XXXXXXXXXXXX(XXXXXXXXX)118 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | MAY 2018
Across
Glide across spectacular landscapes with thrills, not spills
ICELAND
On Horseback in the
Land of Fire and IceM
y horse knows the
land better than I, so
I loosen the reins and let her
lead the way across Iceland’s
southern highlands. Single
file, our small group trots
towards the row of mossy
green mountains on the
horizon, following the
ancient Kjölur Route that
crosses the barren middle
of the country from coast to
coast. Steady hooves
crunch over kilometres of
new black volcanic earth,
lumpy as a field of crushed
Oreos. The tall dome of
glistening ice is Hekla—the
most active volcano in
Iceland and the gateway to
hell, according to ancient
lore. The Vikings rode this
same cross-country route
more than a thousand
years ago, and since then,
Iceland’s wild-maned
horses—small and tough—
have remained a separate
breed largely untouched by
outside influence.
The Icelandic horse is
equal parts strong and
gentle. In the saddle, even
the least experienced
equestrian can manage this
desolate Game of Thrones
scenery thanks to the
horses’ agility, while more
advanced riders upshift to a
jaunty tölt—the rocking fifth
gait that is entirely unique to
this venerable breed.
I breathe in time with myanimal, inhaling the damp
northern wind as we skirt
the glassy Sauðafellsvatn
lake. Iceland is remarkably
elemental like this—at any
moment, you see and feel
the earth, air, water, and fire.
Evening comes, but
the summer sun never
disappears. Instead the
horizon blushes pink and
the land glows, lighting up
the soulful eyes of these
fuzzy beasts with tongue-
twister names like Eldbjörn,
Hroki, and Töfrandi, which
roughly translate to “Fire
Bear,” “Arrogant,” and
“Magic.” Unsaddled, the
horses wander off to graze
in a field while the humans
slip into bubbling natural
hot pools to soak our tired
bodies outside the cosy
huts near Hveravellir.
Pleasantly exhausted, we
revel in the warmth that
emanates from the heart of
the Earth, grateful for the
horses that carried us here,
into the rugged silence of
off-road Iceland.
—Andrew Evans
THE DESTINATION