Summer cave tours raise safety concerns at Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland

There were no warnings regarding summer ice cave explorations, as the idea was never considered, according to a former chairman of Vatnajökull National Park. The scientific report published in 2017, assessing safety for ice cave visits, notably did not address summer trips, as these were not perceived as viable by locals.

Ármann Höskuldsson, a former chairman of the national park, highlighted that the focus of the 2017 report was exclusively on winter excursions, reflecting the common local belief that these tours should only take place during the colder months. He stated, “No one would have thought of going into these caves in the summer.” The report discussed risks associated with cave visits, but did not specifically warn against summer tours, which were not happening at that time.

Despite the lack of concern for summer excursions, organized tours have started taking place during the summer months this year, seven years after the report’s release. The previous board of Vatnajökull National Park had received recommendations for necessary regulations on these tours, emphasizing a need for structured safety procedures that service providers must follow.

In reading the earlier report, it is evident that summer trips could be deemed more hazardous than winter visits, prompting the suggestion for safety assessments to determine if certain caves should remain closed to tourists. Ármann insists that a comprehensive review of summer conditions needs to occur as these new tours gain popularity, asserting, “If they were considering doing this in the summer, another evaluation would have been necessary.”