 Poster: A snowHead
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Just back from a weeks holiday and would love to return to see it in winter.
It looked like there were a few towns with their own lifts, but only on a small scale. Clearly there is a massive potential and just wondrered if anyone had any recent experience....is there anywhere that would be a good base?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Bláfjöll Skiing Area
With its 11 lifts, Bláfjöll is the country's largest skiing area. Everybody, from beginners to experienced competitors, can find a slope suited to his or her ability, and in evening the main slopes are illuminated. Cross-country tracks from 3.5-10 km are made weather permitting, and a 5-km section is illuminated. There is also a refreshment center selling food and drink, with facilities for those who have brought their own.
Ski rental and Skiing School
There is also a ski rental, and a skiing school that offers instruction on weekends. Tracks specially intended for snowboarding, some illuminated, are among the area's newest additions.
Bláfjöll Lodge has a capacity of 150 (not overnight), which is used for banquets, meetings and various gatherings.
During summer it can be rented for many occasions, for example:
Birthday parties
Family reunions
Weddings
Conferences - meetings
Employee get-togethers
For more information, contact us at +354 561 8400.
Bláfjöll is open Monday - Friday from 10:00-21:00, and on weekends and public holidays from 10:00-18:00.
Skálafell Skiing Area
Skálafell is a wonderful area for all skiing enthusiasts, particularly for beginners and families. There are 5 lifts, including one which is 1200 meters long - the longest in Iceland. The main slopes are illuminated, and there is a cross-country area. A service center sells food and drink, has facilities for people with their own food, and rents skiing equipment. Snowboarders are welcome, and the best possible facilities are made in accordance with conditions.
Skiing instruction is available on weekends, and groups can reserve special classes. There is overnight accommodation for 100 skiers in lodges owned and operated by 3 skiing clubs: Ármann, Fram and Breiðablik.
For further information at tel. + 354 566 7095 and
+ 354 896 1318
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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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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 find it's ok for skiers but snowboarders find the long flat aisles quite difficult 
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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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Thanks Mike, I will have a look at those.
I was in Akureyri yesterday (!?) and could see what looked like lift lines/pistes on the mountain behind the town.
Did you get there .....was wondering how cold it actually gets and how practical it would be?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hilarious snowsteve.
Haven't been there Simon. Yet.
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It is flat, cold and dark. Bit like Finnish skiing.
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Where exactly please Whitegold?
Some of the terrain I've seen on the interweb and in ski movies looks more than challenging. If a little short on vertical. 500-800m ish
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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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Mike Pow, I did a daytrip to Blafjoll after a business trip a few years back. It was mostly blues. Getting to the steeper stuff in Iceland needs some traveling and hiking.
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Yep, that's pretty much what I found out on the interweb.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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So worth a go if you happen to be there in winter (pretty unlikely for most of us !), but think I will stick to more established (and larger) resorts in Europe for the time being.
Thanks for the feedback.
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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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The spring touring is supposed to be magic.
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You know it makes sense.
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looking forward to hitting Iceland this winter to do some snowkiting.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Is the snow in Iceland really reliable ? I know it's very far north but I thought it might suffer from the warm Atalantic currents surrounding it - a bit like Scotland ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ArseneWengen, I just had a Google and this is what Iceland looks like in January.
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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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TFC
I was pleasantly surprised at prices , but had been expecting it to be horrific. Car hire and booze expensive but thought food and hotels about same as for any major Western city (or ski resort!) Four of us had a 3 course meal in a good restaurant last Saturday in Akureyri for £30ph (admittedly beers only).
Must have been bl@@dy good fish and chips!!
BB
Hmmm, I am not sure what impact it has had, you could argue that as they have to import so much it is actually more expensive now?!
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I am living in Reykjavik, Iceland. There are 2 ski resorts within 30 km distance from Reykjavik, Bláfjöll is the better one. It is mostly blue pistes with 2 red ones. The longest piste is around 600 meters so they are rather short. Bláfjöll does not have snow cannons. So it is not snowsure anymore. Last winter we had only 5 opening days but 2009 it was opened from desember to may.
Akureyri has ski area that the people in Akureyri believe is good, but it isn't. The chair lift is in nursery slope and on top of that there is T-bar which is fine. But they got snow cannons which gives them more guaranteed opening. Last winter it was opened from november till 15 may. The best thing in Akureyri ski area is the possibility of back county skiing.
Many other villages has their own ski lift but it is always just a single drag lift.
So if you are planning ski trip in some ski resort, go to the alps.
But you can find very cool backcounty ski trips in Iceland.
The winter in Iceland is not cold, -2 to +6°C. I lived in Copenhagen and February there is much colder.
TFC, you have hit some tourist trap. Fish and chips for 2 costs 15£.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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boardiac - if only it was like that every January...
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We're going to Iceland in February - so looking forward to it, and have so many thoughts, so any help much appreciated so we can decide where to go and stay:
* thinking about doing a day's cross country for the inexperienced cross-country skier (we're more used to down hill). Any recommendations of where to go and a local group or guide? We're trying to do it on a budget.
* If fit little kids (11 and 8 years) can't really keep up on cross country skis, then a sledging babysitter for them would be good too! Advice please.
* glacier hikes open to 8 year olds in February - I've found one so far. Any recommendations of who to go with, or whether you can get up close to any glaciers safely?
* will the Northern lights have a better chance of being seen in the north or is staying in the south west fine?
* where are the most beautiful places you can actually get to in Iceland in winter?
* where's the best place to go to sit in hot water, including places you may need to hike to?
Thanks! Sophie
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I went on a stag-do to Reykjavik a few years back. On the first night, a friend and I snuck off to for an evening's ski at Blafjoll. It was brilliant - one of my best ever skiing experiences. Wonderful views (across a completely different landscape to the Alps) some lovely little runs (if fairly short but great for an evening), and incredible light. I have a photo of the slopes I took there up in my lounge - one of my favourites from any ski trip. Even the bus ride from Reyk was enjoyable (although a little hard to fathom out when and where to catch it).
All in all, a really magical experience, especially if you've done tons of skiing in the Alps and are looking for something different.
N Neige
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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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SophieFP, visited Iceland in June, rented a car from sadcars.com, strongly recommend them, much cheaper than other rental comps. However, sadcars fleet consists of 10yr old cars. We had a Toyota Rava 4, circa 2001, 230,000 on the clock!! It did us proud, we toured the island covering some 2,000kms without any problems, rough or surfaced roads. Checked under the bonnet on arrival, everything looked well maintained-fresh oil and filter despite the bodywork being a little the worse for wear, no worries then on getting small scratches/scrapes and getting fleeced on return. Pick-up at the airport quick and efficient.
On places to ski, we saw several lifts roadside Egilsstaoir-Seyoisfjordur and at Akureyri
Not sure how easy the roads are to negiotiate in winter, as has been suggested, I think winters can be mildish, locals did say they get snow but not alot away from the mountains.
Not sure where you are staying but since Iceland is famous for it's waterfalls, not too far from Reyjkavik (maybe 150kms) is Skogafoss on the coast near Skogar.Others closer to Reyjkavik are at Gulffoss right by Geysir.
For sitting or wading in hotwater it has to be the Blue Lagoon, near the international airport
As our experience was June based can't comment on winter situation.
B&b's (good standard ensuite) cost about £90 per room, restaurant food £90 for 2 including a couple of glasses beer/wine. Apparently prices have halved in the couple of years!!! Fast food outlets plentiful in Reykjavik.
Northern lights are very much weather dependant, obviously cloud is bad, Iceland isgenerally very cloudy-good luck with that.
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