“If someone speaks of Iceland, usually terms like trolls, elfs, active volcanos, fascinating geysers, spectacular waterfalls, endless expanses, dreamy fishing villages and of course ghostly polar lights come to mind. Few people are aware that Iceland is a true paradise for ski mountaineers and freeriders.
Therefore in the spring of 2017 I went to explore the northernmost volcanic island of the world on touring skis, together with my crew - Roman Lachner from the Prime Skiing magazine, Mira 'Meigi' Naumann and Max Fechner. Our journey started in Frankfurt, from there we went to Reykjavik, the capital of the small island state of Iceland. After we left the airport, well equipped with malt-containing drinks from the Duty-Free shop, we were picked up by our guide Andi Bucher from Alpine Welten. Fitting all of our equipment into the rental car was the first challenge but we managed it – “TETRIS style”. After that we had six hours of driving toward the northern part of the island ahead of us. The journey to the small fishing village of Ölafsfjördur was an example of everything we had heard about Iceland so far. We were able to enjoy the Icelandic roads and the unique weather: from sunshine and fortified roads to gravel roads with the most extreme snow drifts.
When we arrived in Olafsfjördur, the finest winter weather was welcoming us. Fresh snow as far as the eyes can see. That boosted our motivation, because for the next day we wanted to do our first location check. We were looking for urban spots where we could unpack our shovels, because ski tours were not the only thing on our "to-do" list. But first we settled into our cozy apartment, which was actually almost one half of a duplex house, completely for us alone, in the middle of the village.
On the first day, we quickly realized that Iceland can be pretty harsh. The weather changes within minutes and the Icelandic saying "If you do not like the weather, wait 15 minutes" is quite justified. But as everyone knows: there is no bad weather, just bad clothing! So I put on my super-functional Yeti Hunter Combo by Planks Clothing and I was ready to defy wind and weather. The search for optimal lines and perfect urban spots could start.
On the second day, after we explored the area and settled in properly, we went on our first ski tour. We found a nearby peak from which a promising snow ravine led down into the valley and ended at the seashore. The channel was filled with the finest powder - the perfect choice. This was the kickoff for our project. Roman - our photographer - pulled out his camera and we waited for the optimal weather and the right lighting conditions. Fifteen minutes later our luck changed and the Icelandic weather thwarted our plans. But thanks to our extensive exploration of Olafsfjördur’s surroundings we still had an ace up our sleeves. We went to a lower location right by the sea to visit a couple of nice spots for jibs and handdrags that we found earlier.
The next day we went to explore the Terrain in the neighboring valley - a true playground for all ski tourers and freeriders! Unspoiled powder slopes as far as the eye can see... it was hard to decide where to start. But quickly a slope on the opposite side of the valley drew our attention. So we put our skins under the slates and up we went. It was a two hour ascent, followed by a 1000 meter altitude run on the most fluffy powder snow - ideal conditions for shooting and a panorama that leaves you mesmerized. And it proved that in Iceland, even when you are just out looking for good shooting spots, it can turn into the most amazing powder day.
On the fourth day, Iceland showed us its harshest side yet, the wind swept across the country at about 130 km/h. It whistled through the beams of our little house. Rather bad conditions to stand on top of a mountain peak, so we decided to go for a regular "tourist day" instead. Our guide, who had been on the island for over 6 weeks, had already explored the area and was happy to show us something different than ski tours. We went eastwards to Akureyri, the second largest city in Iceland with just 18.191 inhabitants, which is at the end of the 70km-long Eyjafjordur fjord. From there we passed beautiful landscapes and countless Iceland ponies and went on to the Godafoss waterfalls. Since the Godafoss is right next to the ring road, a road that goes once around the entire island, we shared this spectacle with a bunch of other tourists, but somehow it is a must-see anyways.
The final destination of our tourism program was the Myvatn Nature Baths. A so-called hot pot. These hot springs in Iceland are about as popular as beer gardens in Bavaria, a genuine piece of Icelandic culture. If you did not bathe in one of the countless hot pots you did not truly visit Iceland. In contrast to Bavarian beer gardens, the geothermically heated baths, are pure relaxation instead of brass music and grilled chicken.
Fresh and restored, we started our next ski tour on the fifth day with the finest weather forecast. After a balanced breakfast with Icelandic Bláber Skyr and untypical but extremely satiable bacon & eggs, we went to a small "warm-up" tour to take pictures of a few smaller spots we had found on the days before. Since Iceland lies in the northern tropic of this wonderful earth, the days seem almost endless. In our village the sun did not set until about 10 pm and rose again around 5 am in the morning. Even if you have to get used to that rhythm, the long days are very convenient for skiing tours. Back at home, during this time of the year, you already need to be equipped with a headlamp, in Iceland on the other hand you can still relax without having to worry about the darkness.
So it was not uncommon for us to start our second ski tour of the day at 6 pm. But this time we started even later with the goal to capture a great sunset shot. But the sunset came faster than we anticipated. We hardly reached the top and did not even have time for a drink, because the sun was slowly but surely disappearing behind the mountains. So we quickly packed up our stuff and rode downhill on a sun-drenched orange slope. And that was not all! When we were back in our apartment, being merry and sipping beer, suddenly the notorious northern lights appeared on the horizon. We stood together on the balcony and marveled at this unusual spectacle. We wanted to capture this special moment on camera so we put on our skiing gear and headed up the mountain. An action shot with northern lights in the background was on the agenda. We quickly made our way to a spot we sighted two days before, and were ready to take the perfect shot! But just when I dropped in for the first hit, the northern lights disappeared as quickly and mysteriously as they had appeared. Shit happens…!
On the last night in Olafsfjördur, the weather gods seemed to act in our favour, it was snowing thick heavy white flakes. This meant: finest powder for the last day. And then the next morning, the sun came out. It does not get any better than this! We saved the best for last and climbed to a distant ridge approximately 2.5 hours away. Everybody picked their line and for me personally, it was the best line of my entire winter. It is difficult to put into words, because I never saw let alone rode something comparable back at home. In a nutshell, the last day could not have been any better.
After this legendary line we returned to Reykjavik completely satisfied. After several days in the secluded north of the country, we went back to the capital. From a cozy fishing village with almost 1,000 inhabitants to a city with over 120,000 inhabitants – was it a culture shock? Somehow yes, but we celebrated it away in the countless bars and clubs of Reykjavik, and despite the pricey beer we had an awesome time. Maybe our unique experiences during this trip had something to do with our euphoria as well.
In summary, even if a trip to Iceland is not the cheapest, it is a wonderful country with impressive people and even more impressive nature. Whether in the capital or in the province, the locals welcome you with open arms. Iceland is a true paradise for all touring skiers and freeriders. For now, you can still enjoy this country undisturbed, but the tourism will surely increase in the coming years, so be quick and experience your own Iceland adventure as soon as possible!
Cheers ,
Daniel”
