Iceland Glacier Ice Abstract
Abstract close-up crystal blue, black and clear white ice cave with underground river inside, Vatnajokull glacier, Iceland. Hang this photo over the bathroom tub or any room in the home.
February 18, 2018. I had only been in Iceland for 3 days before heading out on the journey of a lifetime.
Flying into Reykjavik airport, I could see the brut force mother nature was unleashing upon Iceland. Swirling 50 mile per hour winds, snow drifts 20 feet high and the bitter chill that encapsulated everything in sight.
I am not usually one to take a guided tour but when in Iceland, you should always think twice or three times before heading off into areas that an unexperienced person could easily lose their life. I want to keep my life, so I hired a guide for the day and we were going to journey into, over and around one of the biggest glaciers in southern Iceland. Cool, I was psyched.
I chatted with my Baldur, my guide over a great cup of coffee and then we set off to "Gear Up" and go over some basic safety guidelines. Basically that meant, when Baldur said, don't go there or don't do that or stay directly behind him, he meant it.
We dressed and geared up for an Icelandic fashion show, lol. Heavy insulated coveralls, a helmet, crampons for our boots to grip the ice and of course the ever handy ice pick axe. Never leave home without it!
We started our journey on mostly flat ice for about an hour. After that, it was what felt like a forever journey upwards on pure ice. Baldur rigged, ropes, pulleys and at one point a ladder to help us cross part of the glacier. I couldn't help laughing to myself that I was climbing Mount Everest, not an Icelandic glacier.
Now we were 90 minutes into our climb and it was time to stop and take a break and admire the view. What a view it was. I could see pure white and blue for what seemed like forever. The wind had calmed and the temperatures had risen to a comfortable 20 degrees. Baldur gave me the time to take some photos and then we were back to climbing. Thirty more minutes he said before we arrived at what he claimed would be the most beautiful thing I ever saw and experienced.
Out of breath and sweat in my eyes as we reached the top of the glacier. Wow, wow and omg Wow. Baldur was correct. The view was stunning but even more stunning was the actual ice at the top of the glacier.
The ice took many shapes and forms, ranging from finger size to the size of buildings. Each ice sculpture (as I called them) had unique colors and qualities than the others. Some softer than others as they started to melt from the sun. Others were harder than cement. Some of the ice looked as if it was raised higher then other pieces but were actually smooth and flat to the touch. Texture look without the actual texture. Each one was stunningly beautiful in its own way.
The color of the ice ranged from pure as snow white, to turquoise blue, sky blue, ocean water blue and green to soft gray and deep dark black. I have never seen so many different colors in a piece of ice in all my travels and doubt I ever will again.
From my camera to your home :)