Vikurholt Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size:  (small)
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It is said that the earth's circle which the human race inhabits
is torn across into many bights, so that great seas run into the
land from the out-ocean.
Vikurholt (Víkurholt), 172 m, is a hill SE of the town of Gardabaer
(Garðabær), Iceland. The hill is within
Heidmork (Heiðmörk) natural reservation area. Amazing view from
the cache site to the volcano Mt. Helgafell and others.
The cache is a glass jar, covered with stones.
Original contents: log-book, pen, a lady-bird toy, 1 Icelandic
flag, 1 GNU/Linux sticker, coins,
...
Heidmork south and east of Ellidavatn was proclaimed a
municipal conservation area in 1950 and derives its name from its
namesake in Norway. This 2800 acres wide area is also where
Reykjavik's water reservoirs and drinking water wells are situated,
so the environment is carefully monitored to avoid pollution. The
cold spring area Gvendarbrunnar takes it name from Gudmundur the
good Arason, an Icelandic bishop who died in 1273 and is said to
have purified the water with his blessings. According to legend,
the spring water which "Gvendur" blessed was believed to be
exceptionally healthy. His water was even said to put out fires
faster, as well as having other supernatural characteristics. A
more recent legend attesting to the quality of the water involves a
New York laboratory that was unable to detect any impurities in
samples of water from Iceland. Unconvinced that any water could be
this pure, the laboratory technicians were convinced their
analytical equipment was not operating properly but had no more
success in finding malfunctions in their equipment than they had in
finding impurities in the water.
Heidmork is a hugely popular recreational area and its gravel road
network is about 18 miles long. The Municipal Forestry Service has
managed the area from the beginning and the Raudholar nature
reserve has been within its limits since 1950, but under a
different management. More than 4 million trees have been planted
in the Heidmork area from 1950 and the already existing vegetation
has thrived much better after the area was fenced off. There are
many species of wild birds, especially around Ellidavatn and
Myllulaekjartjorn. Some archaeological remains have been excavated
on Thinganes southwest of Ellidavatn, among them ruins of a site
considered to have been a local parlaiment, or "þing", dating to
900-1200. More ruins have also been discovered, dating from the
first half of that period. The Blue Mountain and Reykjanes Country
Parks adjoin Heidmork and together they grant access to a large and
a very interesting and varied area for outdoors activites such as
hiking and horseback riding. Among Reykjavik Energy's contributions
to the refcreational activities there are an annual family
festival, running race and "Fun Run" in Heidmork, a nice warming up
for the Reykjavik Marathon later in August and increasingly
popular. The race course is respectively 10 and 3,5 kilometers
long. (Source: Reykjavik Energy)
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)