Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike

Sun setting on Skogafoss

I had my heart set on seeing some glaciers on this trip to Iceland, and I felt that joining a tour would ensure that I had proper equipment and guidance. Looking back I would highly recommend this to anyone, it seems extremely dangerous to go without a guidance. We joined the Icelandic Mountain Guides for our hike up Sólheimajökull, and we were really happy with our guide.

Sólheimajökull is one of the easier glaciers to access, that being said the short 800m walk to the glacier was still really rough in the middle of winter. The strong winds that day blew snow, ice, and gravel at us. I could barely open my eyes, so I was only able to stay on track by looking down at our guide’s footsteps (if you have ski goggles bring them!). By the time we got to the glacier the wind was much calmer and everyone was warming up from the hike. Except for me, who was soaking wet and freezing because I was stupid enough to wear only one layer of pants. They had absorbed all the snow and ice that was blowing at me. Later that day when I got home, my thighs were covered with tiny bruises, probably from the gravel that was attacking me. See more tips on coping with the winter weather conditions on my post 9 Tips for Traveling in Iceland.

Sólheimajökull Glacier

Sólheimajökull is constantly shrinking and retrieving, our guide had pointed at a distant location where the glacier used to end, approximately 1 kilometer away. Global warming is a phenomenon that we are all conceptually aware of, but seeing it measured visually really makes you see it as a concrete problem. You can also see layers of ash within the glacier, showing how the Katla volcano has continuously erupted throughout history. In a way, Sólheimajökull is a geographical documentation of the history of our planet. 

On our way back to Reykjavík we stopped at two waterfalls, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. Especially memorable for me was Skógafoss. As the sun is setting, the light reflects off of the water, the entire waterfall becomes a shimmering gold, with a perfect rainbow across it. This has to be one of the most beautiful sights I have seen, pictures really don’t do it justice. You could also hike up the waterfall in the summer, but during our visit the staircase was covered with ice and was not accessible. That being said the thick icicles were a pretty amazing sight in itself!