 Poster: A snowHead
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They changed the rules for travel from the UK on May 17, for those who follow the law.
A shift in the vaccination schedules means I'll be doubly-vaccinated before the end of the month.
That led me to thinking that maybe this season isn't over just yet.
I rode in Iceland in early May in 2019. The snow was the worst I've ridden, other than the stuff on
Royston Golf course, and massively more expensive. Here's a shot from then.
It's mostly easy corn snow in wide-open if sometimes steep terrain, which I failed to capture with this snap.
The first dot to the right of the skier's head is another skier, and you can probably ride to the inlet at the top
of the shot if you pick your gully carefully and really want to. You're more likely to be riding the soft snow at
midnight than the icy sastrugi in the morning. Down days involved more herrings than many people would
be comfortable with.
Anyway, this year the conditions are visibly better, with much more snow much lower down. I'd rather not
have an entire season of posting about snowboarding rather than doing it, so I shall be waving my NHS
and Rakning C-19 Apps around in early June and maybe I'll get something out of the season.
Now, where did I put all that gear?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Fingers crossed for you
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Interesting, what kind of costs are you looking at???
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I try not to think about how many pallets my younger self would have had to stack
to make one run as it doesn't help and I can't take it with me when I'm done.
The price is easily googled, or PM me for gory details.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@kitenski, it is not actually all that expensive if you can get a small group together (or join a group of like- minded souls). I ran a trip there a few years back for a group of 4 and the cost per head was pretty reasonable (though I would say that...!  ). Would have to look back through my archives for the detail.
The fish soup in Dalvik is a thing of wonder!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Is the snow in Iceland generally s hite? I check the posts on FB from a number of heli-ski operators and although they'll of course talk themselves up they seem to find good snow a hell of a lot...
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Yes, like Alaska, it's mostly without trees and very close to the ocean.
The other side of the coin is that you get to ride steep stuff as the snow sticks well.
For good snow you want interior BC early season; that's not what this is.
This video gives you an idea of conditions in May 2019 when I was there before.
I have some mates who work at the two operators on the Troll peninsular. This year's conditions have been
better than May 2019, in terms of snow coverage. Of course it can easily rain multiple days in a row.
Then freeze. I managed to arrange trips to both operators. I'm going to get my fill whilst I can.
Iceland changed their rules a couple of days ago, but so far it appears still possible to visit
from the UK if you're double-vaccinated. You get a free test on arrival then you can drive
whilst you await the results. A "vaccination passport" and "quarantine" system.
It's safer on all counts to stay home.
Hence "all my bags are packed, I'm ready to go".
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LHR was quiet and civilized.
Food as crap as ever, some places closed down. T2 doesn't have any actual kitchens as far as I can tell.
It does have lots of crap watch shops - why do they not make stupidly expensive watches which are actually pretty?
The flight was about 1/3 full, masks compulsory and hygine kits provided.
Iceland have it dialled... the airport walk was if anything quicker than normal, really efficient, presumably because they only had a couple of flights in.
The PCR test (free) was disgusting but I managed not to throw up on the guy and it is funny.
The hire car people were brilliantly corrupt - I let them know as subtly as I could that this wasn't my first rodeo, but they still tried all the tricks to upsell me insurance.
Apparently in Iceland they have snowstorms which just rip the paint off cars, and there is *** no limit *** to the amount of money they could bill me if that should happen, which it most certainly will.
Yeah, right. I should have recorded the sales pitch, but I will certainly use it as evidence of their fraudulent approach should they try to bill me the price of a Porsche for a POS cheapo hire car on it's last legs which has been rained on. Sometimes I hate the effect of commission based sales.
The drive across the island was uneventful. There were sheep, and lambs, and the odd other car. No paint stripper sandstorms or flesh eating aliens were encountered.
I arrived in Siglufjörður where quarantine was quite reasonably enforced. You need to have your negative test result or you're confined to your room. I bought my phone the day after Whistler closed down, so it didn't know the wifi network here, and I'm too tight fisted to pay data roaming charges... so a quick press of a few buttons were required before I could join the locals supping Icelandic IPA in a Covid and mask free environment. Which I think is described in the second of these books (in time order, which is not what's shown in my image here). I've seen the TV series set here, but not read the books until now.
There's no food available this late at night, but they do have beer.
They rode today, and tomorrow's looking good although there's a rumour of rain which is not good any way you look at it. I drove through sleet north of Reykjavik today...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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nice mate . I was there same time as you in 2019 , even with the low tide I had a blast and will be back for sure , have fun
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You know it makes sense.
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Transit day. Met some ski tourers.
It rained, but I think that doesn't much matter as the snow's all consolidated anyway.
Here's my new ride. It's probably garbage, but it looks sexy and I like the fenestrated tail rotor.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Um, yeah, another day, another run. That's a phone snap so it doesn't really show the steepness,
but you get the basic idea. We did ride down to the sea, but there's a cliff there so you can't quite
wet your toes in it. It is very pretty.
Today was the best snow I've encountered in Iceland in either trip here; this is the goods.
There is a fair amount of whale traffic in the fjord - we saw a pod on the way home, but my phone camera wasn't really up to the job.
This is Arctic's tenure, so about an hour's drive from Siglu. The shot's from across the fjord from Dalvik.
Someone asked about touring, and there are people staying at the lodge here for touring only. They also have
touring kit which I think they rent. They're having fun as far as I can tell.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Now that's monomania!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Wonderful to see someone making turns!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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great to see
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Wow, Iceland looks stunning!
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