Iceland Travel Journal 冰島旅行日記 10 - 2019.10.15 Sólheimajökull 索爾黑馬冰川

Day 2's Notes - Continued 繼續第二天的雜記

Sólheimajökull, a striking outlet glacier located in southern Iceland, is a dynamic part of the larger Mýrdalsjökull ice cap.

Note: An outlet glacier is a valley glacier that drains an inland ice sheet, ice cap, or ice field. These glaciers flow outward, often through a gap in surrounding mountains, acting as a "river" of ice that carries ice from the larger ice mass towards the sea or a lower elevation

The Sólheimajökull glacier's popularity among tourists is due to several key advantages: its relatively convenient location near the capital, Reykjavík; the short, easy walk from the parking lot; and the general accessibility of this massive ice tongue, which measures approximately five miles long and over one mile wide.

The day we visited, however, provided an unforgettable, dramatic experience. We faced a relentless combination of gusty winds and hail. The wind speed reached an astonishing 90 kilometers per hour (equivalent to a strong typhoon). According to the Beaufort wind force scale, this speed is approximately Beaufort scale 11 or higher. The fierce, blustering wind made walking on the path exceptionally difficult, and the stinging hail hitting any exposed skin added considerable pain. Despite the challenge, it was an experience that remains truly unforgettable.

So many years later, as I carefully reviewed those photographs, I was struck by the sight of a rainbow arching gently in the corner of the sky during that stormy, inclement day. It was a powerful realization: our loving God is always present, a silent, watchful assurance during our most difficult times.

索爾黑馬冰川是位於冰島南部的一條引人注目的注出冰川，它是更大的米爾達斯冰川（Mýrdalsjökull）冰蓋不斷變化的部分。

註: 注出冰川（Outlet glacier）是大型冰蓋或冰帽向外溢流、流經山谷的冰川類型，其冰體表面常有裂隙系統，並受基底地形的控制，沒有明確的流域界線。

索爾黑馬冰川之所以受到遊客的歡迎，主要歸功於以下幾個關鍵優勢：它地理位置便利，靠近首都雷克雅未克；從停車場步行即可輕鬆到達；這條巨大的冰舌（長約 5 英里，寬超過 1 英里）通常是無障礙，容易到得了。

然而，我們去的那天卻經歷了一場令人難忘的驚險之旅。風雨冰雹交加。風速高達每小時 90 公里, 相當於強烈颱風的強度。根據蒲福氏風級 (Beaufort wind force scale)，大約是 11 級或更高。。凜冽的狂風使得在小路上行走異常艱難、寸步難行，感覺一不小心有可能被吹到旁邊的冰川中。一粒粒小小冰雹打在臉上更是疼痛難忍，讓人不敢昂首直視。儘管如此，這種經歷一輩子難忘。

這麼多年後，再仔細整理照片，令我不可思議的是，在風雨交加，氣候惡劣的時刻，居然發現彩虹出現在天際的角落。那一刻，我恍然大悟：我們慈愛的上帝始終與我們同在，在我們經歷艱難的時刻，祂默默陪伴守護著我們，給我們安慰。

Photo Date: 2019.10.15