Hvannadalshnúkur: The Ascent
#HeyFrancis | I'd like to start off by saying that I'm still sore, and this was over a week ago smh. Yet, some of the most beautiful experiences in life are the ones that are entered into without expectation; and on May 31, 2016, we all experienced just that lol. While in Iceland for the very first time, my friends and I thought it would be a great idea to put together an itinerary such that we would get the most out of the trip. A waterfall here, a glacier hike there, for example. Little to my surprise (let alone research), the Hvannadalshnúkur Mountain Climb was atop the list; and for good reason. Leave it up to my extremely fit friends Mata and Dustin to book this hike sheesh (link below).
https://www.mountainguides.is/day-tours/mountain-climbing/icelands-highest-summit/
For those of you who don't know, Hvannadalshnúkur is an active volcano home to the tallest mountain peak (which is also located on the largest glacier in Europe for that matter) in Iceland (2,110 meters). As an active person, I can generally assume whether or not I'm ready for a physical task; yet as mentioned above, I really didn't have an expectation of what we were getting ourselves into. Long story short, we woke up around 3am to meet our amazing tour guide, Thorsten, near the base of the mountain. 8 hours, 25,000+ steps, and 450+ stories climbed later we finally made it to the summit (and that was just one way ha).
The range of emotions experienced on this climb were ridiculous. I can honestly say that I felt all of the following (plus more lol): happy, sad, angry, tired, motivated, helpless, hungry, worried, excited (especially when stepping over crevasses leading to the unknown abyss below), liberated, etc. With all of these feelings experienced, there was NO BETTER FEELING than finally making it to the Summit. Check in later this week for photos from the top, along with some shots of the long journey ALL THE WAY back down lol. This climb is a MUST if you're ever out in Iceland! The experience was absolutely unforgettable. Thanks so much for tuning in guys!
-MF