Expedition Loap Solo 2006

Where is it??? » 26. 5. 2006 at 8:15

I am slowly putting together the route of Vatnajokull glacier traverse. For that I need, of course, maps, guide books and also very valuable notes which I was taking before the expedition last year. I keep all the stuff concerning my journeys with my books and various leaflets in big cardboard boxes. So I had no choice but to go through all these boxes and fish out all necessary materials… It is intereting that when I’m looking for something, I find it on the most unlikely spot. Most important things such as maps and notes were, of course, at the very bottom of the very last searched box. General cussedness of things.

When planning a journey, I use google search which to my joy have made accessible on its servers more detailed satellite photos of Iceland. So together with my topo maps, I have much bigger chance to actually recognise particular parts of the glacier which I will be walking on. I was mainly concerned about Lambatungnajokull glacier on which I’m supposed to descend from the upland plateau. Another tricky section was from the face of this glacier to Stafafel settlement which goes through quite wild mountains. Even from so detailed map with ratio scale 1:50 000 I could not accurately estimate which route exactly I should choose from the face of Lambatungnajokull glacier. There were two possible ways and only after following satellite photographs I made a decision which one to take. I couldn’t help thinking how big advantage today’s expeditions have compared to ones from beginning of 20th century. All the GPS units, detailed maps and even satellite photographs…

Satelitte photograph of Lambatungnajokull glacier (800 x 447 px, 47 kb).