entire encompassing area for over 100 years! All this just because Madame Hekla (volcanoes are of female gender here in Iceland) "blew her top" so violently! The ice and snow, which had gathered about the mountain for a long period of time, were wholly melted by the heat. Masses of pumice weighing nearly half a ton (like a small car!) were thrown to a distance of between six and ten kilometers.

Hekla eruptions since the settlement of Iceland
Year / Duration / Destruction
1104 / Unknown / Much
1158 / Unknown / Some
1206 / Unknown / Some
1222 / Unknown / Little
1300-01 / 12 months / Much
1341 / Unknown / Much
1389-90 / Unknown / Some
1440 / Unknown / Little
1510 / Unknown / Some
1554 / Unknown / Little
1597 / 6 months / Little
1636 / 12 months / Little
1693 / 7-12 months / Much
1725 / Unknown / Little
1766-68 / 24 months / Some
1845-46 / 7 months / Some
1878 / Unknown / Little
1913 / 4-5 months / Little
1947-48 / 13 months / Some
1970 / 2 months / Little
1980-81 / 2 weeks / Some
1991 / 2 months / Little
2000 / 11 days / Little

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