Hiking-/Cycling Route 2 Hotel Raudaskrida - Adaldalur Valley Cicle ROUTE OVERVIEW (see map).
1. Hotel Raudaskrida. (GPS for ref.: 65° 50,170´ N ; 17° 28,370´ W) 2. Cycle from Hoteli Raudaskridu to Hafralækjarskoli school (10 km, 45-60 min) (GPS for ref.: 65° 52,550´ N ; 17° 25,917´ W) 3. Cycle from Hafralækjarskol school to Grenjadarstadur farm/museum (9 km, 40-50 min) (GPS for ref.: 65° 49,240´ N ; 17° 20,979´ W) 4. Cycle from Grenjadarstadur farm/museum to Laxarvirkjun hydro-power plant (2 km, 10 mín) (GPS for ref.: 65° 49,128´ N ; 17° 18,842´ W) 5. Cycle from Laxarvirkjun hydro-power plant to Hraunsrett. (4 km, 20-30 min) (GPS for ref.: 65° 50,160´ N ; 17° 21,086´ W) 6. Cycle from Hraunsrett to Hotel Raudaskrida (17 km, 90-110 min) (GPS for ref.: 65° 50,170´ N ; 17° 28,370´ W)
Total distance is appr. 42 km and estimated cycling time (depending on physical shape) is 4 hours. Total time estimated with stops etc could be 7-8 hours. You can download a GPS track of this route from here: http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=1742701
Adaldalur valley starts from the sea at bay Skjalfandi. The valley extends to river Skjalfandafljót in west and river Laxa and mountain Hvammsheiði in east. Adaldalur valley meets Reykjadalur valley by lake Vestmannsvatn in south. A small river, called Eyvindarstadarlækur, runs from Lake Vestmannsvatn to river Laxa. n this route you will also cross this river as well as Laxa itself. Another valley, called Laxardalur meets Adaldalur valley in south east, close to the hydro-power plant. At the shore, there is sand and then Adaldalshraun lava takes over. This lava covers most of the valley approximately 100 square km. It has its origing from two eruptions. First one about 3500 years ago from mountain Ketildyngja and the second one from mountain Threngslaborgir in the Lake Myvatn area, about 2000 years ago. Today the lava is much covered with plants and trees. There are two churches in Adaldalur valley, one at farm called Nes (close to school Hafralækjarskóli on the other side of the road) and the other one at farm Grenjadarstadur. Most of the inhabitants of Adaldalur valley live in the area around the hydro-power plant, Laxarvikrjun, and in the area close to Hafralækjarskóli school. Adaldalur valley is mainly famous for the salmon river Laxa and the nature around, the lava, and birdlife. You can expect to see lot of different species of ducks around the river, in the canyons around Laxarvirkjun power plant falcons are often seen, and in the evenings and nights owls can be seen in Adaldalur.
LAXA IN ADALDALUR. Laxa in Adaldalur river, is a clear water river and the second largest clear water river in Iceland and one of most famous salmon rivers in Iceland. Its origin is from Lake Myvatn and it runs about 58 km to sea in Skjalfandafloi bay. Laxa river runs through lava throughout Adaldalur valley, and in the spring time, when it jams due to ice, it flows underneath the surface of the lava and comes up in another place. Laxa river is famous for its large salmons, and early last century and until middle of the century 30+ pounds salmons were quite frequent. Nowadays the biggest ones are betwwen 20-30 pounds. Annual number of salmons has been somewhere around 1000 in the last decade (actual angling season lasts from 20th of June until 20th of Sept.) but the years before that it was 2000 – 3000 salmons per annum. Birdlife and nature around Laxa river is well worth experiencing and Laxa river is often nicknamed „The Queen“.
INTERESTING PLACES.
FARM GRENJADARSTADUR (FOLK MUSEUM). Grenjadarstadur is an ancient settlers farm, referring to the Saga´s, and was for a long era one of the biggest and most powerful farm in Thingeyjarsysla county. At Grenjadarstadur there is also a church. One of the old turf buildings is also still at Grenjadarstadur and this is one of the biggest in Iceland, with ground floor of 775 square meters. Oldest part of it was built in 1865 and it was inhabited until 1949. Restructuring of the building was started in 1955 and completed in year 1958 and that same year the folk museum was opened there. Today it´s open in the summertime from June 1st (10 am – 6 pm). As previously mentioned Grenjadarstadur is a socalled settlers farm. According to book Landnama it was a settler named Grenjadur Hrappsson who first built his house there. Grenjadarstadur was also a chief mansion and many chiefs in Iceland lived there through the ages. Amongs others, one called Kolbeinn Sighvatsson, son of one of the most powerful chiefs in the ancient Sagas of Iceland. This bloke, Kolbeinn was killed in one of the biggest battle in Iceland, called Orlygsstadabardagi battle in Skagafjordur. This was a battle between the north and south of Iceland and total of around 3000 vikings fought there, about 1700 from south. 56 were killed, there of 49 from the south. The battle took place 21st of August 1238. Grenjadarstadur was one the biggest and most powerful parish in Iceland in the past. And was equalized to Oddi in south of Iceland which was the biggest in the south.
LAXARVIRKJUN HYDRO-POWER PLANT. The hydro-powerplant at Laxarvirkjun is consists of three power plants, Laxa I, Laxa II and Laxa III. They are located in the canyon close to farm Bruar, where Adaldalur valley meets Laxardalur valley. The powerplants at Laxa I and Laxa III utilize the direct flow of the river, i.e. the river runs directly into the incoming tubes and into the turbines. At Laxa II there is an adjustment. Laxa I is the oldest part of the Laxarvirkjun clustger and utilizes the upper ascend of the river, above farm Bruar. From the dam, in the canyon, the water is first directed into tunnels and then in a wooden pipe to the turbine building distance of appr. 670 meters. The ascend is 39 meters and this plant generates 5 MW. There are two turbines in this building and the first was started in 1939 and the second one in 1944. Laxa II was built in years 1950 to 1952. It hosts a different type of mecanism than the other two buildings. This turbine was taken into use in 1953 and it generates 9 MW. The dam at Laxa II was built in 1952 and the purpose to make an adjustment resevoir for the hydro-power plant. Intaking duct runs from the dam to Laxa II, about 378 meter long wooden pipe with a diameter of 4 meters and can carry 40 tons of water per second. The ascend is 29 meters. Next to the turbine building there is a prominent tank for adjustment of water pressure. adjustmenr. This is necessary due to the enormous kinetic energy that can build up when the water runs through the pipe. If the turbines in Laxa II needs to be stopped immediately a so called waterhammer builds up within the tube leading the water to Laxa II. This waterhammer could damage/explode the pipe but the adjustment tank prevenst this from occuring. The adjustment tank also adjust the waterflow into the turbine building via pipe leading from the bottom of the tank into the turbines. Laxa III, generates 13,5 MW and is the newest of the three plants. It utilizes same level of ascend as Laxa I. From the dam at Laxa I the water is lead via underground tunnels in the east part of the canyon to the turbine building which is 60 within the rock, close to Laxa I. From there the water runs through an exhaust duct back into Laxa river. These tunnels are total of 850 m. In Laxa III there is one turbine which was taken into use in 1973. In the rock, originally, was designed room for two turbines, each capable of generating 25 MW. This design involved a 56 meter high dam far upper in the canyon and the total ascend would be 83 meters. This proposal caused big protests and riot in the community at the time and is known as The Laxardeila protest. Laxardeilan protest. Took place in years 1969 to 1973. There were two parties involved. The locals, i.e. farmers in the area from Lake Myvatn to Adaldalur valley and the consturcters and owners of the powerplant, from Akureyri. Constructing of the first part of Laxa III, started in 1970. The locals of Thingeyarsysla county went for a protest manifest to Akureyri and there were about 500 people participating. This
debate got so serious that in August 1970, one of the dams, close to Lake Myvatn, was bombed and then destroyed by heavy machines. 250 people from the local area claimed they did this damage and about 65 of them got convicted. The locals also damaged the constructers machines by adding formic acid to their gastanks but that case was never solved. In the end, this debate was settled with an a agreement which lead to the set up as it is today at Laxa III. All further dam construction ideas were abandoned and only one of the turbines was installed. This was a big victory for the landowners and farmers, as well as for the nature which they also fought for. HRAUNSRETT ENCLOSURE. Hraunsrett lies close to farm Hraun. It was built in the 1830s, and made from lava rocks. Total area of the enclosure is around 7200 squaremeters. Every year, the farmers bring their sheep from the mountains between Adaldalur valley and Lake Myvatn, where it is kept during the summer, and sort it in this enclosure. In the last years the number of sheep has been decreasing due to change of farming, but nobody wants to miss this event which usually takes plase middle of September. However the enclosure itself is a real marvel and worth taking the detour from the highway.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
http://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenjaรฐarstaรฐur http://www.husmus.is/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11&Itemid=32 &lang=is http://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aรฐaldalur http://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laxรกrvirkjun http://www.mbl.is/mm/gagnasafn/grein.html?grein_id=344090 http://www.thingeyjarsveit.is/starfsemi/menningarminjar/
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