Through the Crevass Field to the Top of the Glacier!

After another night without the aurora lights, we woke for a trip to another glacier.  This time, we were headed to the Solheimajokull Glacier, which sits atop the Katka volcano.  Unlike yesterday's glacier, this one has a frontal section of cravasses, large sections of ice that are splitting off the glacier.   Katka is an active volcano which erupts about every 100 years.  It is past due.  Geophysical authorities keep a very close eye on it, and in Iceland, they have tons of experience with earthquakes and volcanoes, so it felt safe to hike this glacier at this time.  Authorities believe that this glacier will completely melt with the next eruption of Katka.  

The glaciers in Patagonia are pristine and clear enough that tour operators will chip off pieces of the glaciers to use as ice in drinks.  That's not something you want to do here!  As we learned yesterday, the black seams in the glaciers here are volcanic ash that gets trapped in the snow.  The top layer of this ash is from an eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull stratovolcano's eruption in 2010.  In some places, that ash is at the very top of some peaks.  Nate, our glacier hike guide, explained that not only does the ash get trapped in the snow, but it can also act as an insulator, keeping the compacted snow beneath it cold, inhibiting melting.  We saw some spikes topped with ash as well as some ash that was mixed in with the compacted snow/ice.  We also saw several moulins, which are tunnels in the glacier.  I think these glaciers are more interesting than the Patagonian ones, though they are not as imposing, as they are melting faster.

This glacier showed significant evidence of climate change.  Like with the other one, the glacier previously extended out to the edge of the lagoon.  Nate told us that this glacier is receeding so quickly that the location of the glacier edge is visibly changed from week to week now.  Also, the last eruption of a close volcano which left ash on this glacier occured in 2010 - 13 years ago.  There are places on this glacier where the ash is still the uppermost layer, indicating that there has been little measurable lasting snowfall on this glacier for 13 years.

When we got to the parking lot of the glacier, they outfitted us with glacier-grade crampons (The ones we brought were not sufficient here.), a harness in case we needed to be fished out of a crevass or moulin, an ice ax, and a helmet.  Those who didn't have appropriate shoes, waterproof pants or coat, or other equipment that wasn't provided could rent them at this time.  The beautiful moon boots the two influencers in our group were wearing weren't appropriate.  I hated that for them, but they took it in stride.  Once we were all outfitted, we headed down to the glacier edge.  Nate took his time, making sure we weren't worn out before ever making it to the glacier.  When we reached the edge, he showed us how to lace our crampons onto our shoes.  He then put me in the front of the line (slowest setting the pace and keeping any eye on me and being handy for any help I might need), and we headed up into the crevass field on the edge of the glacier.  It was amazing!  A much better experience than the rushed push in Patagonia on the Perito Moreno.  Nate kept a close eye and was able to help me up anytime it was really steep and I needed help.  When he felt like I needed to catch my breath, he would stop us and announce that it's a really good place to take pictures.  Never once did I feel like I was a drain on the tour.  Even after one particularly steep climb, when I tried to lean on one of the pillars of the crevass and just slowly slid down until I was sitting on the glacier, it was never any big deal.  We just hung out there, taking pictures, until I was ready to be helped back up on my feet and heading further along.

Not as imposing as the Perito Moreno in Patagonia, but much more interesting.

A moulin with water

Ash from the 2010 eruption insulating the packed snow underneath

Isn't this beautiful?

That group of people looks so small on top of the glacier!  You can see where the crevass field ends and the top of the glacier becomes smooth.

Somebody looks happy!

Looking back from the top of the glacier, past the crevass field, over the lagoon, which used to be filled with the glacier itself.

Somebody else looks happy, too!

After we came back down off the glacier, Nate let everybody go back to the parking lot at their own pace.  Our group all took their time getting their gear off, going to the bathroom, and just hanging out in the area.  We were the last ones back to the parking lot, but not the last on the bus.  I'm glad we decided to go with Troll Expeditions.  They did a great job making sure we all got to enjoy all of the activities, including this, one of the more physical ones.  I felt especially good about this after not being able to complete the hike on the Perito Moreno.

When we all got back on the bus, we headed off to our last stop on the Golden Circle/South Coast part of the trip - Seljalandsfoss.  This waterfall sits under the glacier on the Eyjafjallajökull stratovolcano, the same one that erupted in 2010.  This eruption spewed so much ash that it disrupted air travel across Europe and beyond for quite some time.  The wind was such that there was very little disruption to Icelandic air travel, though.  The funny part of this is that the volcano name is so difficult to say for most non-Icelandic speakers that spoken media outlets shortened its name to E-15, meaning starts with E followed by 15 letters!  This waterfall area is another example of how the island has grown based on seismic activity.  The cliff from which the waterfall tumbles was once the coastal border here.  Because of volcanic eruptions, lava floes, and ground upheavals, there is now a relatively short patch of land between the falls and the new coast (part of which houses the parking lot, bathrooms, small gift shop and sandwich shop).  I didn't turn around and take the picture, but the ocean was visible from the falls.  This waterfall also has a path that goes around behind the waterfall with a small cave.  I would have liked to have done this, but I was tired and didn't want to get soaked in that cold water.  Plus the path was supposedly very icy.  So, I just admired this fall from a distance before going to the sandwich stand for a hot chocolate and hot panini.

Because our 4-day tour was a 3+1, and the 3-day portion was over, we returned to Reykjavik, and Halmit dropped Chrissy and I off at the Hotel Island, where Troll Expeditions booked us for the night, where a new guide will pick us up in the morning.