Iceland
Walking on Not-So-Thin Ice
Sunday Stroll
During our visit to Iceland my mum and I accidentally got ourselves on a tour that involved a glacier-hike. Yes, strolling along the spectacular tongue of ice also known as Solheimajokull Glacier, the fourth largest Glacier in Iceland…
It was a cold late-November day, but the sun was out and spirits were high after a night of Northern light gazing over the glacier lagoon. We were fitted with all the necessary gear, crampons, helmets and… ice axes!? (I could probably have used all of these items on a daily basis considering the amount of times I slipped over during our stay in the frosty country).
Glacier beauty
Feeling like the 7 (or maybe 27) dwarves we took our first steps terrifying steps onto the glacier, looking down all you could see was metres of thick blue ice which create the most spectacular patterns. The view was breathtaking but looking down along the edges of the ice path I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if you were to step slightly off-balance and slide into a crevice of the glacier… By the sound of it, I think my mother had similar concerns…
We marched single file, excluding the many photo ops which were frequent and continuously riskier. My favourites being when some girls decided to lay down on the glacier, soon joined by one of our guides for some classic ‘snow bunny’ snaps. As the walk went on we tackled walking up and down slopes and eventually we gained some confidence in our ability to walk on ice.
Baby on ice
Our guide, Ingo, was your typical serious dark-humoured Icelander and was extremely knowledgable on Iceland and it’s icy exterior. There was no question he couldn’t answer in great detail. He went out of his way to make the experience a highlight for everyone, including the youngest member of the group… a 10 month old boy obviously embracing the experience as he sleep soundly for the entire hike on Ingo’s back…
This tour was definitely one of the many highlights of Iceland and if you ever get the opportunity (intentional or not), make sure you get the chance to experience Iceland’s phenomenal landscapes on ice. It’s not quite as glamorous as the Disney performances but it’s definitely worth the helmet hair.
