For an Icelandic expertise with a distinction, we heartily suggest Into the Glacier which will be visited as a part of a tour from Reykjavik or, as we did, by self-driving to Klaki base camp (or so far as Húsafell within the winter).
The best approach to attain base camp from Reykjavik is by heading north alongside the ring highway after which following route 50 once you attain the tunnel to Borgarbyggð. For some motive, our satnav thought we would desire a extra adventurous route and took us alongside the maybe barely extra direct routes 30 and 550. This was effective for probably the most half, however the last 40-kilometre stretch alongside the F550 (one among Iceland‘s mountain roads) was just a little hairier than we had anticipated so early on in our time in Iceland!
Nonetheless you select to get there, you gained’t see the glacier at first, however you will notice indicators which might be indicative of its earlier presence. Markers that depict the glacier’s most extent each 20 years spotlight the speedy retreat of the glacier over time.
Between the markers for 1940 and 1960 is Klaki base camp. No matter your strategy, the final stretch of the drive could be very uneven and it’s essential to have a 4×4 automobile, whatever the time of yr you go to.
It’s a easy constructing the place you’ll be able to acquire or buy tickets for this moderately distinctive expertise. It’s additionally the place you may get kitted out with overalls, in preparation for the expertise.
Should you’ve come dressed for Iceland’s variable climate, with heat garments, waterproofs and durable footwear, you then must be fairly well-prepared, however you would possibly wish to reap the benefits of their light-weight waterproof overshoes. There are components of the tunnels that may then be fairly moist underfoot as meltwater discover its method by the glacier, so I’d undoubtedly suggest these.
Because the title suggests, Into the Glacier takes you into artifical ice tunnels inside Langjökull, the second largest ice cap in Iceland (after Vatnajökull which is by the far the biggest and round eight instances the dimensions) and curiously the one privately-owned glacier on the planet. It’s open yr spherical and is the one glacier tunnel constructed particularly for guests, not simply in Iceland, however on the planet. It’s also the world’s largest artifical ice tunnel.
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However first you need to get there. Fortunately, your ticket contains transport on to the ice camp aboard outdated specialist NATO missile automobiles which have been tailored particularly for this distinctive attraction. It follows a GPS-led path to the tunnel – crevasses decide the route taken, and it modified every year.
Inside these 8×8 monster vans, it’s fairly snug however you do want to make use of seatbelts as it may be just a little bumpy.
For the driving force, it’s apparently an excellent bumpier journey. From inside his cabin, he can monitor the strain within the tyres by way of an app, and alter the extent of inflation to go well with the altering terrain that he finds himself driving over.
The truck took us to a location that’s 1,260 metres above sea stage. On the journey, we have been accompanied by two English-speaking Icelandic guides who shared their data on what defines a glacier and the way it’s that glaciers are fashioned. We learnt that there are 300 glaciers in Iceland (200 of that are at Vatnajökull alone) and round 7 or 8 ice lots.
The guides had fairly a dry sense of humour – one thing we encountered on plenty of our excursions – and instructed us, as we ventured on to the ice, about how there have been three totally different animals to look out – the Arctic fox, ptarmigans and middle-aged males who get caught on snowmobiles and want rescuing.
However there are severe messages additionally as we cross but extra markers that present how a lot the glacier has retreated each 20 years – apparently greater than 100 metres since 2019 alone. We’re additional reminded of the local weather change message once we hear that, near Langjökull used to face Okjökull, a glacier that was declared lifeless in 2019. They even had a funeral for it – you’ll have heard about it within the information.
With our journey full, it was time to enter the glacier. As you’ll be able to see, it seems moderately underwhelming from the skin. Nonetheless, all that modifications as soon as inside.
The primary a part of the tunnel is sort of darkish and re-enforced with a big cylindrical steel construction.
As soon as correctly inside, you head down right into a community of LED-lit tunnels measuring 550 metres lengthy and as much as 40 metres under the ice floor.
Fairly early on, you cease to placed on crampons. These are simple to place over your footwear – you merely match them on the entrance after which stretch them beneath your shoe till they are often affixed to your heel… after which you might be good to go! It simply provides you just a little extra grip as you wander across the tunnels.
Strolling additional nonetheless, we reached an indication the place we stopped for pictures and realized extra from our guides.
As we continued to discover the tunnel, there are locations the place it actually is sort of moist – dripping down from above in addition to underfoot. Should you’re visiting throughout Winter, this will likely be much less of a problem after all, however you might must wrap up extra!
A small off-shoot to the primary tunnel takes you to a small chapel, full with seating space. Who knew that you may get married beneath a glacier?!
Look rigorously on the ice and you will notice trapped bubbles of ice. Inside the chapel, there are some clusters of bubbles which have taken on some moderately enjoyable formations. One that’s stated to seem like a fish…
…and one other that, for those who tilt your head sufficient, reveals a smiley face.
There’s additionally an space on the tour the place you’ll be able to see a crevasse from under, the place ice is sort of soiled due to the buildup of particles inside the crevasse.
You’ll rely largely in your guides to study in regards to the glacier on the tour, however there one or two indicators giving some pictorial insights into the glacier’s previous and future.
Apparently, when the tunnels have been first created, two separate tunnels have been created and the concept was that they might be part of to create a circle. Their calculations didn’t fairly work, they usually ended up creating extra of a coronary heart form as an alternative!
Would we suggest Into the Glacier? Most undoubtedly, sure! Not solely is it a very distinctive expertise, but it surely was enjoyable and entertaining for all of our household, in addition to fascinating and academic. Though your entire expertise from arriving at basecamp to returning is round 3-4 hours, you might be solely strolling within the tunnels for about one hour of that point, so that is properly inside the capabilities of most youthful youngsters additionally.
The next Google Map reveals the assembly level in Húsafell, which is the place you’d meet if visiting within the Winter.
If travelling within the Summer time, you’d begin from Klaki base camp and the next Strava map reveals the precise route we adopted from base camp to the tunnel and again.
Planning a visit to Iceland your self? You may watch a video from our journey to Iceland right here. You will notice footage from Into the Glacier between 30 seconds and 54 seconds into the video:
Disclosure: This publish is sponsored by Into the Glacier. Our journey to Iceland was additionally sponsored by Helly Hansen.
