“I simply want to create the best day of your life,” says Bessi Jonsson, a great friend, and a highly respected Icelandic private guide, when discussing the philosophy guiding his work. We were driving home to Reykjavik after spending a day on the Sólheimajökull glacier. He had regaled me with stories from his career as a driver guide which started almost a decade ago. Bessi spoke with deep respect and affinity about his guests: ‘They are often highly educated, discerning people with distinguished careers that trust me to create a special experience for them. I work hard to get to know what they want to get out of their tour here to Iceland so that I can create the best day, or days, for them,’ he told me earnestly. ‘I stay in touch with many of them, even years after they joined me on a trip, and share in their joys and sorrows. Many return for new tours.’
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Tugging at heartstrings
Sometimes his private tours are delicate affairs for the guide. ‘When I have a couple on a romantic trip where one of them has arranged a proposal, my main problem is that I don’t have a poker face. I have to be careful not to spoil the surprise. So far, I have not messed anything up; my proposal success rate is 100%,’ Bessi says laughingly. ‘ I have to make sure to give people their space. I also have to be quick with the camera. These tours take a lot of skill.’
Losing your snow virginity
When an Australian man hesitated to leave Bessi’s tank of a Landrover in mid-winter at Thingvellir, Bessi found out that the man had never seen snow before. Bessi decided to skip Thingvellir, stopped at the shop at Gullfoss, and bought gingerbread cookies and hot cocoa. He then raced up to Langjökull glacier (!) so the Australian and his family could have fun in the snow on a glacier. How’s that for losing your snow virginity?
The private Icelandic guide Creating precious final moments
Sometimes the tours are tinged with sadness. I hope Bessi forgives me for saying that I was surprised by his tenderness in the way he described how he once carried a terminally ill man, who was saying goodbye to his loved ones with one last trip to Iceland, up to a glacier so he could take in the beauty of the landscape with his loved ones. The whole group just sat there for an hour, taking everything in. I am unsure if I could integrate into a scenario like that, like Bessi. Being a private guide for every occasion truly takes intuition and skill.
Heading up to Sólheimajökull glacier in the South of Iceland
Bessi and I were heading back from Sólheimajökull glacier on a Thursday afternoon. Our original plan had been to hike up to Sólheimajökull glacier the following Saturday, but like so often in Iceland, the weather is the boss of your plans. We decided to go on a Thursday. So I took the day off, and Bessi whisked me away to Sólheimajökull glacier on his Land Rover. This was a day off for the busy private guide Bessi wanted to bring a friend to join him, his trusty assistant, and my lovely friend, the tourguide dog Cami,xf for a hike up to Sólheimajökull glacier and have some fun.
Icelandic glaciers aren’t Disneyland, they can be deathtraps
Bessi operates under the name Moonwalker, and he has recently gone through the rigors of becoming a certified glacier guide, and as far as I know, he is now exploring new areas to take his guests to. But we were up to Sólheimajökull glacier after a pleasant drive along the south coast. It was a beautiful day, and we were excited about going to the glacier. You should never go on an Icelandic glacier without being accompanied by an experienced guide. Glaciers are death traps for inexperienced people. I consider myself a moderately experienced hiker who has often been on Icelandic glaciers and in the highlands. Still, I would never visit an Icelandic glacier with a guide. I may not be the most intelligent guy, but I am not that stupid!
The terrible beauty of deep glacial crevasses
Why you should always have a professional with you was evident on Sólheimajökull glacier. It was a warm day, and meltwater was viciously carving up the glacier ice. The meltwater forms deep crevices and massive moulins. When you looked into these abysses, you were looking into death. The fall may not be fatal if a person falls into a moulin or crevasse. You are likely to be slowly squeezed to death. Your laboring breath, and gravity, will gradually lower you into a tighter and tighter icy vice, inch by inch.
The wake-up call of a lifetime delivered by my Icelandic private guide
We wanted to get a closer look at this terrible beauty. So at a few deep crevices, Bessi secured a rope that we fastened to our belts to lean over these deathtraps. Bessi told me to defy my vertigo by standing on the edge of the crevasse, raising my arms, and leaning back.
Leaning back was deliciously terrifying and exhilarating. Bessi gave me a fright when he tapped on the taut rope as I was leaning back. The brief moment of thrilling terror when I felt the rope twitch, traveling by light speed up my spine and straight into my cerebral cortex, was the wake-up call of a lifetime. I will get you for this one day, Bessi, I promise! Remember that I firmly believe that revenge is best served cold.
Lowering myself into a crevasse, relying on my Icelandic private guide
Bessi invited me to venture into the mouth of a bottomless crevasse. Our lovely travel partner, Cami, the dog, had been the star of the show. Everybody we met wanted to pet her or take her picture. She didn’t mind the attention from the people who met at the glacier, but she hated seeing me sliding into that deep crevice.
Bessi secured me firmly. I could venture down and observe the bottom of this awful abyss.
The only thing stopping Cami from attempting to pull me up was her harness. Bessi sternly commanded that she should stay when she prepared to conduct a rescue operation. I lowered myself into the crevasse and felt a tingle in my stomach when I stood on a ledge and looked down. At the bottom, I saw a clear stream heading into the deep netherworld underneath the massive glacier. I must admit that my vanity took over, and I just had to take a selfie there, perhaps to convince myself later that I had been in that situation.
Cami’s joy on solid ground
It was time to head back down. If somebody was happy about that was Cami. She dislikes being on the glacier for long. Cami was glad to leave a strange and dangerous place where she could not secure her flock. She pulled at her harness when she got down from the ice, so Bessi had to ask her to slow down. When she reached the lagoon at the glacier’s edge, Bessi allowed her to run after stones he threw into the water. Cami was overjoyed to feel safe again. In the car, she slept while we talked about Bessi’s tours and our shared adventure. We will hopefully join up for a new experience as soon as Bessi’s busy schedule allows.
