FORVOD Mother Nature's art gallery
The area called “Forvod” is actually a breach on
the eastern banks of the river, where it has carved a huge indent and
then left, like a sculptor who has lost interest in his creation. At
Forvod you can clearly see how the river has carved out its
masterpiece, the canyons with the river still at work below. The
tranquility of the place is in odds with the surroundings because it is
flush with vegetation and you can hear peaceful little streams
trickling over rocks on their way to meet the screaming river below. In this stream
trout has been sighted which must be considered one of natures wonders
because the trip from the river is so steep in places.
To
reach Forvod you turn of highway 864 and follow the road for 8
km. This turn off is 12 km above the bridge over Jokulsa.
Road nr. 864 lies along side jokulsa on the east side. The
road down to Forvod is a dirt road and needs to be driven with
care on smaller cars.
The walk down to Forvod is 1,2 km and ends by a rocky
outcropping made of columnar basalt called Vigabjarg. The first
stretch on your way down there is by a 1 km long dirt road until you
reach a small stream, then you follow a walkway for 200 meters before
you reach Vigabjarg. There is a stairway up on Vigabjarg
where you can enjoy the magnificent view, but take care and don’t
go to close to the edges of the cliff.
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According to the old Sagas the cliff Vigabjarg (fighting cliff) is not only a cliff
made of columnar basalt, but also a place where, the outlaw Grettir the strong, chose
as his layer, which is right by the stair up on the cliff. A part of
Grettis saga unfolds here and on a sign beside it is a brief part of that
story is told.
“It is said that Grettir made his stand here for a while until he
had to retreat and made his way to the west over the river by the rim
of Vigabjargsfoss. This rout is considered treacherous, but even
Jokulsa was no more of a roadblock for him than so, that he
took to rams with him for traveling provisions”
Not far from Vigabjarg was a waterfall called
Vigabjargsfoss, one of the grandeur waterfalls of
Jokulsa. This waterfall disappeared almost entirely in 1950
when the river changed its course and runs as it does today through a
route called Katla. When the events in Grettissaga are said to have
happened there may have been a stone arch partly over
Vigabjargsfoss, so it was humanly possible to jump over it in
those days but with to rams hooked together by the horns over the
shoulder is another matter. |

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