Tag: glaciers

The Land of Plenty

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What’s on your bucket list?

My list is quite extensive and encompasses many countries.  Some items on my checklist include:

exploring the Galapagos Islands

driving a husky sled

bungee jumping

watching the sunset from Santorini

gazing upward at the northern lights

I had hoped to check off the northern lights on my recent trip to Reykjavik, but the conditions weren’t optimum and my tour was cancelled during the afternoon.  Another item was meant to be, however…glacier hiking.

Glaciers and ice caps cover over 11% of the land area of Iceland and contribute to the economy with tourists flocking to see the glaciers on snowmobiles and glacier hiking tours.   Never having had the time to make it to this part of Iceland, I was eager to rise early and join a tour to fulfill one of my dreams.

Soon on our way, after an early departure, rain threatened our journey on and off until we arrived at our first stop, Skogafoss Waterfall.  Though there wasn’t sufficient time to climb the long winding stairway to admire the largest waterfall in the country from the top (82 feet and a 200 foot drop), I was able to photograph the cascading waters very near its base, only getting slightly wet from the massive amounts of spray that the waterfall produces.  As the rain temporarily cleared and the sun peeked out around the clouds, a beautiful rainbow was visible near the base of the waterfall.

Local legend states that the first Viking settlers buried a treasure behind the waterfall.  Locals supposedly found the chest years later, but lost it immediately, leaving it lurking in the water’s depths for some lucky individual to find.  Skogafoss has gained notoriety in recent years as a location for the filming of the movies, Thor:  The Dark World and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Reboarding our all-terrain vehicle once again, we were soon arriving at our next destination, the village of Vík í Mýrdal and the Reynisfjara black sand beach, considered one of the most beautiful beaches on earth.

Signs line the pathway to the beach warning of danger from the rogue waves that roll in with full force from the Atlantic, but when you arrive at the beach, there is no shortage of people daring the tide…laying on the beach, trying to get their best photgraphic shots of the rolling waves and getting as close to these monsters as possible.  Spying a few soaked tourists, I stayed as far away as possible.

Looking out to the water, the Reynisdrangar basalt spires that lurk just offshore provide amazing photo opportunities.  Legend has it that these spires are actually trolls frozen in place while attempting to drag three ships out of the sea under the cover of night.  As the morning dawn surprised them, they were turned to stone.

Many caves also line the beach area and the rocky areas along the beachfront display interesting hexagonal forms which were formed from the contraction of flowing and cooling lava.  The formations here appear as a sort of staircase and all visitors seem to try their hand climbing as high as they can for photo-ops and selfies.  I even tried it…it is not as easy as it looks!

The adjacent, small village of Vík í Mýrdal, with 450 inhabitants, lies directly under the Myrdalsjokull glacier, which sits atop the volcano Katla.  Speculation is that since there has not been an eruption since 1918, another may be brewing causing glacier melt and flash flooding which could decimate the village.  Regular drills are held in the village directing residents to the local church which sits atop a hill hopefully protecting it from the floodwaters.  If you are driving the ring road around the island, it is important to keep this village in mind as it is the only service center between Skógar and the west edge of the Mýrdalssandur glacial outwash.

Leaving Vík í Mýrdal, we were finally on our way to Sólheimajökull glacier, driving past beautiful countryside views.   Donning my ski pants, hat and gloves while enroute, I readied myself for what we would encounter.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by our glacier guides and outfitted with crampons, helmets, harnesses and ice axes.  I was also fitted for my hiking boots that were reserved with my booking.

Soon, we were making our way up the trail, heading toward the glacier.  Carrying our crampons on our axes, we walked along the edge of the glacial lake to our staging area.  A beautiful rainbow stretched like a bridge across the lake and we could not wait to make the climb up to the glacier.  After a quick lesson in strapping on our crampons, we were ready.

A staircase and trail had been cut into side of the glacier and although I am regularly active at the gym, walking in heavy hiking boots and crampons took a little getting used to.  Panting for breath, I was happy when we reached the top of the glacier.   Walking in single file behind our guide, the beauty around us was indescribable.   The glacier (8 kilometers long and 1-2 kilometers wide) spread out in front of us with lots of blue ice, crevasses, sink holes, ice ridges and even another rainbow!  After a long walk and lots of photo opportunities, however, it was time to head down…a much easier journey than the trip up.

Although I was a participant in this awesome experience, it was a bit sad to watch the rivers of water run down the glacier into the lake below, highlighting the glacier melt taking place every day.   The glacier, sensitive to climate change is also being affected by the large numbers of tourists every day.  From 1930 to 1969, this glacier retreated 977 meters but then the weather cooled and the glacier advanced 495 feet and thickened by 100 meters.  The glacier then retreated again and in 2010, it was almost one kilometer further up the valley than in 1930 and was 120 to 140 meters thinner than in 1960.  According to our guide, if the warming trend continues, the glacier may potentially disappear in 100 to 200 years.

Happy to have a break (and a snack) on the bus, we were soon headed to our final destination, Seljalandsfoss waterfall.  Due to our later than anticipated arrival, the first thing I noticed as we pulled into the parking lot, were park officials closing off the trail.  Sadly, the trail that make this waterfall famous, as it makes its way behind the cascading waters, was closed off.  Jumping the rope, I did make it as far as the top of the stairway to the viewing platform and got some amazing shots of the waterfall.

Finally, heading back to Reykjavik, tired and exhausted, it was time to pull out my phone and place another check on my Bucket List.  One of the most interesting places in the world, I enjoyed nature’s beauty but learned how much more there is to see.  Slowly I typed in another item on my list.  Rent a car, drive Iceland’s Ring Road.

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Grayline Tours Southcoast, Waterfalls and Glacier Hike