This impressive ice cave inside the Svínafellsjökull glacier in Skaftafell, Iceland, is an astounding grotto measuring 50 meters (164 feet) in length, 10 meters (33 feet) in width, and 7 meters (23 feet) in height.
Persistent cold spells in Iceland during winter offer rare opportunities to venture onto frozen glacial lakes. When outside temperatures remain below −8°C (18°F) for a prolonged period, the lagoons can freeze over, with ice more than 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) thick. Such conditions can also stabilize otherwise fragile ice caves enough to allow brief access.
The glacier itself, however, does not slow its flow during the cold season. Driven purely by gravity, the ice slowly creeps down the slopes of the ice cap at a remarkable rate of up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) per day. The ice caves within the glacier were formed by meltwater channels and move with the glacier as well. Entering this ice grotto reveals an enchanting fairytale world, accompanied by the continuous, frightening yet awe-inspiring crackling and grinding of the moving ice.
At the outer edge of the glacier, the ice is about 1,000 years old. Several horizontal black layers run through it. These layers consist of volcanic ash deposited on the snow during repeated eruptions beneath the ice cap. Each layer was subsequently buried beneath new snowfall. Under the increasing weight of the accumulating snow, it was gradually compressed into glacial ice and began its long journey downhill.
The deep blue color of the ice reveals how intensely it has been compressed and compacted. As a result, it contains very few air bubbles that would otherwise scatter the light and give the ice a whitish appearance. The frozen floor of the cave contains the meltwater stream that connects with the proglacial ice lagoon.
Standing inside this crystal grotto and looking outward toward the yellow-red sky of the sunset was an overwhelming experience. The view, framed by the ancient blue ice, stirred such a profound sense of awe, humility, and admiration in me that the exhilaration of that moment has remained with me ever since.
