Reynisfjara beach

The rugged coastline of Reynisfjara makes you feel like you've stepped into a fantasy novel.

Jagged rocks, rough rolling waves and a grey foreboding skyline is a dramatic as it gets! And then of course there's the black sand...

If you're travelling around the south of Iceland then a stop at this beach is highly recommended! Be careful not to get too close to the sea though as this beach is not for swimming. The sea is rough and has caught people unexpectedly before, the most recent I think was in February this year. I don't think I've ever seen waves as high as they were!

I loved looking at the pyramid like rock formations, it reminded me of The Giants Causeway in Ireland (just from photos as I haven't been there yet).

The surroundings weren't bad either ;) 

Hiking on a Glacier in Iceland

This was one of those moments that should have been on my bucket list but that I never quite thought to put on it. 

We woke up early as we did with every other trip we took to make our way for the pick up to the glacier hike. Sólheimajökull is in the south of Iceland and is connected to the Mýrdalsjökull glacier which lies atop a large volcano called Katla Caldera and may erupt at any time! The icelandic community have been waiting awhile. Hopefully not today, I thought quietly.

Unfortunately due to effects of climate change this glacier has continued to melt so I guess we should feel fortunate that we were able to experience laying a foot on the ice and snow.

We pulled up in the car park and our guides promptly came to greet our group. We were provided with crampons and an ice axe each and were then given a brief introduction to the glacier as well to dos and not to dos. The not to dos were particularly important since one wrong step could have been the difference between life and death. Unfortunately we had some particularly ignorant people in our group who were more interested in taking selfies than paying attention and they were simply lucky that the guides were there to make sure that they didn't end up killing themselves!

This angle makes my head look larger than normal. Ha!

Crampons - on!

As we walked towards the glacier there was no denying just how incredibly fascinating this region was. It was breathtaking (and not just because it was cold). 

Mountains reflected perfectly into lakes of crystal clear water.

I could just imagine the glacier moving beneath our feet; changes in the landscape barely noticeable but ever present. We carried on forward, taking heed of our guides footsteps and were split into two groups for a safer hike. The walk wasn't at all tough so I would say that most people would have no trouble on this trip even without any hiking experience. At the time that we were there I was in training for another event so this was great practice with crampons and an ice axe!

The glacier ice was a piercing blue which we found out was caused by the ice absorbing every colour in the spectrum (except for blue!). I think that's the very short version of the reason ;)

 

I do strongly recommend taking this trip but never go it alone on a glacier! There are hidden sinkholes in places you wouldn't think twice of stepping onto and you need some expert guidance to keep you safe.

Our trip was booked with Grayline again as we had really enjoyed ourselves on the first Golden Circle trip and this one was no exception. 

A moulin. Scary as! The guide held on to us to take a closer look.

Have you hiked on a glacier before? What sticks in your memory the most?