Breathtaking images show stunning ice palaces hidden below the ground
THESE breathtaking images show the magnificent beauty of a set of ice caves discovered deep underground.
The caves, in Vatnajokull, Iceland, contain blocks of ice which are thousands of years old.
Photographer Dario Martinez, 37, took on the fantastic but dangerous challenge of exploring the caves, which are four or five metres underground.
The father-of-two donned crampons and a helmet for the perilous exploration, which lasted for several hours as the ice began to melt around then.
He said that although he was aware of the danger of the cave collapsing, the stunning views made it worthwhile.
Mr Martinez, from Gijon, Spain, said: "It was a dangerous situation because winter was ending and the caves were beginning to melt.
The formations of ice are phenomenal and words cannot describe them
"As a result, you never know when that great mass of ice is going to come down and drops of water fell around us.
"But the show before our eyes was so amazing it took our minds off such scary thoughts.
"It was a truly incredible experience and to see how the light filtered through those huge blocks of ice is something I will never forget."
Mr Martinez, a lighting designer, said that he hopes to one day return.
He said: "The formations of ice are phenomenal and words cannot describe them.
"The ice has been there for thousands of years and the glacier itself for thousands and thousands of years.
"But the caves are usually created and destroyed every year, so the one we visited is unique.
"I really like that I captured the light seeping from ice, the textures have, the sense of danger that must be there."