| To me there is nothing better than getting | | | | facts about Iceland, glaciers and such. But, |
| outdoors and going for a nice long trek. I | | | | what I liked best was when everyone stopped |
| love the adventure, the physical challenge | | | | talking. Rarely in our busy lives do we get |
| and exploring new places. I also have a | | | | to experience absolute silence and that was |
| certain proclivity towards glaciers. I think | | | | one of the early pleasures of this glacier |
| that they are amazing, though I have never | | | | tour - we all stopped walking and talking and |
| actually seen one up close. Last month I got | | | | there it was, total silence. I turned my |
| the chance to do just that. | | | | face to the sun and just soaked up this |
| | | | moment. |
| I didn't go to Iceland just for hiking, I was | | | | |
| there on business. But over the weekend, I | | | | Later, we got to explore some crevasses and |
| decided to get book a tour. There are | | | | beautiful blue-white ice sculptures. When |
| several hiking and trekking tour companies in | | | | you touch this kind of ice, you are amazed by |
| Iceland so it wasn't hard. With the help of | | | | how smooth it is - like polished glass. We |
| the front desk clerk at the hotel I was | | | | got to walk through long ridges that were |
| staying at, I got in touch with a company | | | | like narrow ice hallways. |
| that offers tours right from Reykjavik; turns | | | | |
| out that you don't necessarily have to travel | | | | What struck me about this glacier was that it |
| far to get out in nature or to commune with a | | | | seemed to have a positive affect on |
| glacier. | | | | everyone's mood. It is kind of like the |
| | | | glacier is pumping out negative ions and it |
| Anyways, I made my choice of tour operators | | | | helps you feel content and grounded in that |
| and told them what I wanted to do. They | | | | moment. I also think that the glacier, by |
| suggested a tour that fit my time frame and | | | | the fact that it has been around for so long, |
| desire to explore a glacier, in this case | | | | imparts a certain sense of history and almost |
| Sólheimajökull glacier. I think this | | | | embodies a wise personality. Maybe it was |
| translates as 'sun home glacier,' at least I | | | | just me, I tend to anthropomorphize |
| think that is what it translates to with my | | | | everything. |
| rough knowledge of Icelandic. This | | | | |
| particular glacier is located about two hours | | | | One the way back to the city, our guide also |
| away from the capital city. | | | | stopped by two beautiful waterfalls, |
| | | | Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. Being from |
| The tour company picked me up from my hotel | | | | the western US, I am not used to seeing so |
| in the morning and off we went. I was amazed | | | | much water and I was struck by the raw power |
| at how quickly we were in the country - | | | | and beauty of these falls. Raw power and |
| Reykjavik is not a very big capital city and | | | | beauty is a good analogy for Iceland in |
| most of Iceland is uninhabited. When we | | | | general. |
| arrived at the glacier, I instantly fell in | | | | |
| love. The weather was picture perfect and | | | | All-in-all I was very satisfied with my |
| the contrasting colors of blue sky and the | | | | Iceland hiking tour experience. This |
| white glacier were outstanding. | | | | particular tour wasn't very strenuous, so if |
| | | | you want something more physical, you can |
| We took a few minutes to go over a safety | | | | choose a different tour. I think that one |
| brief, put on our extra clothes and crampons | | | | day I would like to come back here and do one |
| and then we were off. Our tour guide was | | | | of their multi-day tours. |
| very knowledgeable and told us all kinds of | | | | |