Smoke on Water

So as you drive through Iceland you will come across many places that have steam rising above the ground. And to tell you the truth, this place isn’t much different. There’s hot water, there’s steam, the thing that set’s this place apart though is the surrounding. Which in my opinion is good enough to allow for a quick stopover.

What might seem like a fairly normal spot is actually really impressive, on one side of the road you have lava fields covered by moss, on the other a hot river which disappears underground.

In the background, you have a hot water plant, steam everywhere and mountains hugging the clouds.

The river itself isn’t anything special. in fact, if it didn’t have steam rising above it you probably would never even consider stopping along the road here.

But something I discovered here due to my curiosity is that right beside the pool of water is a small canyon.

Yes, there are many canyons in Iceland and compared to those ones this one can be quite boring, still, when walking along it you will be amazed by the incredible Flora inside.

I mean it’s a completely different ecosystem inside. This is due to the ground being warm enough all year round to allow fo

r plants like ferns and different types of moss to thrive in here.

Additionally, there are a few caves in the distance and a few hikes, but I wasn’t curious enough to do those.

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Make sure to check out other Golden Circle Attractions:

– Church on the Lake (Úlfljótsvatnskirkja)
– Little Canada
– Smoke on water
– Echo Point
– Þingvellir
– Bruarfoss
– Geysir
– Gullfoss
– Bruarhlod
– Hrunalaug
– Kerid

If you find Smoke on Water, and take some more incredible pictures of the canyon, make sure to put them in the comments below. Also make sure to Share this post so others can enjoy this spot.

Smoke on Water

Echo Point

This place took me by surprise, I stopped here for the view but stayed here for the Echo.

The way I found out about this place was when I came here I heard a sheep in the distance and me being me, I decided to make some wild noises. After that, I realised what a magical place this really is and have taken many friends here to enjoy the incredible echo that this place creates.

Oh lets also not forget about the incredible views that this place has.

Situated above Pingvallatan lake halfway up a cliff. In the distance, you can see little rock Iceland that during cloudy weather seem like they are floating above the surface of the lake. Perfect spot for a drone.

You will know when you are at the right place when you see a cattle grid across the road.

Pull up and enjoy the view and make as much noise as possible. Seriously though the echo is incredible and one of my favourite spots on Konrad’s Golden Circle

Get Directions

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Make sure to check out other Golden Circle Attractions:

– Church on the Lake (Úlfljótsvatnskirkja)
– Little Canada
– Smoke on water
– Echo Point
– Þingvellir
– Bruarfoss
– Geysir
– Gullfoss
– Bruarhlod
– Hrunalaug
– Kerid

If you enjoy this spot make sure to comment below and share this post with others.

Echo Point

Little Canada

When I drive by this point I always think to myself… Am I still in Iceland. Picture this, a beautiful lake, pine trees, an abandoned house and a road that hugs the lake. This is why I decided to call it Little Canada, and if you drive past here you probably will also think the same.

It truly is a breathtaking spot and fantastic for pictures, lunch and rock skimming across the lake. The beach along the road is formed by millions of perfectly round and smooth rocks that are just begging to be skimmed across the top of the lake.

Every time I get to this point I practice my skimming, it’s really relaxing and makes me realise how beautiful Iceland really is. So far my record is 19 bounces on the surface of the water.

Also right next to the road there is fresh water flowing so if you are parched after a decent slogging session with the rocks and need a quick drink you will come across this little creek that runs under the road. You can also fill up your water bottles here.

I find this place to be perfect to visit when the clouds are low, as the reflection on the water is absolutely stunning. Also, the water itself is crystal clear and the rocks below the surface make for some incredible pictures.

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Make sure to check out other Golden Circle Attractions:

– Church on the Lake (Úlfljótsvatnskirkja)
– Little Canada
– Smoke on water
– Echo Point
– Þingvellir
– Bruarfoss
– Geysir
– Gullfoss
– Bruarhlod
– Hrunalaug
– Kerid

Hope you enjoy Little Canada as much as I did and if you liked this small addition to the Golden Circle let me know in the comments below. If you liked this post make sure to share it with others.

Little Canada

Drone footage and Downhill Mountain biking seems like the perfect marriage

Ever wondered what it might look like chasing after someone riding downhill on their mountain bike from a drone’s perspective?


Well, you don’t have to wonder anymore as someone has done it.

Having an extreme sport such as downhill mountain biking where there is a lot of weaving between tree’s, jumps and constant crash hazards seemed like the last place for a drone. But thanks to a few crazy souls who were happy to brave the potential destruction of their drone we now have proof that it is possible.

[bctt tweet=”And let’s just say, the angle is amazing. ” username=”mendooutdoors”]

Using a small Lux v2 racing quadcopter drone you get the first person view of chasing after a mountain biker at high speed. The biker performs some jumps which with the addition of slow motion makes the video really outstanding.

At one point the drone does hit the dirt but doesn’t seemed fazed at all from the bump and continues the chase.

All credit definitely goes to the drone pilot in this one as just the thought of having to keep up with the biker makes me quite nervous. Especially considering that I have already lost a drone and crashed it multiple times.

 

A post shared by Paul Nurkkala (@nurkfpv) on Oct 2, 2017 at 7:52am PDT

So I guess the question is, if people are now able to fly drone’s in such confined spaces, what will the future of drone footage look like taking into account future technology advancements.

All I can think of is that we are definitely coming into an age where everyone will be able to take breathtaking footage no matter where they are. That actually has me pumped.

If you are a drone pilot and have similar footage we would be super excited to check it out. You can leave a message in the comments below and while you’re there don’t forget to like mendooutdoors on facebook and share this article.

Drone footage and Downhill Mountain biking seems like the perfect marriage