Glacier Mice Safety Policy

1. Our Commitment to Safety

Glacier Mice has operated guided glacier and ice cave tours in the Vatnajökull region since 2015. Safety is a central part of how we plan, prepare and operate our tours.

Glaciers are dynamic natural environments. Ice, weather, water, access routes and terrain can change, sometimes rapidly. Our safety system is therefore based on active risk management rather than assuming that conditions remain the same from one day to the next.

Our objective is to identify foreseeable hazards, reduce and manage risk, provide appropriate equipment and information, and make operational decisions based on the conditions encountered.

2. Risk Assessment

Glacier Mice uses documented risk assessments covering the different stages and environments involved in our tours, including transport, approaches to the glacier, glacier travel and ice cave activities.

Risk assessment considers hazards associated with the activity and location, together with measures used to avoid, reduce or manage those risks.

Conditions are also assessed on an ongoing basis. Weather forecasts, access conditions and relevant changes on the glacier are considered when planning and operating tours.

3. Daily Assessment of Conditions

Glacier conditions are not static. Our guides and lead guides therefore assess conditions relevant to the day’s activities.

Depending on the tour, this may include consideration of:

• Weather forecasts and observed weather
• Wind, precipitation and temperature
• Visibility
• Road and glacier access
• Snow and ice conditions
• Crevasses and glacier terrain
• Water and drainage
• Ice cave entrances and internal conditions
• Rock and ice fall hazards
• The planned route and participating group

Conditions may continue to change after a tour has started. Guides remain responsible for observing the environment and adapting the activity when necessary.

4. Ice Cave Safety

Natural ice caves are temporary glacier features. Their shape, access, structure and surrounding terrain can change throughout the winter.

Ice cave operations therefore require specific assessment in addition to the general risk assessment used for glacier travel. Conditions at and around an ice cave are monitored and assessed before it is used for organised tours.

Potential hazards considered include ice movement, ice fall, water, weather, drainage, rock fall, the condition of entrances and access routes, and other changes in the surrounding glacier environment.

If an ice cave or its access route is not considered suitable for the planned activity, it will not be used. A route or destination may also be changed when conditions require it.

5. Qualified & Trained Glacier Guides

Glacier Mice guides are required to have training and competence appropriate to the glacier activities they lead. Our glacier guides are trained according to AIMG glacier guiding programmes.

Our internal safety plan establishes minimum training requirements for glacier and ice cave guiding and requires relevant first-aid training. New guides also receive local training before guiding Glacier Mice tours independently.

Local knowledge is an important part of this process. Guides are expected to know the routes they lead and to have experience of them under different conditions.

Lead guides have additional training and experience and are responsible for functions including daily risk assessment, operational decisions and communication of relevant safety information to the guiding team.

6. Safety Briefing Before the Tour

Guests receive information before entering the glacier environment. The briefing is adapted to the activity and conditions and may include:

• The planned activity and what to expect
• Important hazards and areas requiring particular care
• How to stay together as a group
• Safe movement on glacier terrain
• Use of crampons or traction equipment
• Use of helmets and other safety equipment
• Appropriate behaviour inside or around an ice cave
• Instructions specific to the conditions that day

Guests must follow the instructions of their guide throughout the tour.

7. Glacier Safety Equipment

Safety equipment is selected according to the type of tour, terrain and conditions.

Depending on the activity, guest equipment may include:

• Safety helmet
• Crampons or other traction equipment
• Harness where appropriate
• Headlamp for ice cave activities where appropriate
• Other equipment required for the specific tour or conditions

Guides carry additional safety, communication, first-aid and technical equipment appropriate to the activity.

Safety equipment is inspected and maintained as part of our operating procedures. Equipment that is damaged, worn beyond acceptable limits or otherwise unsuitable is removed from service.

8. Weather & Tour Decisions

Weather forecasts are reviewed as part of daily tour planning, but forecasts are only one part of the decision-making process. Actual local conditions, access, glacier conditions and the planned activity are also considered.

A tour may be delayed, modified, relocated or cancelled when conditions are not considered appropriate for the planned activity.

This may occur because of severe weather, poor visibility, unsafe access, changes in glacier or ice cave conditions, natural hazards or other circumstances affecting the operation of the tour.

The fact that another activity is operating in the region does not necessarily mean that conditions are suitable for every route or type of glacier activity.

9. Participant Suitability

Glacier tours involve walking on natural and uneven terrain. Guests should select an experience that is appropriate for their physical ability and should review the difficulty, age requirements and other participation information for the specific tour before booking.

Guests should inform Glacier Mice of relevant circumstances that could affect their ability to participate safely.

Before departure, a guide or lead guide may assess whether a participant appears able to undertake the planned activity. Where necessary, the activity may be adapted where this can reasonably be done without compromising the safety of the participant or group.

Participation may be refused where the guide determines that a person cannot safely undertake the planned activity.

10. Group Management

Group management is an important part of glacier safety. Guides monitor the group throughout the activity and adjust pace and movement to the terrain and participants.

Guests are expected to remain with the group, follow the route selected by the guide and avoid entering areas that have not been approved by the guide.

Guides regularly monitor the group to help ensure that participants remain together and are coping appropriately with the activity.

11. Vehicles & Glacier Access

Many Glacier Mice tours include transport between Jökulsárlón and the glacier area. Access can involve specialised vehicles and changing road, track, snow or ice conditions.

Vehicles are subject to operational checks and maintenance procedures. Drivers are required to adapt driving to conditions, visibility, terrain and the vehicle being used.

Guests must use seat belts where provided and follow instructions from the driver or guide when entering, travelling in or leaving a vehicle.

12. Communication & Emergency Preparedness

Glacier Mice maintains an emergency response plan for its operations. Guides carry communication equipment appropriate to the operating environment and have access to first-aid and emergency equipment.

In an emergency, the immediate priorities are to protect the affected person and group from further danger, provide appropriate first aid, establish communication and coordinate further response as required.

Glacier operations take place in a natural environment where professional external assistance may take time to reach the group. Our planning and equipment take the remote nature of the operating environment into account.

13. Incident Reporting & Continuous Improvement

Accidents, near misses and significant safety incidents are documented under our safety procedures.

Incidents are reviewed so that lessons can be identified and, where appropriate, procedures, training, risk assessments or other safety measures can be improved.

Our internal safety plan and operating procedures are reviewed regularly and at least annually, with additional review when an incident or other relevant development indicates that changes should be considered.

14. Guest Responsibilities

Effective safety also depends on cooperation between guests and guides. Participants are expected to:

• Follow guide instructions
• Remain with the group
• Use safety equipment as instructed
• Wear clothing and footwear suitable for the activity
• Respect safety boundaries and route decisions
• Tell the guide if they are experiencing difficulty
• Inform us of relevant circumstances that may affect safe participation
• Avoid behaviour that may unnecessarily endanger themselves or others

15. Questions About Safety

If you are unsure whether a Glacier Mice tour is suitable for you, or have questions about equipment, physical requirements or other safety-related matters, please contact us before your tour.

You can also review the detailed information for our Ice Cave Tours and Glacier Hikes before booking.