Ski mountaineering in Iceland
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| Isafjordur, Iceland | |
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Dates 2010: 22 - 27 March 29 March - 3 April 5 - 10 April 19 - 24 April 3 - 8 May 17 - 22 May Price : 1460 € Group : 4-10 persons Meeting : Isafjordur, Iceland. More details upon booking Difficulty :  |
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These trips are all about ski mountaineering or snowshoeing in the beautiful Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in the West Fjords of NW Iceland. We'll sail to a different spot after a day's skiing.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Monday
Departure from Isafjordur at 19h00. 2 hours sailing to Hesteyri in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. Relaxing at anchor and maybe do some exploration on the Zodiac and take a look at the old whaling station that once was the driving force in this now abandoned settlement. Also optional to do a short ski run.
Day 2 - Tuesday
We'll begin the day with safety briefing, avalanche search and what to do in case of emergency. Then we start skiing the mountains around Hesteyri. Going up to the cols, we can get a view across the mountains to the northern coves of the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. We'll then move our yacht to the head of the fjord before serving delicious dinner. Here we usually have an opportunity to pick fresh Mussels from the beach for appetizer.
Day 3 - Wednesday
Ski from Hesteyrarfjordur to Veidileysufjordur (e. Fjord with no fish!). The climb up Hesteyrarfjordur is very easy and the ski slopes on the other side offer many possibilities. We may end the day by skiing the steepest slope of the trip, 45°-50° steep. Of course, it's optional. You can head down to the yacht, if you prefer! Dinner at anchor in Veidileysufjordur.
Day 4 - Thursday
Ski to Lonafjordur (e. Lagoon Fjord). We begin the day by climbing up to one of the cols to take a look at the bays on the North side. Then we ski down to the first valley in Lonafjordur and climb up at least two more mountains before meeting captain Siggi onboard the yacht.
Day 5 - Friday
Ski to Hrafnfjordur (e. Raven Fjord). We do the highest climb of the trip this day, up to 1200 meters of climbing before skiing down to Hrafnfjordur. The mountain cirque in the bottom of the fjord is very beautiful and the anchorage is a perfect spot to spend the night.
Day 6 - Saturday
Short day of skiing in the morning before sailing back to Isafjordur with arrival around 16h00. You can catch the last flight from Isafjordur the same day but we suggest staying at least one night in Isafjordur, relax and get to know this old and beautiful town.
Recommend this trip to a friend
What you can expect
We will ski between remote fjords, anchoring in a different spot every night. Many of the mountains and ridges have never been skied before so don't expect to wait in a line before cruising down the mountain of your choice! There are many different slopes and we will plan our routes to fit people of all abilities and interests. Most people use AT (randonnée) or Telemark skis but snowboards, cross-country skis or snowshoes can be used as well. We usually spend about 6-8 hours in the mountains each day but those who want shorter days, can just ski down to the boat when they choose. This is prime time for skiing, but we still carry a few kayaks on the yacht and people are quite welcome to take a break from skiing and do some kayaking as well.
How to get to Isafjordur
Now there are three airlines with scheduled flights into Iceland. These are Icelandair, Iceland Express and SAS.
You arrive in Keflavik International Airport about 40 minutes away from the capital city of Reykjavik. From the domestic airport in Reykjavik there are 2-3 daily 40-minute flights to Isafjordur. You can take the Fly-Bus between the airports and most of the time you can continue same day.
For schedules and special offers, check out Air Iceland, our recommended search engines and the Icelandic search engine Dohop.
The price includes:
• Meeting/assisting at Ísafjörður airport
• Transfer from/to Ísafjörður airport
• All food onboard and during day activities
• Accommodation onboard
• Use of sailing clothing (Gore-Tex jacket and pants), safety harness and life jacket
• Yacht service
• Kayaking gear
• Mountain rescue insurance
• Trip insurance
• Guiding
The price does not includes:
• Travel to and from Ísafjörður, Iceland
• Food the first day until boarding the yacht in Ísafjörður
• Personal equipment
• Everything not specified in ´The price includes:´