We set off for Mt Hvannadalshnjukur (2119m) at 2200hrs on day 6 for the summit. Due to the almost continuous daylight at this time of the year we were able to walk all night without the need for head torches. Duncan , the oldest member of our team at 72 y/o, set a blistering pace as we climbed from almost sea level up the rocky slopes to the edge of the Oraefajokull glacier at 1000m.
As we crossed the glacier we had some wonderful views of the sun rising and setting. The route involves crossing a long continuous snow slope up to 1800m where a large plateau exists.
After a short break we headed off again to reach the peak and the short but steep climb to the summit. This section was heavily crevassed but these were easily passed by using the snow bridges. Large formations of rime ice on the ground made walking on the final section quite slow and difficult.
The team all made the summit at 0300hrs in almost perfect weather conditions and we all enjoyed some wonderful views. The descent proved to be much harder than we expected due to the snow softening in the sun. We finally got down just before 1000hrs. Our total time on the hill was just under 12 hours and all of the team were very tired.
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The team all made the summit at 0300hrs in almost perfect weather conditions and we all enjoyed some wonderful views. The descent proved to be much harder than we expected due to the snow softening in the sun. We finally got down just before 1000hrs. Our total time on the hill was just under 12 hours and all of the team were very tired.
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