Iceland Glacier Trek

Level of Difficulty

The Iceland Glacier Trek is graded as “extreme”. These trips are not to be taken lightly, and will take place in extreme environments, without home comforts. They are usually undertaken by someone with previous experience in a similar setting, but who wants to take their experience to the next level physically and mentally. Training is essential to ensure you are suitably prepared for the challenge.

You can tell your supporters that on your Icelandic Glacier Trek you will be:

• Ski trekking across the second largest glacier ice cap in Iceland.
• Camping on the ice cap.
• Pushing physical and mental limits

Do I need previous skiing experience?

Previous skiing experience would be highly advantageous, but not strictly necessary.  If you have never skied before, it is advised to try skiing beforehand as there won't be much time to learn from scratch on the challenge.

Typical Day

It's very difficult to give a typical day as it will be heavily dependent on the weather and conditions but, as a rough guide, you will wake up early, collect snow, melt snow, boil water, make breakfast and warm up. You will then organise yourself and get your kit sorted for the day. The less you need to do once you have started skiing the better, so preparation is key. You will fill your water bottles and flasks and get your snack food ready. Then the task of breaking down camp begins. Once the tents are down and packed on to your sledges, you'll need to start walking/skiing/sledge hauling to keep warm and progress further north! You will stop every hour or so to have some water and snack. You’ll check on each other and then continue for another hour. This will continue for around 8-9 hours but could be more if required. Your leader will dictate the speed and distance to be covered. On some days this could be smooth going on others you could spend hours just trying to negotiate an open lead. When your leader advises you will stop, pitch the tents and start the evening routine - collecting and melting snow, boiling water and making your freeze-dried dinner. Keeping warm and dry is key! After a good night’s rest, the whole process begins again.....

Safety

Charity Challenge considers the safety of all of our participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have set up Challenge Safe, one of the most advanced and thorough safety management systems in the industry. Challenge Safe formalises our ethos when it comes to safety, and brings together the procedures and risk management strategies that we use to audit all aspects of our challenges, from vehicles to accommodation to the challenge activity itself. Your welfare is absolutely paramount!

In terms of your Iceland Glacier Trek, there are a couple of important points that you should be aware of:

• The trails that you are on are not all accessible by vehicle and as such emergency evacuation to a hospital may take upwards of  2 hours, depending on the location.
• Distances are immense and facilities scarce.
• Logistics problems are enormous; the weather can be ferocious and unpredictable and the ice condition is unstable. Even before the ski challenge itself begins, there can be major delays and changes to the programme.
• Once on the ice our progress will depend on the weather conditions, the physical state of the group, whether the ice is flat or broken up or whether we encounter any leads (breaks in the ice).
• It is important to consider possible delays or alterations, and accept them with patience.
• The challenge area is very remote and rescue can sometimes only really be implemented if helicopters can fly which is heavily dependent on the weather.
• Temperatures can go as low as –10 degrees Celsius and if you do not look after yourself, frostbite is a possible side effect.

Responsible Tourism

At Charity Challenge we are committed to sustainable and responsible tourism, and work closely with bodies such as the International Porter Protection Group and Climate Care to ensure that our challenges benefit the local environments and communities in which they take place. We ensure that all rubbish is disposed of responsibly, and following local guidelines on cultural and environmental protection and respect, we aim to limit our impact on the natural environment. In addition to taking these practical steps to ensure that our challenges are sustainable, we also make a contribution each year to a number of local community projects, so as to give something back directly to the communities that we visit. Since 2000 we have donated almost £200,000 to such projects, supporting a range of initiatives, including schooling for children in Africa, shelter for street children in Brazil, and Orang-utan conservation in Indonesia. We recommend that any gifts brought over for children are given to the UK challenge leader and distributed where needed by them and our local Ground Agent. If you wish to do more, you should consider buying drinks, postcards and souvenirs from the local vendors. For many, it is their sole source of income. For more information, please visit our Responsible Tourism pages, where you will be able to view a list of the projects that we currently support.

Flights

Your flight from London Heathrow to Keflavik, usually with Iceland Air, will take around 3 hours. Your flight tickets will be e-mailed to you before departure. If you choose to book your own flights you must confirm with the Charity Challenge office before paying otherwise you may be liable for your included group flights (please contact flights@charitychallenge.com for further assistance).

Visa

UK Citizens do not require a visa to visit Iceland. You will however need your passport and it must be valid for at least six months from the end of your challenge. You may also be asked for proof of return in the form of your flight ticket.

Insurance

Your safety when travelling with Charity Challenges is our main concern which is why it is a booking condition that you have a suitable travel insurance policy that will cover you for the adventurous nature of your challenge. We have chosen to partner with specialist travel insurance providers Campbell Irvine, who offer cover for an extensive number of adventurous activities. Cover is available directly from Campbell Irvine for most European residents and includes cover for emergency medical and repatriation and for your cancellation or curtailment of the challenge. Full details including costs may be found by clicking here. 

For more general travel insurance questions, please refer to our main FAQs page.

Vaccinations & Medicines

For up to date vaccination information please check the Travel Health Pro page:  https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/country/104/iceland

Charity Challenge team are not medical experts and we would encourage you to visit your GP or travel nurse to discuss vaccination requirements. Your GP may ask questions about the specific locations that you are visiting, and as such it may be useful to take a copy of your itinerary with you.

Medication

• Carry medicines (including those bought over the counter) in their correctly labelled original packaging, as issued by the pharmacist. These should be carried in your hand luggage.
• Consider packing a spare supply of medication in the hold luggage in case of loss of hand luggage
• A letter from the prescriber detailing the medicines with the generic names for the medications can be helpful for border control checks, and in case medicines have to be replaced or medical help is required
• Carry a note from the prescribing physician on letterhead stationery for controlled substances and injection medications
• Take out an appropriate level of travel health insurance including repatriation and specific cover for any pre-existing illnesses

N.B.  Some medications are banned abroad so please check. You can find further information at https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/43/medicines-abroad

Climate & Terrain

Climate
You will be spending all day and night on the ice cap in freezing temperatures and you will need proper technical equipment in order to complete this challenge.
Temperatures can get as low as -15 Celsius during the night and during the day can average between 0 and -8 Celsius.

Terrain
Your days and nights will be spent on the glacier, apart from the first and last nights in Reykjavik.

Training

Training and a high level of fitness are definitely required. A full Fitness Training programme is included within the challenge cost and more will be explained during the training weekend. You will be skiing and sledge hauling for around 8 hours a day and still have lots of physical work to do in setting up and breaking down the camp. We will provide a training guide but essentially you should improve your cardio vascular ability and practice pulling a tyre with a harness to simulate the actions and work the muscles that you will be using on the challenge. You do not need to be an expert skier but some confidence on skis will of course help! In your account area you will find more comprehensive Fitness Training Notes.

Challenge Training

If you would like to get a feel for our challenges ahead of your departure, why not consider booking on a 1 or 2 day UK Challenge?

We have a variety of challenges, covering all levels of difficulty, taking place in stunning National Parks across the UK that are led by highly qualified and experienced expedition and mountain leaders. These challenges will give you the perfect opportunity to monitor fitness levels, test out your kit, meet people in the great outdoors, share fundraising stories and gain valuable advice and support for the challenge ahead. We encourage participants to make use of our highly knowledgeable leaders and ask them any questions you may have about clothing and equipment, expedition health and wellbeing, trekking skills, walking techniques and teamwork!

We are offering all participants 50% off the registration fee when you book on one of the UK challenges listed via the link below. Just use the code TRAINING when booking. T&C’s – you must have an active booking on a challenge to avail of this offer. Discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Find out more here

Luggage Allowance & Valuables

As no formal clothes are needed, luggage should be kept to the absolute minimum – details on what to pack are provided in your Kit List. Your rucksack or holdall (suitcases are not appropriate) must not exceed 15kgs in weight. During the challenge, your bags will be dragged by you using pulks that are provided in-country.

Whilst we will do everything to provide adequate safety for the group and security for your possessions, the general rule is that if you don’t need it, don’t bring it. This includes jewellery, necklaces, rings and even watches. Your passport and money should be kept on you at all times.

Leadership

There will be an English-speaking challenge leader who will be responsible for the logistics and co-ordination of your challenge. The challenge leader will be ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group.

Group Size

Each group is intended to be a minimum of 10 people in order to run and a maximum of approximately 14 people due to the wilderness environment in which the challenge takes place. We can run this trip with groups of 5-9 people, but there will be a small group supplement of £95.

This is payable by your charity if you book under the minimum sponsorship or flexi options, and by yourself if you are a self-funder. If a small group supplement is necessary, we will notify you 12 weeks before departure.

Clothing & Equipment

Good quality, durable kit could mean the difference between a fantastic challenge experience and an uncomfortable one. For this challenge, we will provide a comprehensive kit list and can also help you to buy the gear through some outdoor retailers with whom we have negotiated some discounts. With significant cold weather, keeping warm and dry is paramount. We will advise you and support you to ensure you are properly kitted out. A full kit list for this challenge can be found here.
Ski gear will be provided in Iceland.

Accommodation & Toilets

Accommodation
During the challenge, your accommodation will be in two-man tents and on the last night in hostel or guesthouse accommodation (twin rooms).

Toilets
On the main challenge there are no facilities and you should pack a ‘pee bottle’ for the tent at night and take plenty of toilet paper and anti-bacterial hand gel (NB: wet wipes freeze).
Each camp will have a set-aside toilet area where a hole will be dug.

Food & Drink

On the ice freeze-dried food will be cooked by the challenge members and guides. Please let Charity Challenge know prior to departure if you have any specific dietary requirements or allergies.

Money

Currency: Icelandic Krona. For up to date currency exchange, go to www.xe.com.

Credit cards: Most major Credit Cards are widely accepted in Iceland, although Mastercard and Visa are most common. American Express cards are not widely accepted. You will not be able to use your cards at all during the trek until you arrive at Reykjavik, so ensure that you have enough cash available.

Spending money: You will not need to carry a large amount of money during this trip. We recommend that you change your pounds into Krona in England before you go, and that you carry a sufficient amount of cash with you during the trek, as the banks/exchange offices may also be closed by the time you return to Reykjavik. 

Tips: Tipping is personal and at your sole discretion. You should only tip if you feel that you have received good service. We recommend approx. GBP£5 / 3000 Krona per participant per trekking day and this should be given to the challenge leader at the end of the challenge who will distribute it amongst the local support team.

Phone & Wi-Fi

Most of the accommodation you are in will have limited Wi-Fi which you will be able to use, but please do not rely upon this. You are unlikely to have any phone signal once you leave Reykjavik.  
We will have a satellite phone with us for emergencies and the guides and leaders will all have radios.  While at camp, each tent will have their own short-range walkie talkie so contact can always be made in case of bad weather.

Emergencies

The event is not run as a race and there will be a discrepancy in people’s speed on the ice and capabilities in camp. This is allowed for. In the unlikely event that rescue from the ice is required, this will be carried out by satellite phone call.