Has hiked 46 times to the eruption in Geldingadalir

How did you end up in Iceland?

"My wife and I studied tourism in Poland and our dream was always to start our own tour guide company and seek adventures. We planned to move to Greece, somewhere warmer than Poland - Poland was too cold for me, but then we ended up here in Iceland! " One of my friends had already moved to Iceland, he told me about this beautiful country with many job opportunities. It did not take much to convince us to move to Iceland and we have been here for the last 15 years, or since 2006."

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Photo: Adam Kaczuba

When did you first see the volcano?

“ I went to see it as soon as possible. The day it erupted the area was of course closed, so I came to the eruption site with my family and friends when it opened up on the second day, March 20th."

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Photo: Adam Kaczuba

You have been to the volcano 46 times and counting, does the view always amazes you? 

“Yes, almost every time. My last three trips were a bit disappointing because it was all foggy so I could not see anything and no lava was flowing at the surface. Besides that, I am always surprised with each visit."

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Photo: Adam Kaczuba

The volcanic activity has changed many times since March, do you have a favorite moment or view of the volcano?

“Yes in mid-April, when 8 craters were erupting at the same time. It was one of the biggest moments of my life." 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Photo: Adam Kaczuba

Where does your big interest in the volcano come from?

“Well, it is very unusual to have an eruption so close to your home. We don´t have anything like this in Poland, it is completely out of this world! On one of my trips, I was standing five meters from the glowing lava and I could feel small earthquakes under my feet. Feeling the power from the volcano is a unique feeling and I guess that is what I am always seeking."

                                                                                                                                                                                                       Photo: Adam Kaczuba

Do you have top 3 favorite photos of the volcano?

“I have about 30 photos that are my favorite, now it is getting hard to tell who is my favorite since the number is always increasing and all of them are unique. Every face of the eruption is different. We already had 8 craters, a crater that acts like a geyser, lava rivers, lava lakes, lave waterfalls, and more. Now it is almost impossible to choose from them all!"

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Photo: Adam Kaczuba

 At what time do you like to start your hike?

“I usually go in the evening and stay until early morning, around 4-5 am and sometimes even longer. I love to experience the eruption with my wife but she has joined me 23 times. She does not always like it when I spend days at the eruption site and I get that. She wants to see more places this summer, somewhere where it is greener."

The beginning of Try Iceland Tours

After studying tourism and a lot of experience in the field, Adam and his wife founded Try Iceland Tours together in November 2014. The couple is also the author of several travel books about Iceland in Poland. Despite their passion for Iceland, tourism degrees, and years of experience in tourism it is always a challenge to start a company. Adam stated, “the company's beginning was far from easy. It is hard for a new unknown company to stand out on the market." Adam and his wife had to do everything they could to market Try Iceland Tours, “we reached out to everyone we knew. For example, our good friend from France gave us a helping hand and took care of our website. For the first two years, I was in two jobs and my wife still runs the company voluntarily ”, said Adam.

Not giving up

“Fortunately, the good reviews on Tripadvisor helped the business grow. We are currently highly ranked among travel agencies in Reykjavik “, said Adam. Try Iceland Tours has received several times in a row the Certificate of Excellence from Tripadvisor for the best travel operators. Success was interrupted by the Covid pandemic which made it difficult for many small businesses. Adam was not giving up and stated, “we had to suspend our business when tourists stopped coming. We are now slowly recovering from the impasse, but that may take some time. We place great hope in the new offer - trips to an active volcano. Let's hope that the volcano will surprise us positively again". 

Gunnhidur Björg Baldursdóttir