{"id":6552,"date":"2017-04-14T09:00:11","date_gmt":"2017-04-14T13:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=6552"},"modified":"2017-04-14T11:31:54","modified_gmt":"2017-04-14T15:31:54","slug":"the-land-of-plenty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=6552","title":{"rendered":"The Land of Plenty"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2017 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved<\/i><\/i>.<\/p>\n

What’s on your bucket list?<\/p>\n

My list is quite extensive and encompasses many countries.\u00a0 Some items on my checklist include:<\/p>\n

exploring the Galapagos Islands <\/em><\/p>\n

driving a husky sled<\/em><\/p>\n

bungee jumping<\/em><\/p>\n

watching the sunset from Santorini<\/em><\/p>\n

gazing upward at the northern lights<\/em><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 Another item was meant to be, however…glacier hiking.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Never 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"Soon on our way, after an early departure, rain threatened our journey on and off until we arrived at our first stop, Skogafoss Waterfall.\u00a0 Though there wasn’t sufficient time to climb the long winding stairway to admire the largest waterfall\u00a0in the country from the top\u00a0(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.\u00a0 As the rain temporarily cleared and the sun peeked out around the clouds, a beautiful rainbow was visible near the base of the waterfall.<\/p>\n

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Local legend states that the first Viking settlers buried a treasure behind the waterfall.\u00a0 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.\u00a0\u00a0Skogafoss has gained notoriety in recent years as a location for the filming of the movies, Thor:\u00a0 The Dark\u00a0World<\/em> and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Reboarding our all-terrain vehicle once again, we were soon arriving at our next destination, the village of V\u00edk \u00ed M\u00fdrdal\u00a0and the Reynisfjara\u00a0black sand beach, considered one of the most beautiful beaches on earth.<\/p>\n

\"\"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\u00a0as possible.\u00a0 Spying\u00a0a few soaked tourists, I stayed as far away as possible.<\/p>\n

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Looking out to the water, the Reynisdrangar basalt spires that lurk just offshore provide amazing photo opportunities. \u00a0Legend 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. \u00a0As the morning dawn surprised them, they were turned to stone.<\/p>\n

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Many caves also line the beach area and the rocky areas along the beachfront display interesting hexagonal forms which were\u00a0formed from the contraction of flowing and cooling lava. \u00a0The 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. \u00a0I even tried it…it is not as easy as it looks!<\/p>\n

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\"\"The adjacent, small village of V\u00edk \u00ed M\u00fdrdal, with 450 inhabitants, lies directly under the Myrdalsjokull glacier, which sits atop the volcano Katla. \u00a0Speculation is that since there has not been an eruption since 1918, another may be brewing causing\u00a0glacier melt and flash flooding which could decimate the\u00a0village. \u00a0Regular drills are held in the village directing residents to the local church which sits atop a hill hopefully protecting it from the floodwaters. \u00a0If 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 Sk\u00f3gar and the west edge of the M\u00fdrdalssandur glacial outwash.<\/p>\n

\"\"Leaving\u00a0V\u00edk \u00ed M\u00fdrdal, we were finally on our way to S\u00f3lheimaj\u00f6kull glacier, driving past beautiful countryside views.\u00a0 \u00a0Donning my ski pants, hat and gloves while enroute, I readied myself for what we would encounter.<\/p>\n

Upon\u00a0our arrival, we were greeted by our glacier guides and outfitted with crampons, helmets, harnesses and ice axes. \u00a0I was also fitted for my hiking boots that\u00a0were reserved\u00a0with my booking.<\/p>\n

\"\"Soon, we were making our way up the trail, heading toward the glacier. \u00a0Carrying our crampons on our axes, we walked along the edge of the glacial lake to our staging area. \u00a0A beautiful rainbow stretched like a bridge across the lake and we could not wait to make the climb up to the glacier. \u00a0After a quick lesson in\u00a0strapping on our crampons, we were ready.<\/p>\n

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. \u00a0Panting for breath, I was happy when we reached the top of the glacier. \u00a0 Walking in single file behind our guide, the beauty around us was indescribable. \u00a0 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! \u00a0After a long walk and lots of photo opportunities, however, it was time to head down…a much easier journey than the trip up.<\/p>\n

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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. \u00a0 The glacier, sensitive to climate change is also being affected by the large numbers of tourists every day. \u00a0From 1930 to 1969, this glacier retreated\u00a0977 meters but then the weather cooled and the glacier advanced 495 feet and thickened by 100 meters. \u00a0The glacier then retreated again and in 2010, it was almost one kilometer further up the\u00a0valley than in 1930 and was 120 to 140 meters thinner than in 1960. \u00a0According to our guide, if the warming trend continues, the glacier may potentially disappear in 100 to 200 years.<\/p>\n

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Happy to have a break (and a snack) on the bus, we were soon headed\u00a0to our final destination, Seljalandsfoss waterfall. \u00a0Due to our later than anticipated arrival, the first thing I noticed as we pulled into the parking lot, were park officials closing\u00a0off the trail. \u00a0Sadly, the trail that make this waterfall famous, as it makes its way behind the cascading waters, was closed off. \u00a0Jumping 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.<\/p>\n

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Finally, heading back to Reykjavik, tired and exhausted, it was time to pull out my phone and place another check on my Bucket List. \u00a0One of the most interesting places in the world, I enjoyed nature’s beauty but learned how much more there is to see. \u00a0Slowly I typed in another item on my list. \u00a0Rent a car, drive Iceland’s Ring Road.<\/em><\/p>\n

Check out additional pictures on Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instragram, @snappingtheglobe.<\/p>\n

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Grayline Tours Southcoast, Waterfalls and Glacier Hike<\/strong><\/p>\n