Auroras Dance Over Iceland’s Most Powerful Waterfall

Occurred on November 4, 2024 / Dettifoss, Iceland

Info from Licensor: "Reaching the Dettifoss waterfall in winter was no easy task. The road to get there was classified as 'extremely slippery, travel not recommended' due to ice and melting snow. My friend and I decided to take the risk. The road was slippery but still manageable on the way there. However, on the way back, in the darkness and cold of the night, it was much more stressful. We almost slid backward with the van on the first incline. Once there, a 20-minute walk through deep snow, crampons on, was necessary to reach the waterfall! Once in front of it, the view was breathtaking. The power of the water could be felt as much through its flow as through its roar. Unfortunately, the waterfall isn't perfectly aligned on the North-South axis to have the auroras right above. The only hope was that if the auroras appeared at night, they would be strong enough to light up the eastern sky above the waterfall. Back at the van, waiting for nightfall, the clouds cleared just in time! And, as almost usual during the trip, the auroras followed shortly after. Once again, they exploded! We headed back toward the falls. I set up my first camera to start a timelapse, then the second for a panorama. Just then, I realized I had forgotten the plate to mount it on the tripod… No tripod, no photos! No choice, I went back to the van for a 40-minute round trip, alone in the silent night. The auroras, growing bigger and bigger, danced above me. I recalled an article I had read a few days earlier about a polar bear spotted in the area before being taken down. There was no chance of encountering one, but it still made me pick up the pace. A stressful but unforgettable experience."