Iceland: 1 Exterous: 0

[Exterous]

We were out on a glacier/ice cave hike and there was a layer of slush between a thin layer of ice and a much thicker layer of ice. I ended up breaking through the top layer with one foot which threw my balance off. I put my other foot down on what I thought was ice but was in fact a snow drift. This caused me to fall off the little ridge we were on. I fell about 4'. Fortunately my fall was broken by a thin ice ridge about 2" wide which impacted just below my ribs preventing me from landing in an otherwise soft snow drift just below it.

Holy shit did that hurt. Knocked the wind out of me and I had to roll off the ice and just sit there for like 5 min before I could even think about moving. I think if I had hit an inch higher I would have cracked a rib. The rest of the hike was a real struggle as was the 45 drive back over the glacier over incredibly tough and bumpy terrain even in the tour's modified vehicles with oversized/underinflated tires. Seriously I've never been on as bumpy of a drive even on some 'roads' in Africa and NZ. I don't think I've ever been so glad to have a hike/excursion end

 

[lxskllr]

Glad you didn't mess yourself up too badly. Broken bones make vacations unfun.

 

[K1052]

Ooof that sucks

 

[Brainonska511]

What kind of shoes did you have for the hike? Any use of crampons or micro spikes given the ice?

 

[VashHT]

That sucks, we went there last February and I really liked the glacier and ice cave hikes we did, my leg did go through the snow into some slush up above my knee, it's crazy how hidden a lot of that stuff is. They supplied us crampons and ice picks for our hikes, didn't really need the ice picks but I guess they're there if you start sliding down the glacier or something.

 

[dullard]

That sucks, but you'll have one heck of a story to tell for the rest of your life.

I hiked on a glacier once on a guided trip. The ice was smooth as can be and it was pouring rain. It was fine when we wore crampons doing the dangerous part with crevasses and cliffs. Then, the tour was over and the last bus out of there for the day was starting to leave. We quickly took off the crampons to give them back to the tour guide and rushed towards the bus. All but one person in the group fell as there was still rain and we were still on ice. One by one, we fell up into the sky landing flat on our backs. I was okay but some of the people over 60 years old took some time to get up again. We must have looked like dominos falling. Luckily the bus waited for all of us.

 

[Exterous]

What kind of shoes did you have for the hike? Any use of crampons or micro spikes given the ice?

Mid-high hiking boots. There were about 100 yards between where the vehicles had to park and where the temporary benches were for putting on crampons so of course it happened between the two locations. I had to have my wife help put mine on once we got to the benches because I couldn't bend enough to do it myself.

That sucks, we went there last February and I really liked the glacier and ice cave hikes we did, my leg did go through the snow into some slush up above my knee, it's crazy how hidden a lot of that stuff is. They supplied us crampons and ice picks for our hikes, didn't really need the ice picks but I guess they're there if you start sliding down the glacier or something.

Another lady had something similar happen to her. I'm sure that was a very cold hike for you and her

 

[GodisanAtheist]

First day in Hawaii I took a dive while scrabbling around in a tidepool. Shredded up a foot and leg pretty good and had to do some maneuvers out of the Matrix to catch myself and not take a load of Poseidon's "seafoam" up my nose.

Matrix manuver's 100% pulled or tore something in my Rib area and it made the rest of the trip an absolute exercise in pain management.

I never seem to get hurt doing something cool like fighting off a bear attacking a schoolbus full of elementary school kids or something. It's always "holy shit what happened to your face?!" "Tripped in the shower..."

 

[Exterous]

That sucks, but you'll have one heck of a story to tell for the rest of your life.

I hiked on a glacier once on a guided trip. The ice was smooth as can be and it was pouring rain. It was fine when we wore crampons doing the dangerous part with crevasses and cliffs. Then, the tour was over and the last bus out of there for the day was starting to leave. We quickly took off the crampons to give them back to the tour guide and rushed towards the bus. All but one person in the group fell as there was still rain and we were still on ice. One by one, we fell up into the sky landing flat on our backs. I was okay but some of the people over 60 years old took some time to get up again. We must have looked like dominos falling. Luckily the bus waited for all of us.

For sure. The joke was that we didn't need to see the northern lights we just needed to look at my side for pretty greens, yellows, purples and reds. The colors kept changing so we'd look every 4-8 hours or so to see how the 'scenery' had changed. And it really could have been a lot worse. Didn't hit my head. It wasn't a stabby/sharp ice ridge etc.

Glad no one seemed to seriously hurt themselves on your hike!

 

[VashHT]

Mid-high hiking boots. There were about 100 yards between where the vehicles had to park and where the temporary benches were for putting on crampons so of course it happened between the two locations. I had to have my wife help put mine on once we got to the benches because I couldn't bend enough to do it myself.


Another lady had something similar happen to her. I'm sure that was a very cold hike for you and her

Luckily I had waterproof boots and hiking pants on so it wasn't bad at all. Pretty impressive how nice winter gear is nowadays, not like everything when I was younger that was huge and puffy and still got all wet when the snow melted on it. Now I have stuff that is pretty thin and doesn't seem like it would be warm but I was sweating towards the end of the glacier hike.

 

[nakedfrog]

Luckily I had waterproof boots and hiking pants on so it wasn't bad at all. Pretty impressive how nice winter gear is nowadays, not like everything when I was younger that was huge and puffy and still got all wet when the snow melted on it. Now I have stuff that is pretty thin and doesn't seem like it would be warm but I was sweating towards the end of the glacier hike.

I got a pair of Salomon GTX hiking boots a few years ago, kept my feet comfortable from the base of the mountain where it was 60-something to the top where it was snowing and below freezing, and kept my feet dry even after stepping in water that went over the top of the boot. I was impressed. After 3 years and 300 miles they seem to be losing some of the waterproofing though.

 

[Exterous]

I got a pair of Salomon GTX hiking boots a few years ago, kept my feet comfortable from the base of the mountain where it was 60-something to the top where it was snowing and below freezing, and kept my feet dry even after stepping in water that went over the top of the boot. I was impressed. After 3 years and 300 miles they seem to be losing some of the waterproofing though.

I want to like Salomon boots but they're not a great fit for my feet. I've had good luck with Vasque and Obo though.

Shit - this reminded me to look and see if Vasque finally created a better color option for one of their trail shoes and I see Vasque went out of business in Oct. So much for the last remaining hopes that they would resurrect my favorite hiking boot ever. Damnit. I'm only half joking when I say I'm going to create a shrine for my Vasque boots when I can't wear them anymore

 

[BoomerD]

I want to like Salomon boots but they're not a great fit for my feet. I've had good luck with Vasque and Obo though.

Shit - this reminded me to look and see if Vasque finally created a better color option for one of their trail shoes and I see Vasque went out of business in Oct. So much for the last remaining hopes that they would resurrect my favorite hiking boot ever. Damnit. I'm only half joking when I say I'm going to create a shrine for my Vasque boots when I can't wear them anymore

IIRC, Vasque was a Red Wing brand. Quality seemed to fluctuate quite a bit over the years…especially once manufacturing was moved to China. The first pair I bought in the 70s was made in Italy…I think.

 

[VashHT]

I got a pair of Salomon GTX hiking boots a few years ago, kept my feet comfortable from the base of the mountain where it was 60-something to the top where it was snowing and below freezing, and kept my feet dry even after stepping in water that went over the top of the boot. I was impressed. After 3 years and 300 miles they seem to be losing some of the waterproofing though.

Yeah I've got some Salomon cross hike boots, they've been quite solid. Originally bought them when we went to Chile for when we stayed in the Torres del Paine national park and they handled that great and they handled Iceland quite well too. The waterproofing still seems decent after 2 years, my main complaint is that the fast tie laces are stripping and that makes it so I can't loosen them all the way when taking them off.

 

[KLin]

That looks like it probably hurt.

 

[Exterous]

I sneezed today and it nearly killed me

 

[BoomerD]

Don't forget my icelandic wool sweater. Size XXL.

 

[Exterous]

Don't forget my icelandic wool sweater. Size XXL.

*deadpan sarcastic voice* Oh no I forgot. Oh well

 

[lxskllr]

Send him a jar of hákarl as a consolation prize.

 

[BoomerD]

*deadpan sarcastic voice* Oh no I forgot. Oh well

 

[BoomerD]

Send him a jar of hákarl as a consolation prize.

That was a fun John Wayne movie…

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Ouch.

I tripped over a stick in the yard the other day. It was frozen to the ground, didn’t move when I did. Scraped my leg up pretty good.