Icelandic man gets naked next to erupting volcano

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(CNN) – Removing a few layers when it gets hot can often be the most natural thing in the world.

But few of us would attempt it in front of a crowd of hundreds as we stood in front of a volcano spewing lava.

But adventurous tour leader Sveinn Snorri Sighvatsson has gone viral for doing just that while visiting Geldingadalur on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula.
His impromptu striptease took place as revelers gathered at the site of the erupting volcano to watch the remarkable display, which began last Friday.
Sighvatsson, who works for tour company I Am Iceland, was asked to model the Pit Viper shades as a favor and decided to gear up to ensure maximum exposure.

A volcano in Iceland erupted after tens of thousands of earthquakes disrupted the underground magma.

“My friends and I were joking about nude photos in the lava field,” he tells CNN Travel. “One of my friends is a photographer and he told me about these sunglasses. So I said, ‘get your camera ready, I’m going to take my clothes off.’ ”

The photographer who captured the moment was Norris Niman, who said he knew Sighvatsson was “the perfect man for a photo in the newly formed lava field.”

“A festival is not a real festival unless someone gets naked,” adds Niman. “And of course this one was no exception.”

Maximum exposure

Sveinn Snorri Sighvatsson is pictured stripping while visiting Geldingadalur on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula

Sveinn Snorri Sighvatsson says the heat “got into his skin” as he posed naked at Geldingadalur.

Credit to Norris Niman

But taking a photo shoot next to an eruption site was not an easy task and is certainly not recommended. In fact, visitors have been instructed not to get too close to the lava fountains.

“It was like being too close to a big bonfire,” adds Niman. “So we had about a minute to make this collection while spinning around so as not to fry too much on both sides and watching with a large crowd.”

While his experience as an adventure guide meant he was able to gauge the danger and ‘get in and out’ quickly, Sighvatsson emphasizes that anyone who ‘doesn’t know what they are doing’ should stay on top and not near the lava fields.

“People aren’t aware of the gases out there,” he says. “It’s okay to stay above it [the volcano] on the higher ground you are completely safe there. But going in can be very, very dangerous.

“On Sunday there was a heavy wind, so the gases went the other way and we stayed close to the lava field. But if there is no wind, you don’t go down there.”

Although the shoot took less than a few minutes, hundreds of people were there to witness it, and the moment it made its way onto the Internet.

‘This eruption is something else’

Huge crowds flock to Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano, which began spewing out lava on March 19.

Huge crowds flock to Iceland’s Fagradalsfjall volcano, which began spewing out lava on March 19.

JEREMIE RICHARD / AFP / AFP via Getty Images

Sighvatsson and Niman seem to be enjoying the attention caused by their eruptive photo shoot, and while commenters haven’t focused too much on the sunglasses, their nameless friend is quite happy with how it turned out as well.

“He even sent a message saying that was the picture he was waiting for,” said Sighvatsson, who has come back a few times in recent days to see the volcano.

“I’ve seen every eruption here on the island since 1991, but this is something else.”

While crowds continued to gather in Geldingadalur, which is still spewing lava, Icelandic authorities have set up a hiking trail to regulate the large number of visitors and the area is regularly patrolled to make sure everyone stays safe.

“But with the caveat, don’t go too close.”

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