After another peaceful sleep at the summerhouse we continued our journey westward along the coast. We saw once again the Aurora borealis (Northern lights), but it came later and it was more cloudy than last night. Anyway it is a spectacular view.

We had the use of two cars driven by Upajukta and Davíð from Reykjavik. Along the way we had an unfortunate incident where the car driven by Upajukta had a spectacular tyre blow out. The tyre was completely shredded and for a short distance smoke poured from the back as we drove on the rim. Mark and Marton attempted to change the tyre but had some trouble taking it off. Upajukta went for assistance and a mechanic came back with a sledgehammer and managed to get the wheel off. We eventually changed the tyre and drove to catch up the others.

The scenery was spectacular again with the mountains rising steeply from the coast. Everywhere you looked there was a magnificent view.

The weather was overcast with the sun glimpsing through the clouds every so often. The roads were undulating following the coastline as we reached the small fishing port of Grundarfjörður.

There was a fantastic narrow mountain known as ‘Church Mountain’, and in the distance we could see the two-pronged summit of Snaæfellsjökull (literally translated means ‘Snow Mountain Glacier’).

The running was a joy as we quickly covered the distance to the fishing town of Ólafsvík. The road ran adjacent to the seashore and it was refreshing and energising to see and hear the waves crashing on the shore. The clouds cleared and the weather brightened up and the sun shone for us.

Outside Ólafsvík there was a small fishing vessel on land and our Pedja (who used to be a ship’s captain) stood beside the vessel with the torch.

After a hearty lunch of cheese sandwiches and potato salad we headed up to the glacier covered inactive volcano of Snæfellsjökull that we had seen earlier. Along the way we saw a beautiful and spectacular waterfall and Icelandic sheep, ever so common in Iceland.

When we reached the point closest to the base of the glacier the mist and low cloud obscured most of the glacier and the summit. However, down below we could see the coastline and other surrounding lower peaks. There truly were breathtaking views.

We wondered around the slopes inspecting the old solidified lava and, as we did so, the clouds miraculously dissipated to reveal Snæfellsjökull (famous glacier) in all its magnificent glory.

There are many folklore tales about this mountain. It has been alleged that from the summit, down into the volcano is the centre of the Earth, and that even aliens frequently visit this place. Whether these stories are true or false, the mountain definitely has a mystical and magical feel about it with a certain special energy. We would have loved to have hiked with the torch to the summit at 1446m but we didn’t have the time to do so. It is certainly on the World Harmony Run ‘must do list’. The last time the World Harmony Run torch went up there was in 1995, so it is due for another visit. Let’s hope we can do it next year.

For 15 minutes we marvelled at the wonderful sight of the mountain, and then the low cloud began to roll in.

As quickly as the low cloud cover had disappeared it swiftly reappeared and shrouded the summit and lower slopes in a thick blanket of cloud.

We made our way off the mountain slopes and headed towards the coast.

Just down from the base of the glacier we came across a small cave known as the ‘Singing Cave’ that is well known in Icelandic folklore.

We took the torch with us to explore the inside.

Pierre, Pedja, Upajukta and Marton gave a rendition of the World Harmony Run song inside the cave. They thought it would make their voices sound better, but unfortunately the acoustics didn’t help them.

Throughout the day we met many people from different countries. Whilst running Ondrej met a couple from Leeds, England; we met a Swiss couple on the mountain slopes and a guy from California.

In the late afternoon we continued running in the glorious afternoon sunshine.

We returned to Reykjavík after a brilliant day witnessing Iceland’s spectacular landscape. Once in Reykjavík we were treated to Ágúst's fabulous pizzas. It is the best homemade pizzas we've eaten, and we ate a lot. As quickly as Ágúst was making them we were eating them! This was followed by ice cream, blueberries and chocolate sauce – what a combination. To say that we were full up was an understatement, but we were all very happy. What a fantastic day!

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Distance: 75km

Team Members:
Mark Collinson (England), Marton Fekete (Hungary), Ondrej Vesely (Czech Republic), Pierre Lantuas Monfouga (France), Predrag Knezevic (Serbia).

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