Monday was dedicated to a guided glacier hike, but before we get to that part, I want to talk about how good the breakfast at Hali Country Hotel was that day. They served a cured/smoked lamb made locally, which was really delicious. I ate it with bread and found it superb.
Most of the day was spent with Local Guide of Vatnajökull. This is a tour agency that specializes in hikes on the Vatnajökull glacier. We were with them for about 6 hours and had a fantastic experience. This day was the most memorable of the entire trip. We hiked to the glacier and then across it to an ice canyon. It’s hard to describe how beautiful it is due to the previous day’s rain; the top layer of frost and dust had all been washed away. Our initial hike felt like we were walking on glass. We could see deep into the clear ice, with the only visible disruptions being a web of trapped air or cracks that had since fused back together. It was breathtaking.
They gave us a serious set of crampons on the glacier. So while you are walking, you feel incredibly steady, and you never slip. Unfortunately, while we were walking, my boot came out of my crampons, and I touched the ice with my boots. It was unbelievably slippery and felt very dangerous. Luckily the guide was there to get my boot back in the crampon. If I was taking that crampon for granted before that, I immediately and promise to do so in the future.





I dropped a lens cap on my camera on our what to the ice canyon. The second it hit the ice, it started to slide. There was no stopping it, and it slid out of sight and presumably to the bottom of the glacier. (That reminds me, I need to order a new lens cap.)
The ice canyon was beautiful, and the walk into this ice slot canyon was harrowing. An interesting feature was the juxtaposition of the glacial ice and the recently frozen rain ice. The glacial ice is so compressed is has a beautiful azure color, while the freshly frozen water is white and quite cloudy. It’s a beautiful phenomenon. Unfortunately, the floor was full of water due to yesterday’s rain, so we had to kick the sides of our boots into the side of the ice wall. I HATE wet shoes, so I worked hard to ensure every step counted and my feet stayed dry.




After the canyon, we entered an ice cave, but the canyon and hike were the real standouts of the day. We weren’t back in our car until about 4 PM, so it was a full day. Our guides told us that the weather warnings for that night and the next day were terrible. We told them we were planning to return toward the west, and they thought that was a good idea.

We drove a lot that night and made it to Hella. We stayed at my favorite hotel for the entire trip. Its name is Loa’s Nest. It’s cute and modern, and though the breakfast is less substantial than others, it is fresh waffles!
The wind and snow were already picking up, but we were hungry, so we headed into town for dinner at Restaurant Kanslarinn. I had the typical Icelandic dish called Plokkfiskur. They translate it to fish stew, though I do not consider it a stew. It’s like a fish and potato casserole. It’s good, and I liked it enough that I plan to make it someday, but it is much thicker than what I think of as a stew.
Here is an insider tip, Kanslarinn will sell you a beer to go. This was a nice treat when we returned to the hotel and settled in for the evening.
Next Day: Iceland – Day 4