The weather gods giveth, and the weather gods taketh away. This morning, they gaveth quite generously: instead of the predicted rain, we had balmy temperatures (mid-50s) and gentle winds, perfect weather for our glacier hike.
The glacier in question, Falljökull, is an arm of the largest glacier in Iceland (and in all Europe, for that matter), Vatnajökull. It’s located in the trips-off-the-tongue Vatnajokulsthjöðgarður National Park on Iceland’s southern coast.
I’ve never hiked on a glacier before and wasn’t sure what to expect, having seen a rather scary warning sign near the Sólheimajökull glacier a couple of days ago.
Glacier hiking is inherently risky, but this morning’s hike was safe and spectacular, with no falling rocks, quicksand, or misspelled words.
Our guide, Giulia, from Arctic Adventures, fitted us out with crampons and ice axes and we drove ten minutes to a parking area near the glacier. After hiking over some gently hilly glacial moraine, we entered the glacier proper and climbed a series of steep switchbacks whose underlying ice was covered in a thin layer of pebbles and ash.
Upon reaching the ice, we donned our crampons and trekked to a crevasse partway up the slope. Giulia was a wealth of information; she enlightened us about glacier geology and, most importantly, how to hike on a glacier without disappearing into a crevasse or impaling oneself with an ice axe.
She also, on several occasions and with an earnest and innocent face, told us whoppers that I think most of us (myself included) swallowed whole until she told us she was joking. In short, she’s a great glacier guide: knowledgeable and funny while focusing foremost on our safety. If you head to the area, I encourage you to get in touch with Arctic Adventures. If Giulia is available, you’re in for a treat, but I’m sure their other guides are equally excellent.
After lunch at our hotel – the stylish Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon – we headed over to the lagoon for what was supposed to be a ride in an amphibious boat among the icebergs and seals. The weather gods decided to taketh, and quite dramatically: during lunch, the winds morphed from Bruce Banner into the Incredible Hulk and the rain began pelting sideways.
I’m sure you’ve had that feeling when plans fall through and you’re secretly relieved. That was me this afternoon: upon reaching the lagoon (Jökulsárlón), the boat company told us one of their craft had broken down and our departure had been cancelled.
We had the option of taking a much later tour that would have interfered with dinner, not something any of us looked upon kindly. Sodden but covertly thankful, I retreated to the bus after taking a few photos.
Not far from the lagoon, there’s a black sand beach (Breiðamerkursandur, or Diamond Beach) where chunks of clear glacial ice wash ashore. Call me a wimp – it’s been said before, often with justification – but I elected to remain on the bus even though I probably couldn’t have gotten any soggier. One of my tourmates, Joel, who has a far higher tolerance for discomfort than I do, graciously allowed me to use his wonderful picture of one of the “diamonds.” Thanks, Joel!
Tomorrow we head back to Reykjavik and thence home. Stay tuned for a final post about this magnificent trip, along with some key lessons learned (such as, bring rain pants even though your hiking pants are quick-drying!).
PuffinlessTravel 