It's about 1:30am, so this is gonna be quick, but I promise I will get caught up. Last night (6/30) I slept between the Atlantic Ocean and an outlet glacier. I could see the glacier from my room! I took this around 8am.
This morning in more light rain (as I tried to talk myself into & out of the glacier walk!) I took a zodiac cruise in a glacier lagoon....the cool one that feeds icebergs to the sea! They even go under a bridge to get there....I could barely stand leave the place!
Here's a pic of an iceberg that flipped over in the water while we were cruising around. We watched a smaller 'berg flip, but missed this one. We know it flipped because of the waterfalls on the iceberg & the waterline.
But I had to leave....I had a glacier walk at 2pm. And I failed to convince myself that I shouldn't do it....just a bit nervous about the crampons, the ice axe, and the crevasses! I didn't bring my camera on this hike due to two factors: 1) rainy weather and 2) if I fell into a crevasse, somebody might as well inherit a working camera :-)! However, I brought a disposable camera, so I will know in a couple weeks if I got any pics, I hope so!
We got an extra hour on the glacier just because of the distance the guide took us. The crampons felt weird for a few minutes, but quickly felt comfortable and secure. This means I was feeling pretty good cruising along on the glacier. That would be the last time I felt that way for a good 45min I'd guess! On a narrow portion of our hike I must have tripped myself or mistepped and so slid down the ice on my knees. I will check for bruises shortly....pretty sure I've got 'em!
I got up and moved on with a slightly wounded ego, but no real harm done. It was about 3 min after that fall, however, that we had to make a bit of a jump up from one hump to another. I was a bit shaken from the fall....crevasse on each side of me -- but only one was deep. I hesitated, but made the jump. On the return, I waited for the guide to walk back to help me jump down. I just couldn't do it again....the fall would have been not good!
So, it was very cool because I hiked all over a glacier today. It was easy for a long time, which made me think it wasn't a big deal after all - you know, not that dangerous. That's when it got interesting with narrow foot paths & ice steps hacked out with the axe. It was a very good lesson in the serious nature of glacier activities. It also proved that climbing up is MUCH easier than climbing back down.
Mostly, it was just cool to see the secret parts of the glacier - the internal waterfalls in melting ice, the blue ice under volcanic ash, the glacier cones, and the beauty of the waves (or layers) of snow and ice.
Ok....it's now 2am. I have to shower and get to bed. And check on my bruised knees :-) or pride or.....Here's one last pic. This is Hwy 1 - The Ring Road - the main road around the island. Endless lava fields on both sides.....
Glad you weren't seriously injured. A little scary. Hope the bruises were minimal. Love the flipped up glacier. SL
ReplyDeleteThank goodness you didn't fall down in a cravasse, although you do have a nice camera... I too liked the flipped up glacier - the blue is vivid against the white/gray of the top.
ReplyDeleteHey Ladies! All is well....bruises aren't pretty colors like I prefer a bruise to be, but they are tender! Didn't keep me from anything, so that's good. Best of all it!s 12am ( again!) and my host for the night has a geothermal hot tub, so I just spent about 30min in it. I LOVE that warm earth water!
ReplyDeleteThis has been so interesting to see the things that you have seen & done.I must say thogh it's probably a good thing that I didn't go with you--the old body you know. I hope the next trip is more age appropriate. ---some thing like a spa with warm mineral pools for old prople :-)
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