ICE CLIMBING ON A GLACIER

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Take your glacier adventure to another level with our customisable Ice Climbing Tour, no experience required. You decide the level of difficulty and the duration of the trip, and we will find the perfect location for you to test out your skills. We will teach you the best climbing techniques and boost your confidence before increasing the difficulty of climbs.

While ice climbing tours are available on many glaciers, including the Sólheimajökull glacier (just 2 hours from Reykjavík), we typically reserve these types of climbs for glaciers in the south-east of Iceland, where there are many glaciers to choose from, most notably on Falljökull in the Vatnajökull National Park, where access tends to be more readily available. Therefore, most of the ice climbing tours we run are part of a multi-day experience, rather than a day trip.

***If you are only able to do day trips from Reykjavík, please get in touch and our team will be happy to share current conditions on the glaciers in the west of Iceland. Alternatively, for a more scenic south coast tour, check out our South Coast: Fire and Ice which still includes a viewpoint of the glacier as part of a scenic day.

Reach out to us at: info@hiddeniceland.is

Private Ice Climbing Tours

Most Private Ice Climbing Tours, are part of a multi-day trip, so usually include an overnight stay in a nearby accommodation. When you arrive at a nearby meeting point or the glacier car park, it’s here that your guide will prep you and provide you with all the necessary gear required for the hike and ice climb.

A portion of the trip will include hiking to the glacier access point itself. Depending on the glacier and time of year, this may be on foot or in an off road vehicle, and can vary from 30 minutes to 50 minutes each way, before stepping on the ice.

You will start the private ice climbing tour, in earnest, by learning about the glacier and how to walk competently on the ice with crampons. Once on the ice, your guide will explore the ever-changing glacier searching for safe crevasses, moulins, and other slopes to teach you the ropes.

The ice climbing tour will be composed of multiple single-pitch climbs of varying intensity depending on the ability and desire of the group. Even though ice climbing will be a big part of the experience, you will also spend time exploring the glacier and taking in the views.

Normally, you will spend around 3 – 4 hours on the glacier depending on weather, conditions, and desires.

After an adventurous day, we will step off the ice and, depending on your itinerary, will have time to explore the nearby region and find a local spot for lunch.

Hidden Iceland | Tailor-Made Private Ice Climbing Tour
Hidden Iceland | Exclusive Private Ice Climbing Tour
Private Ice Climbing Tour. Hidden Iceland. Feature
Private Ice Climbing Tour | Hidden Iceland
Private Ice Climbing Tour. Hidden Iceland

Tour Highlights

Icon: Season
SEASON
All year

 Icon: Duration
DURATION
5+ hours
(3 – 4 hours on the ice)		 Icon: Minimum age
MINIMUM AGE
14 years old
Icon: Difficulty

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
Difficult*

 Icon: Group size

CLIENT:GUIDE RATIO
Summer | 6:1 ratio
Winter | 3:1 ratio

 Icon: Location

START & END
LOCATION
Variable

*Difficulty level will depend on the desires and abilities of the group. Full mobility and good fitness levels are required.

Inclusions
• Activities as listed in the proposed itinerary
• All ice climbing gear
• Private transportation in our luxurious vehicle
• Led by a local guide for the duration of the tour		 Exclusions
• International flights
• Meals unless otherwise specified
• Accommodation

FAQ

This trip is designed for first timers with no prior experience on glaciers. However, a moderate to higher level of fitness is required for this trip with full mobility of your knees, ankles, hips, and arms expected.
As with all of our Glacier, Ice Cave and Ice Climbing Tours we will provide all the necessary safety, glacier and climbing equipment as well as waterproof clothing and boots upon request.
Previous injuries will not necessarily preclude you from joining the tour. However, we do expect all medical conditions, injuries, and mobility issues to be disclosed before the trip. Your guide will have the final decision on whether to go onto the glacier.
Being an ever-changing and wilderness setting, there is always a chance that your guide will decide that the glacier is not safe to explore once you arrive. This could be due to localised weather, rock fall, newly melted or cracked terrain and other factors. Occasionally, these factors are not known until we are on-site. If we are unable to get onto the glacier, we will endeavour to add in other sightseeing stops throughout the day.
Winter can be a wonderful time to ice climb in Iceland. The surface ice turns a magnificent blue colour (compared to the crunchy white surface in summer), so we wouldn't want to deprive our guests of this option in winter. However, weather does tend to play a bigger part in winter. Notably, the average temperature is much lower. This means, when it isn't your turn to climb, you'll be waiting around and likely to get a little chilly. So we reduce the number of guests to minimise waiting time between climbs in those colder months.
This completely depends on the preferences of the group and the weather conditions. If it is a lot colder than normal then you and your guide may prefer to focus more on hiking, to stay warm, with only one or two 'climbs' throughout the trip. The number of climbs and time on the ice will ultimately be decided by the guide on the day based on many factors.
A glacier hike usually doesn't require any use of ropes and relies on your guide to lead you across the surface of the glacier on foot (wearing crampons). It focuses more on exploring the surface of the ice and taking in the scenery. We tend to be able to cover the most ground on a glacier hike. An ice climbing tour will still require some hiking but will focus on roped single pitch climbs, with ropes. In both cases, your guide will have full control of the group and any necessary safety equipment.

Ready to make this your dream trip?

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