Published on Aug, 2024
Our family of 6 (4 teens aged 15-19) had a fantastic day with Maya, hiking and ice climbing on the glacier. The experience was unique and memorable, the views beautiful and awe-inspiring, and Maya was a perfect guide--safe, patient, humorous, and highly educational on both the climbing and the glacier. After getting geared up at the Arctic Adventures hut at the park headquarters, you take a short bus ride to near the glacier outlet. You walk about 20 minutes to the glacier start. After another 10-15 minutes on dirt and rock covered ice, you then stop to put crampons on and learn basic ice hiking techniques. As we hiked, Maya pointed out glacier formations and characteristics and taught us about glacier ecology, history, and more. Eventually we stopped to climb. Each of us rappelled into a beautiful crevasse while Maya expertly belayed us. We then climbed up with climbing axes as she coached and encouraged us. It was exhilarating and challenging, but not overwhelming. We later had a second smaller climb without a rappel. We then hiked higher towards the base of the ice fall portion before working our way back down. Total time from check in at the hut to return was just over 7 hours. Bring snacks or lunch--you can eat during the break while you watch others in your group rappel and climb. Layers of clothing, water, hat, thin to medium gloves are fine for summer. If you are comfortable hiking 5 miles on moderate terrain when not on ice, then you will be fine on this hike. We were never exhausted and Maya kept a steady but comfortable pace. No climbing experience is required, but if you have ever done indoor rock climbing, you'll handle the ice climbing portion well with your guide's pointers. After a 2 week trip in Iceland with several other adventures, this was rated the highlight by our family!
