Iceland Itinerary: Day 7 – Glacial Getaway

As we mentioned on Day 2, Iceland is the land of Ice and Fire. Today, we explore the frozen side of the tiny island country. A glacier hike in Iceland is a memory that will last longer than the ice caps will (yikes, apologies for dark humor).

GUIDED GLACIER HIKE IN ICELAND

Before researching Iceland, stepping foot on a glacier never really made it on my bucket list. But in the moment, as I kicked my boot spikes into the crunchy glass of the largest glacier in Europe, I know I would have regretted missing this icy opportunity. Especially when glaciers may not be around for much longer, but there is no need to go further on that depressing subject.

11% of Iceland is covered in ice. The largest area is known as Vatnajökull, Europes largest glacier. It is so massive it can be seen from space! Now how do you turn down the opportunity to walk on that?

If you’ve never strapped on your own crampons or have no idea what those are, your going to need a guide to lead you on your expedition on Vatnajökull. You can book a tour through Arctic Adventures. You can do this online beforehand or when you get there. Since we had never been on a glacier before, we opted for the leisurely Glacier Wonder tour. The promo pictures showed children and elderly grandmas, so we figured it was a safe option.

The tour begins in Skaftafell at Vatnajökull National Park. Your journey starts with being fitted for crampons, which are spikes that attach to the bottom of your hiking boots. These will keep you from slipping when on the ice.

Hiking Boots for Glacier Hiking in Iceland. You will need a pair of hiking boots for this excursion. They need to be waterproof and be high enough on the ankle to provide rigid support. At least a Mid Hiking boot or higher to avoid rolling ankles. From my wife’s experience, avoid the brand Keen if you can. While they’re great for hiking, the shape of the shoe does not fit well with the crampons, and the guides will struggle to secure them and relentlessly tease you about it. If you don’t have hiking boots, you can rent them from the guide hut.

The guides will then hand you a helmet and an ice ax, which looks cool in photos but is entirely unnecessary on this tour. The guides will usher you on to the bus for a quick drive over to Falljökull trailhead.

Stepping off the bus, you’ll hike a rocky trail to the base of Falljökull glacier. If you are lucky to have the same glacier guides as us, they will regale you with delightfully bad jokes, and entertaining tales of general dirtbag debauchery. Inbetween stories you’ll walk by beautiful glacial lakes and rivers.

You’ll eventually come to a bridge that will get you to the base of the glacier. We were reassured and then reassured again that the bridge was sturdy (which is a real confidence booster). As you span the bouncing bridge over the fast-moving water, look to your right and peer into the heart of the glacier through the enormous ice cave.

As the dirty snow turns to crystal white under your feet, you’ll stop and get instructions on how to put on your crampons. While stopped, you may have the opportunity to fill your water bottle with glacial water. Take advantage of this, it was the best water I’ve ever tasted.

Now the exciting part begins. You’ll hard step in the crunchy snowbank and start ascending up the glacier. The views formulate a vision of a magical ice kingdom. But not like in Disney’s Frozen, more of badass snow castle with moats and dragons. Just use your imagination.

Now there are a few surprises no one mentioned to us on our first time out. Remember yesterday when we remarked how “Iceland Easy” is “American Moderate”? A glacier hike in Iceland is no different. Upon stepping foot on Vatnajökull, your guides are going to take you up and through some obstacles, including vertical snow steps and glacial crevices. As someone who thrives on outdoor adventures, I was stoked on the added challenges. However, not everyone in the group was so thrilled, especially those who were a little claustrophobic. Those crevices can get pretty tight. Just remember your guides are experts who do this multiple times a day. They won’t throw anything at you that you can’t handle.

The tour lasts 3.5 hours, but you’ll only end up spending about an hour on the ice. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot of time to explore the glacier, but if you have ever been snowshoeing, you know it takes your legs more effort to walk on snow and ice. One hour ends up being just the right amount of time.

Head back towards Reykjavik

Now comes the part you’ll be least looking forward too. You’ve spent four days driving the south coast of Iceland, and it’s time to return back to the capital city. Before you go, fuel up your vehicle and your belly at the gas station outside of the park. It is a four-hour drive to Reykjavik, and there are minimal food options. To break up the journey, there is one pit stop you must make.

Skogafoss

Your trip to southern Iceland wouldn’t be complete without seeing the fabled Skogafoss. Legend has it that an enormous treasure chest lies beneath this waterfall. For centuries people have tried to haul it out of the deep pool. At one point, a group of villagers in the 1600s was able to string a rope through one of the handles of the chest. As they hauled the chest up, the handle suddenly snapped, dropping the treasure into the abyss and never to be seen again. Don’t believe the legend? Remember, Iceland is a place of myth and magic. Visit the Skógar Museum and ask to see the handle.

Go to Day 8 and get ready to say Fare-Whale to Iceland