The Vatnshellir Project — a First for Iceland
Email: gunnhildurstef@simnet.is
Abstract
Vatnshellir (‘Water Cave’) in Snæfellsnes, Iceland, is a 205 m long lava cave/tube on three levels. The uppermost part (first level) is the ‘original’ Vatnshellir, from where the farmers at Malarrif, a farm and a lighthouse, 3 km to the SSW, fetched water for their livestock. This part of the cave is partially collapsed, just under the surface and 35 m long.
The lower part is on two levels (floors) and in a surprisingly good condition. It is accessible through askylight, or funnel, in the downfall basin of Vatnshellir. This part of the cave has been named Undirheimar (Underworld). The middle level (floor) is 12-20 m under the surface and about 100 m long. At the southern end of the middle level is a 12 m high vertical lavafall, leading into the 12 m deeper lowermost level. This part of the cave is about 32 m below the surface, almost horizontal and just over 70 m long. In December 2009 a platform was built over the entrance funnel leading into Undirheimar.
In May 2010 an 8 m high spiral staircase was put up, leading into the 100 m long middle floor. This part of the cave was opened to the public on 15 June 2010 as ‘ the first 20 vertical metres of the route to the centre of the earth’ (alluding to the fact that Jules Verne placed the start of the journey in this vicinity in his 1864 novel, Journey to the Centre of the Earth). In October 2010 a second spiral staircase, now under construction, will provide access down to the lowermost level, to about -32 m. (Then there will be just 6,370 km to go!)
It is an interesting project; the first of its kind in Iceland. It is done with humility, wit, nature protection and service to the community in mind. The mayor of the community, a renowned architect, the head of the ruine (collapsed buildings due to earthquakes, etc) rescue school in GufuskÁlar and his son, Lions, some members of the Rotary Club and the rescue squad at Hellissandur are taking part. Among other things some 28 cu metres, or 60 tons of rock, volcanic ash and soil has been hauled from a depth of 10-12 m. The Environmental Institute is financing about 1/3 of the cost, the platform over the funnel and the two spiral ladders, the rest is voluntary labour and donation. Vatnshellir is within the Snæfellsjökull National Park, the park manager and the management have wholeheartedly supported the project from the very beginning.
Four broken spatter stalagmites found in Vatnshellir have been repaired and put back. Vandalism to two of these, The Twins, was in fact the spark that lead to the development of the cave into a tourist cave. Replicas of the 37 stalagmites (now all gone) that decorated the end of Borgarhellir in Hnappadalur, when found in 1957, were put up in a sheltered corner in the north end of the middle floor, to give people a feeling of how the great caves, a world that was, once looked.