Iceland review - 2016, Page 109

SPECIAL PROMOTION
ADVENTURES
ICELAND REVIEW 107
I’m standing 500 meters (1,640 feet) above
sea level, draped in fog, my feet crunch-
ing on loosely-packed, silvery ice chips that
glint like a child’s snow cone before the syr-
up’s been added. A row of snowmobiles is
parked before me, their covers efficiently
removed one after another as I and my fel-
low adventurers take our seats and prepare
to zip another 500 meters up into the bright
white grandeur of Vatnajökull glacier.
AWE-INSPIRING WONDER
We’re embarking on a snowmobile tour of
Vatnajökull, one of the many tours offered
by Glacier Jeeps. Husband and wife Bjarni
Skarphéðinn Bjarnason and Jóna Ingólfs-
dóttir founded the company in 1994, and
it’s always been a family affair: the couple’s
daughter Bjarney basically grew up guiding
tour groups alongside her father. Glacier
Jeeps prides itself on its range of activities,
which includes super jeep excursions, gla-
cial hikes, ice cave tours, and, when nature
obliges, up-close (but safe!) viewings of vol-
canic eruptions. However, they also stress
the importance of accessibility. Everyone,
says Jóna—including families with young
children and people with restricted mobil-
ity or vision impairments—should be able
to experience the awe-inspiring wonder of
Vatnajökull.
And what an experience it is. Ranging
over 8,000 square kilometers—for scope,
that’s roughly five-times the size of Lon-
don—Vatnajökull is not only the largest gla-
cier in Iceland, but also the largest in all of
Europe, by volume. It is 2,110 meters at its
highest point, and in its depths, Vatnajökull
contains a staggering seven volcanoes, most
of which are active.
REACHING A HIGHER PLANE
However interesting, facts and figures are
hardly on my mind as I listen to the simple
instructions on safely operating the snow-
mobile that’s now purring under me. It’s a
very responsive and intuitive machine, which
thankfully means that even a novice can
A snowmobile adventure with Glacier Jeeps on
Iceland’s biggest glacier.

AWE-INSPIRING WONDER OF
VATNAJÖKULL
drive it with ease. We tighten our helmets
and then we’re off.
One of Glacier Jeeps’ guides leads
our convoy and at the back of the pack is
Bjarni. For most people, getting to know
Vatnajökull’s oft-changing crags and cre-
vasses would be a daunting task, but Bjarni
knows this glacier intimately. He has a total
of 26 years of experience guiding tours here.
And, as Jóna laughingly points out, a lot has
changed since then. “There wasn’t any GPS
when he got started!”
We stop periodically to take photos and
admire the 360° panoramas, which encom-
pass sprawling white plateaus, as well as ver-
dant valleys and the ocean in the distance.
But honestly, just standing on top of this
enormous ice cap, breathing in the crisp air
and letting the pristine glacial snow melt on
my tongue is almost enough by itself. We
haven’t even made it half way back before
I’m planning my next trip.
glacierjeeps.is
BY LARISSA KYZER. PHOTOS BY GEIR ÓLAFSSON.