A Sea of Ice: Iceland’s Myrdalsjökull Glacier

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“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Sir Winston Churchill

Perhaps one of my most memorable adventure travel experiences thus far has been my hike across a real live sea of ice. There is nothing quite like strapping on a pair of crampons and moving at a snail’s pace straight into unimaginable winds and icy cold rain across one of the world’s most beautiful and magical glaciers. Sure I’ve done plenty of amazing hikes around the world ranging to such far off places as Peru, Patagonia, The French Alps and Nepal. Yet nothing was quite like walking across a wide, moving sea of ice.

First steps onto the massive Myrdalsjökull Glacier. Unfortunately there was no way possible to show the enormity of it all. This is just the beginning.

As we laced up our crampons and began to walk towards the tongue of the glacier, the wind and rain picked up making it miserably cold. Thankfully I was prepared with my waterproof pants and jacket, and took each step slowly with anticipation of what I might see.

“If you wait for the perfect moment when all is safe and assured, it may never arrive. Mountains will not be climbed, raced won, or lasting happiness achieved”. – Maurice Chevalier

Once on top of the mighty Myrdalsjökull Glacier, I was spellbound by its stark beauty and vastness. The contrast between the vibrant green grass against the salt and pepper-colored ice was startling.

What was even more impressive were the enormous crevices and ice formations with an iridescent blue inside. This gigantic sea of ice was nature’s display of a fabulous work of art.

“Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig”. – Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Unfortunately the rain and wind became unbearable and we had to head back. But not without snapping a few more photos of this amazing sea of ice. Here is one of my favorites.

If you go

There are plenty of tour operators in Reykjavik who will take you on a day long tour with stops along the way to the magical Seljalandfoss waterfall.

This post was inspired by the Weekly Photo Challenge: Sea. To see more entries click here.

Related posts:

Lost in Iceland: A Day of Ice Trekking in Myrdalsjokull Glacier

Entranced by Iceland: A Visit to the Remote Skaftafell National Park 

Entranced by Iceland: The Hike

38 thoughts on “A Sea of Ice: Iceland’s Myrdalsjökull Glacier”

    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      I fell in love with Iceland. It is not too far away either but very expensive given its remoteness.

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! Yes it was a bit cold but then again I live in Minnesota and our winters are beyond any cold I have ever experienced anywhere! 🙂

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you ! 🙂

      Reply ↓
  4. ankushmehta – Pilani, Rajasthan – I am 22 years old and i am pursuing my B. Tech from Jaypee College, Noida. I love to play Cricket and Visting New Places. Got some Interest in Blogging too :) I have a blog and if you wish to visit it then the link is here :) icanbeatit.wordpress.com Thanks for reading :) Enjoy :D
    ankushmehta on said:

    Reblogged this on Icanbeatit.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! Yes it was something else. 🙂

      Reply ↓

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    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Pretty hard to believe isn’t it?!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Yes, it was a bit cold but so beautiful!!!!

      Reply ↓

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  12. loca4motion – Phuket, Thailand – Travel feeds my soul. The kick of living in foreign cultures keeps me awake. Photography, writing and the great outdoors are my passions.
    loca4motion on said:

    Stunning photos, Nicole! What an incredible experience walking on a sea of ice! I’d love to go to Iceland! I’ve walked on a glacier in New Zealand and also hiked in Patagonia and Peru, but not Iceland or Nepal yet! I think both those places would be incredible for photography.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Lucy! 🙂

      Reply ↓

  13. Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Sea | A mom's blog

    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! 🙂

      Reply ↓
  15. My Luxury Experiences – All’interno del mio blog voglio condividere e raccontare, soprattutto con le immagini, le mie esperienze in giro per il mondo, come esperta viaggiatrice e attenta osservatrice delle ultime tendenze. Mettendo a disposizione di tutti i lettori la mia conoscenza nel campo del turismo, benessere, alta cucina, moda, beauty, living e architettura, frutto di anni di esperienza come giornalista in questi settori.
    My Luxury Experiences on said:

    L’ha ribloggato su My Luxury Experiencese ha commentato:
    Amazing!

    Reply ↓

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  17. Sas – Cardiff, UK – I'm vegan. I love to travel. I challenge myself to visit at least one new place and try at least one new activity every year. When I'm not writing, I like to ski, rock climb, keep fit and bodyboard.
    Sas on said:

    I first walked on a glacier when I was about 12 years old – it was an incredible experience. It’s sad to think that soon there will be no glaciers left for our children to explore.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      I hear you. 🙂

      Reply ↓

  18. A hike in Iceland was one of my greatest outdoor experiences too – super country.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Yes indeed! 🙂 I need to go back soon. Believe it or not we have a direct flight from Minneapolis and it is under 6 hours! Just expensive though.

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Good question! No it is actually from all the dirt and rock underneath the ice that gets pulled into the glacier.

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! 🙂

      Reply ↓

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  22. Madhu – Madhu is an Interior designer turned travel blogger on a long sabbatical to explore the world. When not crafting stories on The Urge To Wander, she's probably Tweeting @theurgetowander or sharing special moments on instagram.com/theurgetowander
    Madhu on said:

    An original interpretation Nicole! Your photos are always stunning.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Oh thank you Madhu! Really appreciate it!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      I must go to Alaska! I can’t believe I haven’t been there yet.I love Iceland. It is truly a magical place.

      Reply ↓

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