Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.11.2009, Qupperneq 26

16
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 17 — 2009
“For how many gin and tonics you
could get ice from this glacier?” asks
one co-traveller as our group of hikers
makes its way towards Sólheimajökull,
an outlet glacier in Southern Iceland.
“Uhm… that’s a tough one,” pon-
ders our glacier guide for the day,
Björgvin Hilmarsson from Icelandic
Mountain Guides.
“I guess it’s possible to calculate
an approximate value. On the aver-
age, Sólheimajökull is 270 metres
thick. It is about eight kilometres long,
and over a kilometre wide at its wid-
est point. And one cubic meter of ice
should do for quite a lot of G&Ts.”
I am on cloud nine: there is no
wind, no rain. It was raining in Reyk-
javík from where we embarked on our
journey three hours ago. It also rained
in Hveragerði, Selfoss looked grey and
gloomy as always. But as soon as we
had driven past Seljalandsfoss and
Skógafoss, a miracle happened. The
skies cleared.
“I’m sorry for all this sunshine…
Especially you guys from Australia,
I’m sure you are pretty bored with all
the sun and would rather like to expe-
rience some strong winds and pouring
rain,” says our guide, grinning.
Nobody agrees with the sentiment.
We are standing in front of Sólhei-
majökull, an outlet glacier of Mýrdal-
sjökull, the fourth biggest glacier in
Iceland. When I spot the boxes full of
ice axes and crampons, I begin to won-
der whether we are going to march
across the entire glacier ice cap instead
of setting off on a nice, relaxing three-
hour hike.
First we try on the crampons and
are given a short lesson on how to walk
on the ice.
“Walk with your legs wider apart
than normally—as if you had been
horseback riding for a week. Lean
backwards with your feet pointing
straight ahead when walking down-
wards. When walking uphill, spread
your legs and walk like a duck. A duck
that has been horseback riding for a
week,” our guide explains.
More rules follow. The guide al-
ways goes first. If he disappears, do
not attempt to trace him. If you drop
your ice axe and you see it gliding
away, do not go after it.
“It’s easier for me to go down a
crevasse to pick up an axe than to go
picking up an axe and you,” Björgvin
explains, laughing. He seems to know
what he is doing.
Okay, up we go… walking like a
duck.
Just after we have taken our first 50
steps or so we bump into a bunch of
tourists trying to explore the glacier—
with sneakers on! Their feet are slip-
ping on the icy surface rather worry-
ingly. The grandpa of the group looks
like he is about to trip and fall in a mat-
ter of seconds. There is a small hole in
the ice close by... I decide not to look.
Calmly our guide advises them to step
down slowly. Without crampons and
ice axes, situations can get out of hand
pretty quickly.
The breathtaking glaciers can be
fatal if you attempt to go there on your
own without proper equipment and a
guide. On the way up we take a block
of ice and drop it into one of the cracks
in the ice, and it takes a while until we
hear it hit the bottom. Deep holes in
the ice, so called cold-runs, and cre-
vasses dozens of metres deep are sim-
ply not good places to fall into.
Yet somehow, the feeling of danger
is fascinating. I am a two-hour drive
from Reykjavík, walking on a glacier
amidst a wonderland of ice sculptures,
discovering hidden openings and deep
crevasses while wondering when the
next volcanic eruption will take place.
Under Mýrdalsjökull lies Katla, an
active volcano. She has been showing
signs of unrest recently, and geolo-
gists have voiced concerns that it could
erupt anytime in the near future.
The most active volcano in Iceland,
Hekla, also stands nearby. It has erupt-
ed over 20 times since 874. Scientists
say she is preparing herself for yet an-
other eruption.
Along the way we see layers of ash
that past eruptions of the nearby volca-
noes have left behind. The colour spec-
trum changes from white to clear blue
and black, with the ash creating strong
contrasts.
“I know the glaciers in some other
countries are whiter than here in Ice-
land. But I’m proud of my colourful
glaciers, and having the volcanic ash
all around makes them special,” our
guide states.
Then, all of a sudden, we hear a
strong, thunder-like sound. A new
crevasse just formed somewhere. Gla-
ciers are constantly changing. They
are expanding and melting. Water-
holes and pipe-like passages form a
sort of plumbing system inside the
glacier, from where the melted water
pools on the surface and ends up as a
glacial river. Constantly flowing water
is forming new ice sculptures daily.
Like life, glaciers never stay the same.
Because of the constant changing, a
lost ice axe or even an airplane can dis-
appear into the glacier for decades. A
glacier usually gives back what it takes,
though—it just might take a while. In
1952, an American airplane with five
crewmembers onboard crashed down
on Eyjafjallajökull. One body was
found at the scene of the accident. The
glacier brought in the remaining bod-
ies over ten years later. Pieces of the
aircraft have been appearing gradually
since then.
Even though over ten percent of
Iceland is covered by ice, it should
not be taken for granted that the gla-
ciers will stay there forever. Due to the
changes in climate and rise in tem-
peratures, glaciers begin to diminish.
Currently, the average receding rate of
Sólheimajökull is around 100 meters a
year.
“Now is the time to go to a glacier,
while they still exist.”
Safe and easy nine-hour 'Take a
Walk on the Ice Side' trip was provided
by Icelandic Mountain Guides and
Reykjavík Excursions. Tour includes
bus guide and experienced glacier
guide services, pick-ups from Reyk-
javík hotels at 8:30am, and stops in
Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss water-
falls, 19.900 ISK. Glacier hike, without
transport, is 9.500 ISK. Minimum age:
10 years.
Wear warm clothes and good
shoes. Besides crampons and ice axes,
guides have extra shoes, gloves and
waterproof trousers you can borrow.
Take a Walk on the Ice Side trip was provided by Icelandic Mountain
Guides and Reykjavík Excursions.
www.mountainguides.is
www.re.is
Travel | Sólheimajökull
Always best price online.
Various online-offers to all Air Iceland's destinations.
www.airiceland.is
websales@airiceland.is / tel. +354 570 3030 Contact Air Iceland or
travel agent for reservation.
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Brilliant Hike On The Rocks