Iceland – adventures in the Arctic winter
February 2011: We travel to the north of Iceland for a photoshoot and meet 5 young, local Icelanders for a weekend adventure around Dalvík.
Winter is child’s play for them: Orri
Þorm
ar
Birta
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which liday home, ho e th e: vík, is t and explor farm at Dal Let’s get ou ð i e k S n o n outside er cow bar is the form still light s ’ t i t u B . and ly cosy ares Wanja m o w fantastical t e h T w! joy the sno so let’s en ea. d the same i Chamsa have
Guesthouse Skeid at Dalvík
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h the on DalvĂk beac n: io ss mi ne ri Ma ched orers find blea 5 intrepid expl ks in washed out trac driftwood and are the Orri and Birta the dark sand. rts. navigation expe
Dalv Ăk
Choc
colate time The sea air makes them hungry. After all that fresh air in their lungs, they need some sustenance: hot cocoa and a big slice of chocolate cake.
Rendezvous at the harbour. Our 5 sailors go sailing in a fishing cutter in Ejaförður fiord. Þordis and Styrmir are checking whether the fish are biting. And all of them are watching for signs of the white smokers. Hot water (72°C!) bubbles out of the three underwater chimneys (up to 45 m high!) at Akureyri.
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Akureyri
a f o g n i n n The begi . p i h s d n e i r f beautiful
We visit Sveinbjörn “Simbi” Hjörleifsson and his Hringsholt riding stables, 15 minutes from Skeið. Before riding out, the children and the ponies get to know each other so each of the five quickly finds their ‘own’ Iceland pony. Orri has now discovered a passion for riding even though the love of his life is pretending to be a bit camera-shy here.
On top of Kaldbakur (1167 m). The mountain lives up to its name of “cold back�: the wind is howling round our ears. We zoom up on the snowmobile to save our energy for the snowshoe hike and tobogganing.
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Back at Skeið the first task is to light a fire so that it’s nice and cosy when they share together all their adventures of the last few days. This will give them plenty to daydream about when they’re back at school on Monday.
Warmers for the winter wonderland:
KIDS ATMOSPHERE DOWN JACKET This extremely wind-repellent down jacket makes you feel as if you’re tucked up under your duvet. It has a system zip so it can be worn under our waterproof TEXAPORE jackets, which are also fitted with this type of zip.
KIDS HOODED HIGHOFT HACKET We use our warmest NANUK 300 HIGHLOFT fleece for this hooded jacket. That’s what makes it so fluffy and warm.
KIDS ARCTURUS XT PARKA Extremely durable, this weatherproof parka has a very thick thermal lining. Its hood is in the polar explorer style and it has large pockets to hold collected treasures. The shell fabric, which contains cotton, is backed by a waterproof, very breathable lining - keeping rain, wind and snow at bay.
GIRLS SERPENTINE JACKET This warm 3-in-1 jacket comprises a waterproof, breathable shell jacket and an inner jacket made of warm fleece. Both jackets are usually worn together in winter but in summer they are ideal for wearing separately.
KIDS SNOW DIVER TEXAPORE The waterproof winter boot consisting of synthetic nubuck leather has a lovely warm lining and high-cut uppers – keeping the snow out. The waterproof, highly breathable TEXAPORE O2 membrane delivers the weatherproof spec. Thanks to the triple hook & loop strap system, they are easy peasy to put on and take off.
Iceland’s north coast The photoshoot around Dalvík in February 2011 took 3 days. The fact that the area is close to the Arctic Circle was very obvious not only because of the volume of snow but also because of the icy wind. But this didn’t bother the 5 photo adventurers at all. www.dalvik.is www.travel2dalvik.com
How to get there Flight to Reykjavík, e.g. from Frankfurt, Cologne/Bonn, Munich or Hamburg. Then onward travel by car, bus or a domestic flight to Akureyri. From Akureyri it’s another 45 km by car to Dalvík.
Accommodation Guesthouse Skeið is about 18 km away from Dalvík in the Svarfaðardalur valley. The history of the farmhouse dates back to the 11th century. The holiday home was once a cow barn; the two horses live next door in the winter. Further accommodation options are offered in the house (e.g. sleeping bag accommodation on the top floor). www.thule-tours.com/
Outdoor activities In the wintry mountains around Skeið there is more than just tobogganing and snowshoe hiking on offer. There are impressive trails for cross-country and downhill skiers as well. Horse riding, mountain bike trips or even hikes to suit all levels are popular in the summer.