Blue Diamond Ice Cave - Oct 2019
It can be daunting to approach the long chain of glacier guiding trailers in the Jokulsarlon parking lot. In the line of super jeeps, the scene can be quite intimidating, but tucked on the very end is the meeting spot for Local Guide. Stepping inside the black truck, you’ll find all the standard glacier hiking gear: a wall covered with every sized boot imaginable, extra waterproof clothing, harnesses, crampons, and micro-spikes. You’ll also find homemade seat cushions made from old climbing rope, hand woven by a local guide. There is always a guide waiting in the van, ready with glacial trivia or take you up on the glacier if you’ve arrived early.
These local guides are exactly as advertised, home grown professional glacier guides, experts in the area around Vatnajokull. These guides are the true heroes of the glaciers. Not only do they spend all fall scouting for the next season’s ice caves but once they find them, they work hard to groom them safe for public tours. Throughout the season, they continue to maintain the cave sites, even in the harsh Icelandic winters.
Ice caves are formed when water runs through the glacier forming caverns or tunnels in the ice. When it rains or snows, the caves fill back up, making it dangerous to visit. When the guides of local guide are not showing off their ice caves, they spend countless hours tunneling new passageways for the water to drain, keeping their ice caves from washing away or filling with water. This is no easy task, after a big storm, it takes a perverse love for shoveling to keep their caves useable.
On their off days, a group of Local Guides can be found practicing rescue techniques and staying up to date with new gear and equipment. They spend their off days exploring and practicing on nearby glaciers. These guides live and breathe adventure and are the most honorable guides in the area. You won’t find any seasonal workers living for an off-season. In the summertime they offer hiking and climbing tours when the ice caves have melted away. They are just as stoked to explore the glacier terrain as any first time guest.
The journey to the ice caves begins with your Local Guide sizing you up with micro-spikes and piling into one of their super jeeps. The souped up trucks are equipped to handle any glacial terrain and the guides are knowledgeable in what makes each truck tick. As the glaciers are retreating further every year, the drive towards the base of the glacier in turn grows longer. The drive through the glacier grave yard is bumpy and windy as the jeep drives over old moraines and dead ice. Your local guide will fill you with all their glacier knowledge and you’ll learn things you never know you didn’t know! These guides are excited about the glaciers and won’t hold back on all the fun facts during the drive.
Once you arrive at the ice caves, they generally speak for themselves in beauty but the guides are right there to show you the best angles and lighting for your glacial memories. The ice caves are constantly changing with the wind and light so you’ll never get the same photo as anyone else. Local Guide does their best to time your tour just right so that you don’t meet another group inside the caves. This makes the tour much more intimate as it is just you and your local guide.
No guide is ever in a bad mood and it can be traced back to their loyalty to the company. It’s extremely hard to get a job with Local Guide because their employment retention is so high. Once a Local Guide, always a Local Guide. The owners, Aron and Helen are highly respected by their guides and employee happiness is high! Just last year, their end of-the-season staff trip included a surprise 3 day trip that started at the KEF airport. They didn’t know where they were headed until they were given their boarding passes! Talk about staff bonding!
The guides are housed in mini cabins built on the owners property and everyone has their own space. Though the guides spend all day everyday together, in the evenings they can often be found in Aron and Helen’s home making dinner together by combining all their food. The owners have the best interest of their guides in mind. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think they were all best friends who live for glacier adventures. They are more than just coworkers, they are a family. Aron and Helen are trusted through and through, and no one ever questions their business decisions. Local Guide is the purest form of a family-run business.
If you are looking for honest, genuine guides to visit ice caves on your visit to Iceland, Local Guide is the way to go! You won’t get a more authentic experience on the glaciers because the Local Guides want to be there just as much as you do! With childlike energy, they continue to explore and create unique experiences on the glaciers to share with their visitors!
Book your Ice Cave Tour here
