ITINERARY

Everything about this private tour is flexible and can be changed to match your preferences and overall travel plans. Our preferred glacier is Breiðamerkurjökull with its abundance of glacier mills offering a wide range of climbing options, but other locations can be arranged on request.

• We meet at Jökulsárlón at 9:30 (earlier or later starts are of course – if you prefer a different meeting time, just add a note during the booking process!)
• Scenic superjeep drive to the trail head (approximately 40 minutes)
• We then prepare our gear and hike out to the glacier. The hike takes about 25-30 minutes, primarily over rock and gravel
• At the base of the glacier, we gear up and hike over the glacier to a suitable location for climbing (typically another 20-30 minutes).
• Once we have identified a suitable sport for climbing, we build the top rope anchor that will be our master point for the climbing.
• Typically we will choose a location that will give us an easier route that is ideal for first timers but also gives experienced climbers a good warm up, but also allows us to transition into more difficult terrain later during the day.
• We then keep climbing to our heart’s content. Everybody should get at least 3-4 climbs in, depending on the length and difficulty.
• Eventually the time will come to head back, and we will break down our anchor and make our way back to the car, and eventually return to Jökulsárlón at about 16:00, for a total duration of about 6.5-7 hours.

Please note that what’s possible is always dictated by weather conditions and the amount of daylight on the day of the tour.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Meeting at Jökulsárlón or pick-up from your accommodation in the area
• Superjeep transportation
• All ice climbing specific equipment (helmet, harness, crampons, ice tools)
• Guiding by an AIMG certified glacier guide and professional photographer

WHAT TO BRING

• Good, solid outdoor clothing (thermal layers and wind- and waterproof outer shell jacket and pants)
• B2 or B3 class boots. The stiffer the better. We now have a limited range of rental boots!
• Gloves – not too thick or you will have trouble gripping the ice tools. In winter, consider bringing a second, thicker pair.
• Bring an extra layer to put on while not climbing
• Sunglasses, ski googles or another form of eye protection (ice tools tend to spray ice while climbing).
• Snacks that will keep you fueled throughout the tour; a thermos with tea or other hot beverage.
• A camera to take pictures of each other while climbing!

SEASONED CLIMBERS

You are welcome to bring and use your own equipment if you prefer. We usually top rope our climbs since most access is from above anyway, and in deeper moulins we may not even reach the bottom! Lead or multi-pitch climbs are a rarity on the glaciers, but may be possible. If you would like to set up a second rope, for example to rappel down and photograph each other while climbing, please let me know in advance so I can make sure we bring additional gear.