Ninety seconds on Falljökull Glacier Hike
Crampons, an ice axe and a certified guide get you onto a moving glacier among crevasses and blue ice, with no climbing experience. Book a tour from Skaftafell before you drive out, because the ice is guided only.
The guide fits your crampons and shows you how to walk in them before you step onto the ice. Near the edge the surface is pitted and streaked with grit; further in it turns cleaner, with ridges, meltwater streams and veins of blue ice.
On the walk in, the guide shows how far the glacier has retreated, and the bare rock it left behind makes it plain. A longer tour climbs towards the icefall below Öræfajökull and spends about three hours on the ice; ask for it when you book.
Wear layers under a waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers, never jeans, and boots with ankle support. Boots and waterproofs can be rented at the huts. Bring sunglasses, sunscreen, water and a snack, because the glare off the ice is strong and the standard tour does not stop for lunch.
Explore the rest of Höfn
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