THE MEMORIAL BY AN ICELANDIC GLACIER MOST PEOPLE MISS. THE STORY OF TWO GERMANS WHO DISAPPEARED
When I first visited Iceland in 2006, there was no memorial like this at Svínafellsjökull. Two years later, I returned for my third trip – and suddenly, there it was. An inconspicuous memorial plaque by the glacier. Two German names. Thomas Grundt and Matthias Hinz. At the time, I had no idea who these two men were or what had happened to them. I noticed the memorial, read the names and moved on. But that small stone stayed in the back of my mind.
Maybe it also has something to do with the way you gradually begin to experience Iceland.
When I took an acquaintance to Iceland in 2010, we went to Dyrhólaey, among other places. The wind was blowing so hard that on the way back to the car, we sometimes had to move on all fours. It wasn't an extreme expedition. We were in a place regularly visited by tourists.
And that was when he said something I still remember today:
“I'd never before had the feeling that one wrong step could be enough to kill me. Until here. It's a beautiful, but incredibly wild country.”
That sentence still sums up Iceland for me.
It is a country that can be unbelievably beautiful and, at the same time, remind you within minutes of how small you are compared with it. The wind, ocean, glaciers, mountains and rapidly changing weather are not just scenery here. Sometimes they determine whether you make it back safely.
And perhaps that is why the inconspicuous memorial at Svínafellsjökull began to interest me even more.
Why is it here? Why Svínafellsjökull? And what story lies behind those two names?
So I started looking.
And I gradually discovered that behind the inconspicuous plaque was the story of two young Germans who arrived in Iceland in the summer of 2007, headed into the mountains and never returned.
TWO NAMES BY THE GLACIER
Thomas Grundt and Matthias Hinz arrived in Iceland on July 27, 2007. They were 24 and 29 years old and both had experience in mountain hiking and climbing.
Iceland was not simply a stop on a tourist itinerary for them. They were planning trips around Skaftafell and Vatnajökull and also wanted to travel into the areas of Langisjór and Lónsöræfi.
They had several weeks for their trip. Their return flight to Germany was booked for August 17.
But they never showed up at the airport that day.
THE LAST TRACE IN REYKJAVÍK
The last confirmed information about the two men came from the end of July.
On July 29, they were still at a campsite in Reykjavík. They called home and let their families know they were fine. The following day, one of their phones registered a signal in the Skaftafell area.
Then their trail disappeared.
Their families waited for them to return. They never came home. On August 18, Icelandic police issued a public appeal for information about the missing men.
The search began.
THE GLACIER THAT PROVIDED THE CLUE
At first, it was unclear where exactly to search. The men had planned to travel through vast and difficult-to-access areas of southeastern Iceland.
Then came a crucial piece of information.
Svínafellsjökull. On August 23, 2007, people in a helicopter spotted tents high up on the glacier. When rescuers approached, they discovered that they belonged to the missing Germans.
Nearly a month after their arrival in Iceland, investigators had finally found a place that was unquestionably connected to their journey.
But Thomas and Matthias were nowhere to be found.
Their tents were still on the glacier. They were gone.
THE TENTS REMAINED. THE MEN DID NOT.
The discovery of the tents immediately changed the entire search.
Rescuers began searching the area around the camp and all possible routes leading away from it. They also found tracks leading towards Hrútsfjallstindar and back again.
Experienced mountaineers, search teams, dogs and an Icelandic Coast Guard helicopter joined the operation.
It was a massive search.
Rescuers descended into glacial crevasses, searched the surrounding mountains and entered areas that were dangerous even for experienced climbers. One of the rescuers was injured during the operation.
Contemporary reports spoke of more than one hundred people involved on individual days. Later recollections of the search say that nearly 300 members of rescue teams took part over the course of the entire operation. On August 26, the large-scale search was called off.
Thomas Grundt and Matthias Hinz were presumed dead.
But their bodies were never found.
WHAT HAPPENED ON SVÍNAFELLSJÖKULL IN ICELAND?
The most likely explanation was relatively simple. The two men may have fallen into a deep crevasse while travelling across the glacier. But no one could be certain.
Rescuers could not rule out other possibilities. It was unclear exactly where the men had gone from their camp or why they had left behind the particular equipment that was found there.
The glacier kept the answer to itself.
❄️ WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE FALLS INTO A GLACIAL CREVASSE?
Falling into a glacial crevasse does not necessarily mean immediate death. But the situation can turn into a fight for survival within minutes.
The greatest dangers:
A fall from height – a crevasse can be dozens of metres deep, and a person may suffer serious injuries simply from the fall.
Being buried by snow – if a snow bridge collapses, the person may end up beneath a layer of snow and ice.
Ice-cold water – some crevasses contain meltwater. Hypothermia can set in very quickly.
Being unable to climb out – smooth ice walls often offer little to hold on to or climb.
Isolation – without ropes and proper equipment, self-rescue is extremely difficult. Rescuers must first locate the fall and then reach the person safely.
This is precisely why travelling on a glacier without the appropriate equipment and experience is extremely dangerous. A crevasse may not be visible at all – it can be covered by a thin layer of snow that cannot support a person's weight.
ANOTHER CLUE THREE YEARS LATER
But the story came back to life once more.
In 2010, two mountaineers noticed a rope on a little-used route on the western slope of Hvannadalshnjúkur, at an altitude of around 1,700 metres.
It could have belonged to the missing Germans.
It was never possible to confirm it.
It was another clue that might have meant something – but, like those before it, it provided no answer.
Trailer for the film Island in the North
AND THAT IS HOW THE MEMORIAL CAME TO BE
A year later, in 2008, relatives and friends of the two men came to Iceland and had a memorial plaque installed at Svínafellsjökull.
Right here.
At the glacier where their tents had been found several months earlier.
The plaque bears their names and the date after which no one heard from them again.
Today, a tourist could easily miss it.
You drive past it, park, look at the glacier and continue on.
You might not even notice it.
When I made my third trip to this area in 2008, however, I noticed it precisely because it hadn't been there during my first visit in 2006.
At the time, I didn't yet know what it meant.
Now I do.
It is a memorial to two men who came to Iceland for its mountains and glaciers. Their journey ended somewhere on Svínafellsjökull – and even after almost two decades, no one has been able to say with certainty where.
The memorial remains. The answer does not.
About the Author
Iceland has fascinated me for many years. Over the course of numerous journeys across the island, I have driven tens of thousands of kilometers, experienced storms that changed travel plans within minutes, and witnessed days when choosing the right route meant discovering places that most visitors never see. I documented many of these experiences in my documentary film Island in the North.
Through this website, I share practical travel advice, up-to-date information, and firsthand experiences from the field to help others explore Iceland more safely and gain a deeper understanding of its unique landscapes and ever-changing nature.
Komentáře