Iceland > Hiking on the Glacier

Normally, breakfast is ready from eight o’clock. This is quite tight for us because at ten o’clock we have a glacier hike in Skaftafell National Park. Yesterday, we asked if we could have breakfast earlier. After some discussion, we could come as early as half past seven. It’s always exciting whether such an arrangement will actually work. The door is open and the breakfast buffet is ready. Luckily. Quickly, we take some rolls, coffee, and yogurt. Just before eight, we get in the car. The distance to Skaftafell is 130 kilometers along the ring road. Normally no problem, but unlike yesterday, it is foggy today. The clouds hang low over the road. Visibility is limited. Luckily, two vans just pass as we want to join the ring road. At a safe distance, we follow their taillights. Safer that way. Especially in fog, we have to be alert that no loose sheep suddenly cross the road. Small groups of sheep graze all over Iceland. Remarkably, they never walk in a herd. Some sheep literally lie on the edge of the asphalt. We pass the Jökulsárlón lake. The entire lake is in the fog this morning. What luck that we sailed on the lake yesterday. It would be a shame if our glacier hike took place in the fog. Would the hike even go ahead in fog? Fortunately, we don’t have to wait for the answer to this question. After passing the southernmost point of the glacier area, we suddenly drive into the sun. The clouds abruptly give way to a clear blue sky. On the car dashboard, the outside temperature immediately rises from eight to sixteen degrees. At half past nine, we enter the parking lot of Skaftafell National Park. Unlike all other Icelandic parking lots, a parking fee applies here. Our license plate is scanned. We have to pay the parking fee via a website. If we don’t pay in time, the bill with a surcharge is sent to the car owner. The rental company settles this with us. We report to the ticket office for the glacier hike. We receive crampons for under the shoes, a helmet, and an ice axe. Before we can use these, we first have to go to the glacier. For this, we drive in a convoy with other participants to the Falljökull glacier. About a 15-minute drive. Here we meet May. She takes us with the first group.

Iceland - The porous rock is blown as debris over the glacier ice

There are quite a few tourists here. May assures us that we can get a clear view of the glacier without other groups. The plateau is large, she says. While we walk to the edge of the ice, she tells us that the Falljökull and Virkisjökull glacier tongues used to form one large glacier outlet. Due to melting ice, they are now two separate streams. The first view of the glacier is not what you expect. The front is black with dust, debris, and volcanic ash. Underneath the ice, water flows into the lake. May explains that the dark layer reflects the light and thereby protects the ice. That’s why hardly any ice chunks break off here. It only melts. We attach the crampons and walk up the glacier via a path. Here the ice is white. The view of the glacier is fantastic. The ice beneath us is hundreds of years old. Beautiful! The weather on the glacier is splendid. I didn’t expect to be able to walk on the glacier in a T-shirt.

Iceland - Walking on the glacier in a Tshirt

I had brought gloves and a hat specially in my travel luggage. We look at various spots on the glacier. May also shows us a melt hole. Water flows through the hole to underground streams. The water always finds a way through the ice. Just before half past one, we are back at the parking lot. We thank May for her enthusiastic explanation. We find a nice spot among the rocks for lunch. In the afternoon, we drive back to Skaftafell National Park. Beautiful hikes can be made in the nature reserve. We choose the fairly easy walk through the park to Svartifoss. The path gradually rises. Along the way, we pass the smaller Hundafoss waterfall. After one and a half kilometers, we see Svartifoss in the distance. The waterfall is beautifully illuminated by the sun. Via a path, we descend to just near the waterfall. The water falls twenty-five meters from a basalt rock formation.

Iceland - Hexagonal rocks formed by lava

We have seen basalt waterfalls before, but this may be the most beautiful. Hundreds of hexagonally shaped pillars hang against the rock wall. At four o’clock, we are back at the car. We have to drive back to Höfn. This means driving the ring road along the glaciers several times. This does get a bit boring. Perhaps that’s why we decide to just eat at our hotel. Nice and easy and then we don’t have to go out by car again. On the terrace, we order a beer. Lovely in the sunshine. When we inquire about food, it turns out the restaurant is closed today. The owners suddenly had to leave today. There is no one to staff the kitchen. There is no other option than to eat in Höfn. Near the harbor, we find a cozy pizzeria. A fine alternative. When we are back in our room in the evening, suddenly the door opens. The receptionist is just as startled by us as we are by him. He probably thought the room was empty tonight. He mumbles something about sorry and if we already have the key? Quickly, he closes the door again. Outside, it has become foggy again. The buildings and mountains around us have disappeared into the clouds.