Viti

Viti, Askja - darkometer rating : 4 - Viti means 'hell' in Icelandic – and even though the trip there isn't quite so hellish as the name implies, it's still extreme: Viti is an explosion crater about 150 yards wide within the gigantic Askja caldera in central Iceland , one of the country's many active volcanic areas (see also Heimaey ). And you can go swimming in its greenish-bluish sulphurous crater lake! One of the most extreme highlights of a trip to this extreme country, for sure! > More background info > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > Photos More background info: Askja is a large volcano in the Dynggjufjöll mountains in the heart of the Icelandic highlands. The most recent eruption at Askja occurred in 1961, although the Viti explosion crater was blown out earlier, in the late 19th century, as part of a series of many violent cataclysms of the time (see also Iceland in general) – when several cubic kilometres of material were blown into the atmosphere. Tephra from these eruptions was blown as far as Sweden . Since this major eruption, the huge Askja caldera has filled with water. This over 700 feet (220m) deep lake called Öskjavatn (Iceland's deepest inland body of water) is normally covered with ice throughout much of the year except in summer, thanks to the high elevation of over 4000 feet (1300m). However, in March 2012 it was discovered that the lake was already largely ice-free – amidst the otherwise completely snow-covered highlands. This triggered concerns about the possibility of increased geothermal activity under the caldera, which may be an early sign of an upcoming new eruption in the making. Given all the other recent volcanic activity in Iceland it wouldn't be a great surprise.