Elephant Foot Glacier

Really, we hear you sigh, it’s the gloomiest time of the year and AnOther’s Lovers have chosen an icy cliff for the first Love of 2015. What were they thinking? Rainstorms strike whenever we venture out without a hat, and unexpectedly deep puddles booby trap the pavement – surely a sunny vista would have been more tactful? Well, yes. But the discovery of the wonderfully named Elephant Foot Glacier in Greenland by AnOther Magazine’s social media and editorial assistant Daisy Woodward has captured our imagination. And it seems fitting to revel in the beauty of seasonal chill rather than false daydreams of far-flung sandy idylls.

"It seems fitting to revel in the beauty of seasonal chill rather than false daydreams of far-flung sandy idylls"

Glaciers are one of the most extraordinary of the earth’s natural phenomena. Formed over centuries, at a point where a large accumulation of snow is so densely packed that it exceeds its overall ablation, they are in constant flux; shifting icy giants that form the largest reservoir of freshwater on earth. They represent both the extravagant wonder of nature and the precarious balance of life – physical reminders of the damage man and climate change is wreaking on our ecosystem. The Elephant Foot glacier, found off the northeast coast of Greenland, is the result of the country being encrusted with a 2.565 quadrillion tonne ice sheet. The spillage effect of the glacier is created by the weight of the ice meeting the land, crushing the interior of the island into a bowl shape. Where the excess ice has nowhere to go, it has spilt out through the mountains into the sea, to staggering, Loves-vote winning effect.

We’ve long revelled in the beauty of ice, such as in super/collider’s exploration of the melting icecaps of the Antarctic. So as we welcome a new favourite chilly spectacle to the Loves stream, Woodward considers taking a trip to the top while channeling Audrey Hepburn, alongside a gallery of the best cold Loves.

Why did you love the glacier?
It just looks like the most incredible place, and I love the name!

Where would you keep this picture if you owned it?
In the bathroom – it would be nice to daydream about somewhere so icy while happily submerged in a warm bath.

Who would you take on a trip there and what would you do on the top?
I think a group trip with friends and family would be fun – then there would be more people to penguin huddle with when it got too cold. At the top I’d just soak up the view and perhaps try my hand at an Ansel Adams-esque shot or two.

Where is your favourite extraordinary place in nature?
This is a strong contender, and Iceland looks absolutely beautiful. I would love to go there and see the Northern Lights. Otherwise I’m always happy by the sea.

What is your favourite winter pastime?
A wet and windy walk followed by a cup of tea and a good book by the fire.

Who is your cold weather style icon?
Audrey Hepburn always wore (and looked beautiful in) fur hats and Tilda Swinton looks amazing in her White Witch garb for The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, although I can’t say I’ve ever tried to channel that vibe.

What's your favourite food to keep in the freezer?
Fish fingers – it’s a slightly weird Woodward family tradition to eat them for breakfast with lots of tomato ketchup.

What are you looking forward to about January?
I’m doing "Dry January” so, rather shamefully, I’m somewhat wishing the month away! But my resolution is to spend more time reading and I’m already stuck into Marquez’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold which I’m loving.

What was the last thing you bought?
An oversized black wool coat from (the very retro) St Michael by M&S which I found for £15 in a charity shop – I’m a fiendish charity shop scourer.