▲ Are you ready? This time we're going hiking on the Sólheimajökull Glacier in southern Iceland! This is a comprehensive journey to learn about glaciers. You'll be led by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide, and we'll provide all the necessary equipment to ensure you walk in comfort and safety. No matter what kind of traveler you are, this journey will allow you to experience one of nature's wonders.
▲ We will meet the guide at the Sólheimajökull parking lot, then begin our hiking activity, which takes just 30 min to get our bodies moving. (Due to climate warming and glacier movement, Sólheimajökull has retreated further away, increasing the distance from the parking lot.) Sólheimajökull is part of Mýrdalsjökull, one of Europe's larger glaciers. You might recall its detailed portrayal in the 2012 award-winning documentary "Chasing Ice," an in-depth investigation of climate change. Once on the ice, you'll have ample time to appreciate the subtle silence and unique sense of solitude, as if sharing the experience with fellow hikers.
▲ You will witness blue ice that has formed over thousands of years, created when oxygen bubbles become trapped in snow and are compressed into ice under the immense weight of glaciers. You can also descend into a moulin, a vertical shaft-like channel that may extend all the way to the base of the glacier. What lies beneath? None other than the majestic Katla volcano, one of Iceland's larger and more active volcanoes. If the weather is clear, you may even catch a glimpse of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier to the east, whose 2010 eruption disrupted European air traffic and filled the skies with fire and ash.
