Iceland 2014/2015

A snowHead

Here's a photo from the Icelandic Met Office:

The inset and grey bit is the current Holahraun eruption.

A snowHead

Well that went wrong.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Skiing last night was surprisingly good. We had a short, sharp storm with really high winds and a bunch of wet snow. As such I wasn't expecting much heading up for my usual evening ski. Doubly so given the low cloud cover on the mountain, it all looked a bit gloomy. However the temperature had dropped and the snow was actually a really nice, icy, fast, velvety coating about ten centimeters deep over the icy layer beneath. I spent the entire session lapping underneath the chair with no down time waiting in queues racking up a quite unholy amount of vert. Visibility was terrible but once you'd learnt where the hidden ice hard snow dunes were it was plain sailing. Later in the evening the wind shifted, the crowds got larger and all the snow had been skied out so I went home even though the visibility improved markedly. Currently we're looking at a lot more snow before Saturday without the high winds so fingers crossed.

As promised some more diverse pictures:

Looking up the beginners slope.

Top of The King chair aka Kongurinn.

The view out from the Cafe.

Riding the chair gives an idea of the visibility.

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Heading up North this weekend for our annual work ski trip. The ski area has got a nice new layer of fresh over the last couple of days and tomorrow is forecast to be bluebird! snowHead

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@meh, Have a good one snowHead

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Planning a few weeks up in the western fjords in Spring, any recommendations?

After all it is free

@jimmer, sorry didn't spot this. Basically the main town is Ísafjörður which is probably the best/only home base and it's a bitch to drive around the West Fjords which is partly why the ski touring operation there runs from a boat. Smile

I've not actually skied there myself so I don't have any particular recommendations for things to do. Gimmie a shout if you're around Reykjavik though.

Also there's a meter and half forecast for the weekend! It's probably the auto-forecast going mental but a boy can dream. Very Happy

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Had a great day today tootling around by myself even though the snow was completely wind Be Nice please!

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Some pictures from the other day, same mountain Skálafell except this time the lifts were spinning:

Super cold day with a stiff breeze but loads of sun.

Every aspect was pretty wind damaged but the views were amazing.

Whilst I waited for the sun to soften the slopes a bit I circumnavigated the top on skins.

This face is looking particularly tasty.

Hengill looking mysterious in it's volcanic fog.

I also went and poked around for a gully entrance which was pretty hard to find as the top is pretty much featureless.

Three laps of snow like this was enough for the day!

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Great pictures...sent you a PM, we are coming over this weekend.

Pack some winter boots!

You know it makes sense.

I can't comment on the skiing....

But I can tell you that the Northern Lights were on full throttle tonight

Very Happy

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@rungsp, so glad the weather cleared up for you guys!

A snowHead

I'm inspired by the great pictures to visit Iceland. Are there any areas where you can go touring for a week or 10 days?

A snowHead

@meh, Very nice Smile

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@BobG, yeah, the too biggest areas are the West Fjords and the Troll Peninsula. The latter probably suits day touring more as it's a bit easier to drive around. Both have dedicated outfits including touring from a sailboat in the West Fjords. The usual season for a half decent chance of good weather starts now and goes on until late May usually by which time you have pretty much 24 hours light.

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In snow news we've been hit by a series of storms in the SW with a ridiculous amount of snow which is nice but there has been very little room in the schedule for skiing as a consequence. Still I'm heading up North for a three day avi course as a refresher this weekend. Very Happy

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Long time no post. Still loads of snow down south and in the north. I've mostly been hitting the lifts rather than touring but got out with a few people for some short tours including jimmer when he visited. Yesterday was the first day of summer and I got out to ski the first big line of the year with Smàri some guy I met on the ski touring group for Iceland on Facebook. We climed and skied a gully on the highest mountain in the Esja range Hàtindur.

Smàri and our line in the distance. Our original plan involved coming in from the opposite side and an easier angled skin but snow cover on the track prevented it.

Skins on at first on hard refrozen snow, skinning got interesting and as ever I ended up transitioning to crampons too late on steep ground. rolling eyes

The gully is pretty interesting as it wends it's way with plenty of benchy areas, slope average for the steepest part is 35 degrees and about 400m vert but it varied up to about 40. Pretty mellow for skiing, quite exciting for skinning on the merest slivers of corn. So we started bookpacking.

Fulmars are nesting and were super pissed off by us.

Peering back down the gully.

Awesome views from the summit.

Nice views on the drive back out.

The ski down was pretty icy, despite having a couple of hours of sun on it the snow hadn't really transformed, perfectly grippy though so it was at least nice and fast.

The First Day of Summer - One Run on Hátindur from Charles Palmer

http://vimeo.com/125818276

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Nice one meh. That long 30 degree 'firm' gully must have reminded you of some of your Cairngorm's skiing ...

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@meh, Very nice.

If any like minded snowheads ever organise a trip up to Iceland please count me in Toofy Grin

After all it is free

@moffatross, haha, yeah it definitely reminds me of some interesting times in Scotland.

Have enjoyed your Iceland reports meh - looks like somewhere to add to our unusual destinations 'to do' list Smile

What's the lift-served skiing like? Not expecting the Three Valleys of course - we've skied a few tiny European/ N American areas of one or two lifts and really enjoyed them - so could well be up for whatever's on offer, plus some touring.

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@mountainaddict, cheers, very much that, small ski areas with a few lifts. Most take you into nice terrain though so are a good start to tours much like the Scottish ski areas. Both Ísafjörður in the West Fjords and Akureyri on the Troll Peninsula are great bases to launch out from. In particular there seems to be a stream of pro and semi-pro skiers coming through the West Fjords this year. There is skiing near Reykjavik but in general it's harder to access without specialized vehicles until spring time. March through May is the usual window for decent weather but there is skiing nearly all year round.

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Still skiing and loads of snow but I came here to drop this podcast which is a really interesting look at what a ski touring trip here can be like:
http://huskypodcast.com/2015/05/21/episode-thirteen-sigurdur-jonsson-and-the-aurora-arktika/

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Went out yesterday by myself to try to ski the gully on the opposite side of the mountain from my last post. Sadly mud and rock from a landslide were chocking it up and the avi conditions on that aspect looked dodgy with a fresh slab that had obviously been triggered by a bit of cornice collapsing a little further up the valley. A little over 6km walking with a 400m climb resulted in some fun skiing down a reasonably mellow gully (top pitch was 40 degrees with a teensy cornice, after that it drops off to a steady 35 degrees and then tails off after the very narrow section in the video) with lots of little techy bits to avoid rockfall and giant holes.

This gully was the target but it'll have to wait until next year and access with something that can drive on snow!

A wet slide on the same aspect on the slopes at the head of the valley.

The slab avalanche in the bowl right next to the target gully.

The opposite wall of Laufskörð with lots of fun looking lines on it, albeit without enough snow for the most part.

Some pretty views on the walk back out.

The skiing:

Solo Summer Skiing - One Run on Laufskörð from Charles Palmer

https://vimeo.com/129376685

Snow conditions more generally are much better than this. Particularly in the north of the country but there are plenty of snow covered mountains left in the south too.

@meh,

You know it makes sense.

Good effort meh! It's got me thinking....

This is an absolute longshot wink

- but just seen that there are reasonably priced easyjet flights to Rekjavik this weekend. Hmmmm.....We're not averse to a spot of hiking/skinning and we're always on the lookout to ski/tour somewhere different/new - but are completely clueless when it comes to Iceland as it's not somewhere we've really considered.

So (time off work permitting - say two days, next Mon and Tue) what would be the prospect of popping up there and sorting out logistics (digs, routes/maps) for 2 or 3 days hiking/skinning/skiing?? Is that feasible from Rekjavik? I'm assuming that car hire wouldn't be a problem?

Could it be a go-er Puzzled

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

If you want to mix it up with a bit of touristy stuff then basing out of Reykjavik would be good. Otherwise I'd fly via the domestic airport to Akureyri and hire a car from there. More snow and more mountains make for more options depending on the weather and what not.

You shouldn't have too many problems hiring a car or finding a room as we're ramping up towards peak season but not quite there yet. You won't need anything special to get to most of the mountains nearby, there are some rough tracks occasionally but it's usually a case of avoiding the more monster pot holes and taking it easy. Bring swimming gear as the local pools are by far the best way to relax after a day up a mountain.

I can definitely meet up with you guys, loan maps and give some route advice. If you're here over a weekend I might even be able to escape the family and join you. snowHead

This is the weather forecast for the SW just now:
http://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/areas/faxafloi/#group=111&station=1

Plus some links to online mapping of some of the possible touring locations nearby in the SW:
http://ja.is/kort/?type=map&x=397294&y=428557&z=6
http://ja.is/kort/?type=map&x=381683&y=417173&z=7
http://ja.is/kort/?type=map&x=386922&y=399559&z=7
http://ja.is/kort/?type=map&x=373084&y=390292&z=7
http://ja.is/kort/?type=map&x=273178&y=486620&z=6

With the exception of Snaefellsjokul they are all within an hours driving of Reykjavik.

A snowHead

@meh, So when is the best time of year for touring v flight prices ?

A snowHead

@AndAnotherThing.., probably March and April. I've not pegged it against flight prices mind you but those are the months with the best sunlight to snow ratio. Getting into May you're starting the ramp up to summer tourist season but are probably okay although in a bad year late-May might involve more hiking than skiing.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@meh, Cheers, I do fancy it...

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Wow - that's absolutely brilliant meh! Just seen your response. Will get back on here shortly after checking a couple of things at this end...

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

After lots of PMS from/to meh, and lots of useful info from him, well here we are in Iceland Very Happy

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Wow - what an unusual place. A mix of barren, volcanic landscapes (that remind us of Lanzarote) and beautiful mountains. Arrived today and had an interesting and - despite some pretty poor rainy/foggy/windy weather - enjoyable couple of hours ski touring at Skalafell.

After sightseeing(!)/ looking for a cash machine/buying groceries in Keflavik, then braving heavy, horizontal rain to finally set off, we followed our noses to skin to the summit transmission masts - it was poor visibility and thick fog from above the top chair - and had a really nice ski down on lovely soft snow. Visibility on the summit was zero and we were almost hypothermic taking our skins off - quite hard to believe it was northern Europe in June. Still, a brilliant day out and another country skied - must admit we are very easily pleased when it comes to skiing wink

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Thanks ever so much for the ski touring routes/directions meh Very Happy

- you're a star!

Tomorrow's plan is: Sightseeing - Rejkyavic and Golden Circle (ie very scenic) drive; and hopefully more ski touring - though the weather forecast is appalling rolling eyes

- just like skiing in Scotland Toofy Grin

!

Trip photos to follow - back home on Tuesday.

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@mountainaddict, Don't miss eating at the Saegreifinn (Sea Baron) reastaurant in Rejkyavik http://saegreifinn.is/?page_id=1333 : the lobster soup is legendary, and whale kebabs are superb snowHead

After all it is free

@mountainaddict, awesome, glad you got out yesterday, was pretty grim in Reykjavik so I did wonder. snowHead

Cheers geoffers - Er, if we end up there we may see what else is on the menu - I'm on a low fat diet wink

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Update from today: A day out sightseeing in some of the worst weather conditions we have ever encountered Shocked

. Went sightseeing round Reykjavic then drove round the main sights of The Golden Circle. It was like being at the Lakes in winter: 7C, gale force wind and more or less constant heavy rain. Some great sights - especially love the geyser at Geyser and Gulfoss Waterfalls are just amazing.

So still had a great day - even if (waterproofs and all) we were soaked through and almost hypothermic by the time we finished our day. We have loved Iceland and would love to return for longer next time.

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Iceland 2014/2015

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