One of many highlights of our journey to Iceland was a snowmobile journey on Mýrdalsjökull glacier, Iceland’s fourth largest glacier, with Icelandic Mountain Guides. If a snowmobile tour in Iceland is one thing that appeals to you, learn on to study extra about what you may anticipate.
Icelandic Mountain Guides’ important base is at Ytri-Sólheimar 1 in Mýrdalur, about 25 km west of Vík and about 11 km east of Skógar. If travelling from Reykjavik, the space is round 160 km and the driving time is roughly 2 hours. From the principle Iceland ring highway to the bottom, it’s a 1.2 km drive on highway 222.
You’ll almost certainly have to guide upfront however, as soon as on the base and your reserving verified, the very first thing you’ll do is get kitted out. Icelandic Mountain Guides give you an total that goes over the garments you’re already sporting, boots, a balaclava, a helmet and gloves… after which you’re good to go!
There’s a big truck ready to take you and your fellow snowmobilers as much as the glacier.
It’s round a 30-minute drive over tough terrain after which on to the glacier itself.
There are a selection of snomobiles ready for us on the finish of the truck experience, and we’re accompanied by two instructors who present us with an introduction to the machines and a security briefing.
First, we’re proven the way to swap the snowmobile on. We flip the ignition midway to show the electrics on, wait a short time after which flip it absolutely to start out it up. Equally, we use the important thing to show it off or, within the occasion of an emergency, a giant crimson button that kills the machine. As soon as on the snowmobile, we don’t want to have interaction it gear – we simply press a button to use fixed, regular strain – that approach you’ve gotten a pleasant and regular experience. The simplest solution to cease is to launch the fuel however there’s a brake that can be utilized in case of an emergency. There are hand heaters additionally – put them to the fitting and so they get actually heat, put them to the left and so they get a bit bit heat, center they’re off
With the fundamentals lined, we’re on to the topic of security. The one actually essential security side to cowl is what occurs when you fall over the machine. It might occur and apparently really occurs fairly regularly (though there have been no such incidents from anybody on our journey). However you continue to want to recollect just a few actually staple items and, must you be ready, falling over will simply be one thing to snigger about quite than one thing critical.
The one most essential factor to recollect is that, if the machine is falling over, you don’t stick your arm or your leg out to catch it. If you happen to try this, the machine weighs about 350kg (roughly 600 lbs) and all of that weight goes on to your arm or onto your leg which, as you may think about, shouldn’t be enjoyable.
So, what do you do? As the driving force, you’re holding on to the handlebars – you merely seize them actually tight, and preserve your legs to the centre of the machine, brace your self and fall over holding on to the machine. For the passenger, you’ve gotten some handles close to your hips that you just equally maintain on to (quite than holding on to the driving force in entrance). So long as you do that, you’ll be completely secure. Snowmobiles are constructed as crash containers and are designed to guard you. Simply don’t stick your limbs outdoors of the machine and also you’re going to be secure. Your intuition will probably be to be put your hand or leg out, so it’s essential to be fairly conscious so that you don’t let this occur.
With that defined, we’re instructed how to not fall over within the first place. We study that, everytime you’re driving, it’s essential counteract the pressure that’s making an attempt to tug you off the machine. If you happen to flip to the left, the pressure will pull you to the fitting, so that you lean to the left along with your physique. The other, in fact, is true when you flip to the fitting. Equally, if you’re driving up a hill, gravity will attempt to pull you backwards, so you’d lean to the hill to counteract this pressure. And even when you ought to fall over, the workers are readily available that can assist you if that occurs.
With all that defined, we drive in single file, with one teacher on the entrance and one on the again. We preserve to paths within the snow, sustaining a secure distance of at the very least 5 metres between one another.
There’s no overtaking as this may be fairly harmful. And, if we must always have an issue, we’re instructed to simply cease and lift a hand, and so they’ll be with us shortly.
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The entire operation could be very slick with at the very least one cease within the journey the place we will change drivers.
The climate had turned a bit from the way it was earlier within the day, and visibility was fairly poor. This didn’t spoil our enjoyment nevertheless!
We observe an ‘out and again’ route – climbing from a top of 915 metres as much as simply over 1,290 metres, earlier than switching drivers and heading again down the glacier. It’s an exhilarating experience and ou can see the precise route we took right here:
No earlier snowmobiling expertise is required, however all drivers have to be 17 years of age or older and have a full, legitimate driver’s license. A learner´s allow, tractor or bike license shouldn’t be enough in response to Icelandic regulation. Fortuitously for our eldest son, he handed his driving check not lengthy earlier than our journey to Iceland, so this was a fantastic expertise for him!
Ordinarily on this tour, you’d be capable to benefit from the glacial landscapes and surroundings over south Iceland, however the climate was sadly not in our favour for that.
The shortage of views facet, this was nonetheless a very enjoyable excusion and, for us, a totally new expertise as a household. We might soar on the alternative to do it once more someday, as a result of the placement is reportedly very scenic, with completely improbable views on a sunny day!
Planning a visit to Iceland your self? You may watch a video from our journey to Iceland right here:
Disclosure: This put up is sponsored by Icelandic Mountain Guides. Our journey to Iceland was additionally sponsored by Helly Hansen.
