One of many highlights of our journey to Iceland was a snowmobile journey on Mýrdalsjökull glacier, Iceland’s fourth largest glacier, with Icelandic Mountain Guides. If a snowmobile tour in Iceland is one thing that appeals to you, learn on to be taught extra about what you possibly can count on.
Icelandic Mountain Guides’ fundamental base is at Ytri-Sólheimar 1 in Mýrdalur, about 25 km west of Vík and about 11 km east of Skógar. If travelling from Reykjavik, the space is round 160 km and the driving time is roughly 2 hours. From the primary Iceland ring street to the bottom, it’s a 1.2 km drive on street 222.
You’ll most probably must ebook prematurely however, as soon as on the base and your reserving verified, the very first thing you’ll do is get kitted out. Icelandic Mountain Guides offer you an total that goes over the garments you might be already carrying, boots, a balaclava, a helmet and gloves… after which you might be good to go!
There’s a big truck ready to take you and your fellow snowmobilers as much as the glacier.
It’s round a 30-minute drive over tough terrain after which on to the glacier itself.
There are a selection of snomobiles ready for us on the finish of the truck experience, and we’re accompanied by two instructors who present us with an introduction to the machines and a security briefing.
First, we’re proven how you can swap the snowmobile on. We flip the ignition midway to show the electrics on, wait a short time after which flip it totally to begin it up. Equally, we use the important thing to show it off or, within the occasion of an emergency, a giant purple button that kills the machine. As soon as on the snowmobile, we don’t want to have interaction it gear – we simply press a button to use fixed, regular strain – that means you’ve gotten a pleasant and regular experience. The best technique to cease is to launch the gasoline however there’s a brake that can be utilized in case of an emergency. There are hand heaters additionally – put them to the proper they usually get actually heat, put them to the left they usually get slightly bit heat, center they’re off
With the fundamentals coated, we’re on to the topic of security. The one actually essential security facet to cowl is what occurs should you fall over the machine. It could possibly occur and apparently really occurs fairly steadily (though there have been no such incidents from anybody on our journey). However you continue to want to recollect a couple of actually staple items and, do you have to be ready, falling over will simply be one thing to snicker about fairly than one thing severe.
The one most essential factor to recollect is that, if the machine is falling over, you don’t stick your arm or your leg out to catch it. If you happen to try this, the machine weighs about 350kg (roughly 600 lbs) and all of that weight goes on to your arm or onto your leg which, as you possibly can think about, isn’t enjoyable.
So, what do you do? As the motive force, you’re holding on to the handlebars – you merely seize them actually tight, and hold your legs to the centre of the machine, brace your self and fall over holding on to the machine. For the passenger, you’ve gotten some handles close to your hips that you just equally maintain on to (fairly than holding on to the motive force in entrance). So long as you do that, you can be completely secure. Snowmobiles are constructed as crash bins and are designed to guard you. Simply don’t stick your limbs outdoors of the machine and also you’re going to be secure. Your intuition will likely be to be put your hand or leg out, so it’s essential to be fairly conscious so that you don’t let this occur.
With that defined, we’re advised how to not fall over within the first place. We be taught that, everytime you’re driving, you could counteract the power that’s making an attempt to tug you off the machine. If you happen to flip to the left, the power will pull you to the proper, so that you lean to the left together with your physique. The other, in fact, is true should you flip to the proper. Equally, in case you are driving up a hill, gravity will attempt to pull you backwards, so you’d lean to the hill to counteract this power. And even should you ought to fall over, the workers are readily available that can assist you if that occurs.
With all that defined, we drive in single file, with one teacher on the entrance and one on the again. We hold to paths within the snow, sustaining a secure distance of at the least 5 metres between one another.
There’s no overtaking as this may be fairly harmful. And, if we must always have an issue, we’re advised to only cease and lift a hand, they usually’ll be with us shortly.
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The entire operation could be very slick with at the least one cease within the journey the place we are able to change drivers.
The climate had turned slightly from the way it was earlier within the day, and visibility was fairly poor. This didn’t spoil our enjoyment nevertheless!
We comply with an ‘out and again’ route – climbing from a top of 915 metres as much as simply over 1,290 metres, earlier than switching drivers and heading again down the glacier. It’s an exhilarating experience and ou can see the precise route we took right here:
No earlier snowmobiling expertise is required, however all drivers should be 17 years of age or older and have a full, legitimate driver’s license. A learner´s allow, tractor or bike license isn’t adequate in accordance with Icelandic legislation. Happily for our eldest son, he handed his driving check not lengthy earlier than our journey to Iceland, so this was a fantastic expertise for him!
Ordinarily on this tour, you’d be capable to benefit from the glacial landscapes and surroundings over south Iceland, however the climate was sadly not in our favour for that.
The dearth of views aspect, this was nonetheless a very enjoyable excusion and, for us, a very new expertise as a household. We’d leap on the alternative to do it once more at some point, as a result of the placement is reportedly very scenic, with completely incredible views on a sunny day!
Planning a visit to Iceland your self? You’ll be able to watch a video from our journey to Iceland right here:
Disclosure: This put up is sponsored by Icelandic Mountain Guides. Our journey to Iceland was additionally sponsored by Helly Hansen.
