Posted by The weather here in Iowa is getting cold. Soon it will be winter again. I am not really fond of the cold weather, though I have learned to embrace it.
During our trip to Iceland last September, we did not just embrace the cold, we immersed in it, quite literally. On that trip, we did some activities (in the cold!) that we have not done before.
The first one is walking on ice. That is glacier ice!
We went to a place called Skaftafell, and my wife and I joined a guided hike on an outlet glacier that is flowing down from the massive Vatnajökull ice cap. There are several hikes offered, including a 3-hour hike, a longer 5-hour hike, an ice-climbing adventure, and ice cave exploration. Ice-climbing needs technical skills or short training, while ice cave exploration was only available during summer.
We picked the 3-hour hike as it was not so strenuous, plus it only requires minimal instructions or training. We were provided with safety equipment, like helmet, climbing harness, crampon (a metal frame with sharp spikes that attach to the bottom of our boots), and an ice axe. Before the hike, I pictured myself using the ice axe while clinging on a cliff. But nothing close of that happened as we only used it more of a walking stick when passing through some slopes.
Photo below is my wife and I posing as if we have conquered Mount Everest.
It was an overcast day with temperature of 38 °F (3 °C ) when we started our hike. Though at the end of the hike, the sun decided to show itself, so it was not so gloomy after all. We dressed in layers, as it may get hot after all the walking and climbing, and we can take some layers off. However, I did not break a sweat, and its not that the hike was so easy as there were parts with steep climb, but I did not sweat because it was cold, so I kept all my layers throughout the hike.
We were taught to walk in a certain way when we placed our crampon on. That is we have to make small steps like penguins and make our steps as if we were marching so the crampon will bury deeper and have a better grip on the ice. We were also instructed to walk in a single file to ensure someone would see if somebody suddenly disappear, as some areas of the ice were unstable and we might fall into a pit.
There were areas where the ice was melting and forming into a stream of ice-water. The stream was so clean that the guide allowed us to drink the ice-water. I am a little nervous drinking glacier melt, as it may contain a pre-historic bacteria or organism that may grow inside of me. Maybe it is just my wild imagination.
With all these tourists hiking (and lying) on the glacier, are we contributing to the melting of the glaciers and global warming? I hope not. Overall, the glacier hike was a fun activity.
The second activity we did was snorkeling. I have done snorkeling before, but in tropical waters (in Palawan, Philippines). This one is different as the waters was as cold as ice!
It was a guided dive and we snorkeled in a body of water in Thingvellir National Park, called Silfra Fissure. It was a deep crack separating the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. This is such a unique experience as you are swimming between two continents. Where else in the world can you touch two continents at once?
The water comes from underground glacial meltwater from the Langjökull glacier that filters through porous lava rock, keeping it cold and stable regardless of the season. The water temperature in the Silfra Fissure is close to freezing which is at 35–39 °F (2–4 °C) year-round.
Because the water is near-freezing, we were provided with a thermal undersuit and a drysuit, along with neoprene mittens to stay insulated. A drysuit is much different than the wetsuit used for SCUBA diving, as the drysuit setup keeps you completely dry and warm in cold water using waterproof shell or neoprene materials, airtight zippers, with wrist and neck seals. The neck seal was tight that I almost feel like a hangman’s noose was around my neck, but that was better than having freezing water enter my suit.
Above photo is my wife and I floating in between 2 continents. The drysuit with its trapped air make you float, so it is impossible to drown. Though you still have to swim to propel yourself.
After we immersed in the water, it was not that bad as the cold was well-tolerated once your face adapts or goes numb from the ice water. And yes, my face got numb that I didn’t feel it anymore. It’s like having a “thick face” or “makapal ang mukha” like some politicians in the Philippines. Sorry, I can’t resist to take a jab.
The maximum depth of the Silfra Fissure is 63 meters (207 feet), but the water was very clear that the underwater visibility is up to 100 to 120 meters.
We were in the water for about 45 minutes and at the end of the swim, I developed leg cramps that the dive guide had to help me swim to the end of the course.
Would I do these activities again? Maybe the glacier hike. As for snorkeling in ice water, let’s just say, at least I can claim I did it.