Ice climbing tour at Sólheimajökull glacier
I had the BEST time ice climbing at Sólheimajökull Glacier with my guide, Robbi! E-mail communication with Asdis beforehand to arrange the trip went very smoothly, and Asdis was prompt and very friendly in his replies.
I rock climb, but I have never ice climbed before, and so there was so much I wanted to know about ice climbing. Robbi is a very knowledgeable and experienced ice/rock climber, and we talked a lot about ice climbing, waterfall ice climbing, and rock climbing during the day. But his knowledge doesn’t stop there…we talked about Iceland’s financial crisis, Iceland’s history, geothermal energy, American politics, shows/movies filmed in Iceland, and many more topics. I was so impressed with what a wealth of information he is! When I travel, one of the things I enjoy most is interacting with the locals, and Robbi was a great guy to spend the day with.
As for the ice climbing, there don’t seem to be many companies that run ice climbing tours not far from Reykavik. It’s an expensive activity, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, and so worth it. You get what you pay for – a highly knowledgeable and experienced guide who provides you with an amazing experience, and a company that uses top-notch new equipment (Scarpa hiking/climbing boots, Black Diamond ice axes, sturdy/sharp crampons, harness, helmet, etc.). Robbi provided very clear explanations to teach me how to ice climb, gave me tips/encouragement while climbing, and he even took photos/video of me as I climbed!
I was the only person on the tour that day, and so I had my own private excursion. During the drive from Reykjavik to the glacier, I asked if he could stop if we saw any Icelandic horses, and he obliged. He also stopped so I could take photos of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. On the glacier, he never rushed me as we walked from one climbing spot to another, and he took photos of me whenever I asked. I could not have wished for a better day! If I should return to Iceland, I would definitely try to book another trip with Robbi and Asgard Beyond. Perhaps rock climbing in the summertime... :-)