Icelandic Sastrugi and Floating Ice

When awe and wonder are the only response to amazing sights in nature

The conditions I got in Iceland 2023 for this workshop were some of the most extraordinary and coldest I have experienced. David Ward and I stumbled across these amazing sastrugi snow patterns shown in the alternative image as we were heading back to our transport vehicles at the end of a remarkable dawn photography session. Sadly for David this was the moment his long-standing tripod decided to finally bite the dust. Once we got back to the hotel I was able to lend him my spare. However, the image I made here has more than a little helpful input from a frustrated David. The sastrugi really are an awesome sight.

The main image was made the day before as we drove across Iceland. Both David and I spotted the amazing ice floating in the river - I was sitting next to him in the front seat - and he radioed ahead to the main vehicle to stop and scout. It turned out to be more than just a drive-by - it was spectacular. The ice was created by a deep freeze followed by a thaw and a re-freeze, circumstances that are not always guaranteed, especially as the planet warms up. Let’s hope that the ice and the amazing wind-induced sastrugi patterns do not become a rare occurrence in Iceland.