Visiting a glacier is wonderful experience in many ways. I've stood on the receding edge of one, and witnessed the breaking of what appeared to be a very large icicle of another while on hiking trips in Canada. But, the opportunity to go INSIDE one was too exciting to pass up!
My tour began on the edge of Iceland's second largest glacier, Langjokull, where visitors suit up in warm, waterproof jumpsuits and boots. I came prepared with my own down jacket and fleece lined snow boots. The temperature inside the glacier is a constant 32 degrees. However, waiting to enter the tunnel, the weather on the glacier is unpredictable and much colder.
From base camp, we were driven up the slopes of Langjokull glacier over ice and snow in an all-terrain, eight-wheel-drive monster truck. I was most impressed to learn that the drivers of these trucks have the ability to adjust the air in all eight tires with an app on his mobile phone. This allows the truck to easily transition from a hard rocky surface where more tire pressure is required, to the glacier where the tires need to deflate enough to grip the ice.
The landscape on the drive to the tunnel was magnificent. The glacier is so barren that it seems like you are on another planet.
When the truck came to a stop, we were a mere few feet from the ice cave. I don't know what I was expecting, but it is a simple opening that leads you 984 feet into the solid ice cap! After clamping crampons onto our boots to help prevent slipping on the uneven icy surface, we began the hike into the tunnel. It was exhilarating!
Inside, we explored several chambers while our guide shared interesting facts and information about the glacier. The further inside the cave you go, the older the ice gets and its color changes from white to deep blue. For the adventurer who would like to get married in an ice cave, there's even a small ice chapel!
Ice caves are very weather dependent and are unreliable and unstable to enter. The Langjokull cave is the largest man-man ice cave carved for the purpose of welcoming visitors into its icy blue interior. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is high on my recommendation list!
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