Under The Ice

Under The Ice

Guðný Diljá Helgadóttir e Rowan Bashford / Glacier & Volcano Expeditions / Iceland

A day in the life of Guony and Rowan

Under The Ice is a genuine tale of “a day in the life” for us as the guides of Glacier and Volcano Expeditions, Iceland.

Hiking up and onto the glaciers of Vatnajökull National Park to explore ice caves is a privilege and we recognise that we are blessed every time we enter this magnificent environment. Ice cave photography has always been a passion of mine since I first walked beneath a glacier many years ago and my partner and I feel extremely lucky to have made this passion of ours a career by leading visitors here on guided adventures.

We believe that it is crucial to preserve glaciers and the natural environments of the world which starts with having the right attitude toward making environmentally friendly choices. The environmental policies and commitments that Aku stands for are admirable and therefore Glacier and Volcano Expeditions are happy to endorse their products. Aku trekking and Outdoor footwear have kindly provided Glacier and Volcano Expeditions with the best mountaineering footwear available on the market today which are products that actually stand the test of time and are produced with environmentally friendly manufacturing processes.

Guðný and Rowan

Environmental Sustainability. Leave no trace.

Glacier and Volcano Expeditions proudly operate with a strong focus on environmental sustainability and posing an absolute minimal impact to the world’s atmosphere and fragile natural environment here in Southern Iceland alike.

We love to live beside and work within Vatnajökull National Park and we have taken it upon ourselves to provide the most environmentally-friendly glacier and volcano hiking experiences possible. We back that up by being a “human powered” only operation. Walking, hiking, climbing, kayaking and ski touring are the only means of transport that we operate within the Vatnajökull National Park boundary. We do not use any motorised equipment such as snowmobiles, super jeeps, or helicopters within Vatnajökull National Park. In turn, greenhouse gas emissions are not produced within the National Park boundary. We also eliminate the risk of oil spill, no plants are ever squashed beneath tyres, no birds disturbed by vehicles during their nesting season and no obnoxious noise pollution is created.

Furthermore, Glacier and Volcano Expeditions lead expeditions with a “leave no trace” policy where we do not adapt the landscape or leave any equipment or structures within Vatnajökull National Park, other than footprints in the mud and ski tracks in the snow.

Glacier and Volcano Expeditions have implemented an active tree planting programme at our property to offset our greenhouse gas emissions that are created from driving our gear vehicle between home and the public glacier parking lot.