We learned that one main reason the place is called Iceland involves the presence of ( ) glacier. While difficult to pronounce, this glacier has long been central to Icelandic culture. Our particular tour involved three different modes of transportation that delivered us to some small portion of the third largest glacier in the world, the highest glacier, and the largest glacier outside of the polar ice caps. After two days of postponements due to weather, we were finally able to proceed from our homestead hostel farm, and proceed about a mile to the base camp. This base was also a hostel and seemed to be a family run ranch who ventured on the glacier with tourists as much for fun as for profit. At the same time, their investment in proper gear was simply staggering. While this tour was super expensive, it was also obvious that challenging nature in this way requires an investment far beyond what anyone without the means could imagine.
We started at the ranch house and outfitted accordingly in a shop full of gear that fit all sizes. Snow suits, motorcycle helmets, and galoshes were all provided. They knew that the meager ski bibs and snow jackets that we brought could never be enough for this adventure. Like hundreds of tourists before us, and more to follow, it became quickly obvious that we’d better adapt. The first leg was accomplished in a good old Ford van… souped up to the max. This van delivered up in elevation from sea level to base camp, where we boarded the snow cat. With a view of the ocean, we continued up the glacier through pristine accumulation that might remind skiers of a beautiful morning after a night of snow at a ski resort. I had visions of Scatman Cruthers fighting his way up to the (Overlook) hotel in The Shining. This snowcat was more than show. It was needed for transportation as we crashed through snow berms at 3 MPH, relentlessly pulled up the glacier as through some magnetic force. We finally arrived at the snowmobiles, parked near the upper reaches of the glacier, with snow peaks in the background and a foot of pristine snow surrounding us.