Monday, July 28, 2025
Starting: Geirland Hotel, KirkjubæjarklausturEnding: Adventure Hotel Hof, Fagurhólsmýri
Highlights: Skaftafell Glacier, Jökulsarlón Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach, Fjallsjökull Lagoon
After taking numerous photos, we drove to the nearby Diamond Beach (Black Beach), where we saw fewer icebergs on the beach (and a few being swept away from the lagoon).
Finally, we drove to the nearby Fjallsjökull Glacier Laggon, with numerous icebergs floating about. We even heard the "thunder" of the ice cracking.
We were finally finished with the day's activities and headed to Adventure Hótel Hof, where we would spend the night and eat dinner. After arriving and unloading, we changed out of our hiking gear and headed for dinner. Our whole group (18 total) was slowly trickling in.
Highlights: Skaftafell Glacier, Jökulsarlón Glacier Lagoon, Diamond Beach, Fjallsjökull Lagoon
I woke at 06:15, showered, shaved, and packed my suitcase and backpack. Our Arctic Adventures tour guide had a planned early departure time of 07:45, and we needed to start eating breakfast at 07:00.
When we reached the hotel's dining room, it was packed with people. It looked like other parties also had early departure times and were eager to complete their breakfast, too. The breakfast buffet was very basic, with the common staples like boiled eggs, cheese, and yogurt.
Inna and I got some plain Skyr yogurt with strawberry jam, a few cold cuts, and some cheese. I tried some pastries too (miniature croissants), but they were unappetizing. After a couple of cups of coffee, we were done with breakfast.
We quickly checked out and brought over the suitcases to load up in the van. I wish our guide had brought the van closer to the hotel so that I would not have had to carry each of the suitcases by hand.
At 07:45, right on time, we started our one-hour drive to Vatnajökull, where our group would be handed off to Glacier Hiking guides.
On the way there, we drove by the beautiful Stjórnarfoss Waterfall (to which we had hiked one day earlier). We also drove by Foss a Sidu Waterfall, another beautiful soaring waterfall near the coast.
As we kept driving, we crossed many Lava Fields and glacier rivers.
Once we reached Vatnajökull, we walked toward one of the Arctic Adventure's huts and waited for our turn to pick up the required glacier hiking gear. However, there was some mix-up, and the expected 08:40 guide did not show up. Bjorn, our guide, worked the phone to get us a replacement guide, and he arranged for us to start at 09:40 (one hour later).
Once we reached Vatnajökull, we walked toward one of the Arctic Adventure's huts and waited for our turn to pick up the required glacier hiking gear. However, there was some mix-up, and the expected 08:40 guide did not show up. Bjorn, our guide, worked the phone to get us a replacement guide, and he arranged for us to start at 09:40 (one hour later).
We patiently waited, and at 09:40, we picked up our helmets, ice axe, harness, and crampons, and waited for our guide to show us how to put them on correctly.
We boarded the bus to take us to the drop-off point for Skaftafell Glacier. We started walking with our guides, who used the fast pace to split our large group into two smaller groups. Inna and I ended up in the fast group, and our glacier guide Jatzik (from Poland) led the way to the glacier.
We boarded the bus to take us to the drop-off point for Skaftafell Glacier. We started walking with our guides, who used the fast pace to split our large group into two smaller groups. Inna and I ended up in the fast group, and our glacier guide Jatzik (from Poland) led the way to the glacier.
The first part of the hike was going over rocky terrain, uphill, at a fast pace for about 20 minutes. Once we stepped onto the glacier, we stopped to put on our crampons and to better understand how to use the ice axes for better stability.
We continue the hike up the glacier, being extremely careful when going over crevasses and moulins.
A crevasse is a deep, open crack or fracture in the surface of a glacier or ice sheet. It forms because of the movement and stress within the glacier as it flows over uneven terrain or changes speed. These stresses cause the brittle upper layer of the glacier to break apart, creating deep fissures.
A moulin is a nearly vertical shaft or hole in a glacier through which surface meltwater flows down into the glacier.
Formation: Moulins form when meltwater on the glacier's surface finds a crack or weak point and enlarges it through erosion, drilling downwards.
Shape: They are often cylindrical or funnel-shaped and can extend tens to hundreds of meters deep, reaching down to the base of the glacier.
Purpose: Moulins act as drainage systems, carrying meltwater from the glacier surface deep into or beneath the ice, which can lubricate the glacier's base and affect its movement.
Difference from crevasses: Unlike crevasses (which are open cracks), moulins are more like "water shafts" within the glacier.
Jatzik taught us how to identify crevasses and moulins and explained the extreme dangers of moulins. On some of the crevasses, he used the ice axe to build steps, so that we could ascend with less danger.
We had a fantastic time hiking on the glacier, taking multiple photos. It was a beautiful day and we were extremely lucky with the weather as it was sunny a times. Jatzik explained that he had rain for 8 out of 10 days (and hikers came back soaked).
When our group returned from the glacier hike, we boarded the bus and were taken back to the main base camp (Vatnajökull National Park). Since some of our party were missing and we did not see our guide, we decided to eat lunch at the Glacier Goodies food truck nearby,
We ordered the following for a quick lunch at Glacier Goodies food truck:
- Drinks: 2 x Coffee
- Main: 2 x Fish & Chips
The fried cod in my Fish & Chips was not bad, and the lunch was acceptable (though not noteworthy).
After lunch, we returned to our bus and continued a short drive to Jokulsárlon Glacier Lagoon, where numerous icebergs are floating before being swept toward the open Atlantic Ocean. There were a number of kayakers and zodiacs (small inflatable boats with outboard engines) being used to show the icebergs to tourists. In addition, we saw 2 DUKWs, "ducks" (amphibious boats that can drive on land and maneuver on water). The DUKWs are offered by Ice Lagoon and could be a good way to reach the many icebergs in Jokulsárlon lagoon (though they are very noisy).
Finally, we drove to the nearby Fjallsjökull Glacier Laggon, with numerous icebergs floating about. We even heard the "thunder" of the ice cracking.
We were finally finished with the day's activities and headed to Adventure Hótel Hof, where we would spend the night and eat dinner. After arriving and unloading, we changed out of our hiking gear and headed for dinner. Our whole group (18 total) was slowly trickling in.
We ordered the following items for dinner from the menu:
- Boris: Hof's Burger (4,500 ISK), Local Beer (1500 ISK)
- Inna: Hof's Burger (4,500 ISK)
- Dessert: Burnt Cheesecake (2,900 ISK)
Inna initially wanted to order Lamb, but seeing that no one had ordered it, switched to Hof's Burger. The burger was pretty good (but expensive).
After dinner, it started drizzling. We decided to do a short walk, and walked around the property for 10 minutes.
My wife summarized the day's events in Russian here:
Второй день путешествия вокруг Исландии. Тема сегодняшнего дня - ледники и айсберги. В первой половине дня - ледниковый хайк, нам выдали серьёзную экипировку - специальные крепления с шипами которые одеваются прямо на hiking boots, ледяные топорики, шлемы и harness. Цель harness не совсем была понятна, информация от лидера хайка была туманна, наверное не хотел нас пугать, наверное она была нужна на всякий случай, если мы упадём в какую нибудь расщелину это бы облегчило задачу спасения. Цель ледяного топорика тоже была не ясна сначала, но потом выяснилось, что его нужно использовать как палку для ходьбы. У нас был очень хороший ведущий хайка - мальчик из Польши, который хорошо рассказывал о ледниках и было очень интересно всё это видеть наглядно, я узнала много нового! Произвели впечатление ледниковые колодцы и расщелины. Виды там просто эпические - возможно потому что для меня это что то новое, я никогда раньше не была на настоящем леднике, только издалека видела во время круиза на Аляску. Потом поехали смотреть ледниковую лагуну, с плавающими айсбергами, вдоль неё прогулка и ещё там недалеко "Бриллиантовый пляж" на который эти айсберги выносит сильнейшим течением. Там ещё видели тюленей. И ещё видели ледник с другой стороны где он сразу переходит в красивое озеро и там тоже плавают живописные айсберги.
Day Review (July 28)
Highlights
- Glacier Hiking:
- Skaftatell Glacier Hike (the most amazing hike)
- Watching icebergs in the following locations:
- Jokulsárlon Glacier Lagoon
- Fjallsjökull Glacier Lagoon
- Diamond Beach Lookout
- Waterfalls
Lowlights
- Dinner at Adventure Hótel Hof was mediocre
- Drizzly weather in the evening
Links
- Arctic Adventures
- Adventure Hotel Hof
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