From the great king, Vatnajökull glacier, there are many glacier tongues that descend from its hills with impressive ice formations and crevasses. Kvíamýrarjökull is one of these icefalls that crawls down the hills of underlying landscape into a glacier lagoon below. When the ice meets the cold water, it breaks and beautiful icebergs float around in the lagoon, with interesting shapes and formations. By the lagoon, a steep moraine remains where the glacier used to carve its path before receding. These hills are very picturesque, with large boulders and rocks waiting to roll down into the lagoon below. Even surrounded by these great forces of nature, the location is very peaceful and serene.
Kvíamýrarkambur
South East, Iceland
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Climate
The weather in the South East Coast is known for its unpredictability and harshness. The region experiences a subarctic climate, with long, cold winters and short, cool summers. The temperature can drop as low as -10°C during winter months at low altitudes. The region is also known for its strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Data source Temperature averages
Lighting
The longest day in Iceland is multiple days from May through July when the sun doesn't set. The daylight hours in Iceland on the shortest days of the year are 4-5 hours per day (December to January).
Data source Accessibility
From route no 1, there are 400 meters until you come to the parking lot. From there, it is an easy 400 meters hike towards the lagoon. The next 600 meters along is easy hiking along the lagoon but the last 600 meters towards the root of the glacier are dangerous and narrow with steep hills above posing signific threat of landslides.
Permits
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Basecamp and facilities
There is a small/medium parking lot 400 meters from the main road. For bigger basecamps, you could use the enormous parking lot at Fjallsárlón, 10 kilometres away. There are no facilities at this location and phone coverage is shaky.
Risk factors
Icefall glaciers are constantly moving from the pressure above, they are also covered in crevasses, deep and narrow. Ice blocks can collapse without warning and the temperature is cooler than elsewhere with a risk of hypothermia. Climbing the glacier should not be attempted without climbing guides and a safety team. The lagoons can be deep, and the water is cold and not suitable for swimming. The moraine hills are steep with big boulders and rocks that regularly crash down the slopes without warning.
Visitors
Kvíamýrarkambur is on Iceland’s most frequented route, the south coast, so many tourists go through the area. Few of them hike all the way to the lagoon and the glacier, but this area can easily be managed with the right permit.
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