Basalt columns
Like organ pipes.
Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Giles Laurent — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · todd.vision — CC BY 2.0 · Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0
Svartifoss, the «black waterfall», is in Skaftafell within Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland, about 89 km west of Höfn in a straight line, and one of the park's most popular sights. It is framed by dark lava columns that gave it its name. These mostly hexagonal columns form a natural amphitheatre about 15 to 20 metres high and 30 metres wide on the southern edge of the Skaftafell plateau. New column sections break off faster than the water wears them down, so sharp rocks pile up at the base. The columns have inspired Icelandic architects, most visibly in Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík. A white thread of water slips over the cliff edge between rows of dark columns hanging like organ pipes and falls into a small pool among the rocks, with green slopes of grass and birch around it in summer. Visitors walk from the Skaftafell visitor centre on a climbing path, passing smaller falls on the way. The path is fairly easy but uphill, and walkers can continue to viewpoints over the park's glaciers.
Like organ pipes.
At the base.
Smaller falls.
Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland
At the Skaftafell visitor centre.
Fairly easy but uphill.