Description
Summary
Description
Hike on Falljokull Glacier in Skaftafell on this moderately difficult guided tour, a long hike for travelers who want an in-depth look at Icelandic glacial geology.
Your guide meets you at the booking center in Skaftafell, part of Vatnajokull National Park, about a 4.5- to 5-hour drive from Reykjavik.
After a short drive, you hike for 25 to 30 minutes toward Falljokull Glacier, an outlet glacier of Vatnajokull Glacier, the largest glacier in Europe. On the way, you may catch a glimpse of Hvannadalshnukur Peak, the highest peak in Iceland.
At the tongue of the glacier, your guide helps you put on your crampons and shows you how to walk on the ice. You see ice formations in shades of blue, crevasses, moulins, and small rivers running across the glacier, with views of the surrounding mountains. Ice caves are sometimes seen on the hike but are not guaranteed.
Depending on the glacier conditions, you hike up into the icefall near Oraefajokull Glacier, which tumbles over the side of the mountain toward the ocean. Here, the ice moves faster than the rest of the glacier and breaks into many crevasses, creating chaotic, ever-changing views of white and blue ice.
Along the way, your guide explains how the glacier formed and how it changes shape every day. Then you return to Skaftafell.
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