The Sólheimajökull glacier tongue originates at Mýrdalsjökull, which is famously also the home to the volcano Katla. There is no doubt that the glacier and the surrounding area are exquisite. Your knowledgeable glacier guide will point out to you how the glacier is retreating and give you a fascinating history and geology lesson to get you to understand the true magic of the glacier.
Right at the foothills of the glacier, you will lace up your crampons and follow your guide to explore this otherworldly natural wonder, a rugged, raw, and ever-changing hub of ancient frozen water. This glacier hike is an adventure like no other, and with the rapid rate of global climate change, this popular activity is only available in very few parts of the world.
You will see how the primal elements shape and affect the glacier, creating mesmerizing labyrinths of ice ridges and deep V-shaped crevasses that crisscross and scar the surface of the ice. Not to mention the enormous sinkholes, called “moulins,” that sometimes have drilled their way through the glacier, draining the meltwater of the ice through little waterfalls and streams.
The glacier also carries ashes of volcanic eruptions from the distant and not-so-distant past. You might even be lucky enough to collect a little of the Eyjafjalljökull volcanic ash from the world-famous 2010 eruption!
The hiking part of the tour is about 2 hours, with 1-1.5 hours spent on the glistening glacier.
Add some adventure to your Iceland tour and explore a great crawling glacier before it becomes inaccessible due to climate change.