Skiing, Iceland.
Jul 16, 2017, 5:14 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 75
Skiing, Iceland.
The last few years myself and some friends have been taking trips to Iceland (north and west) to ski some new lines. For those who haven't been, Iceland is a wonderful country with very welcoming locals and some great seafood.
There are a lot of TRs on here featuring waterfalls and whales. I wanted to show a different side of the island.
FD?
This is all human powered skiing. None of that heli drop stuff for us. Just good old sweat equity.
------
Some more TR related information.
Flights: We're cheap when we go skiing. So we take WOW Airlines. Lately that means the YUL-KEF flight. Pros: WOW's staff is great and the planes are clean. Cons: WOW nickel and dims you to death, your feel like you are tuna being packed into a can, and the plans are crazy hot. That said, WOW gets you there for a pretty cheap price if you pack smartly. Would I recommend WOW? No. Well, not if you are taller than 5'5" and don't have a rubber back and knee joints (i.e. are over 30).
One important note regarding ski bags. WOW has updated their baggage policy. If you now buy a ski bag, you get a ski and boot bag with a total weight limit of 30kg. Sounds good. Its not. In WOW's computer system, each bag is limited at 15kg. That's hard, if not impossible to meet, if you are serious skier. I have the lightest stuff you can have (generally). In my ski bag I have 188cm BD carbon megawatts with dynafit bindings, carbon bd poles, an ice axe, a mtn axe, a 80 meter rando rope, a harness, avy beacon, shovel, probe, helmet, goggles, crampons, headlamps, batteries, skins and assorted other ski junk. No way that weighs under 15kg. Impossible. Also, who checks their boots. No skiers I know. The result is that when you go to check in, there is significant confusion as they try to process it all. My suggestion: just keep stressing that its under 30kg and don't let up. Eventually they figure it out and move on. Smiling helps.
Now, more skiing.
For a whole week this one cooler stared at us. Could we drop it? Was the snow stable? Was the entrance going to kill us? Could we NOT go find out? Ughhhhhhhh Mom I'm scared.
Well, like most things, regret is worse than a bad trip.
So we set off to explore the Hidden Lady Couloir.
Ascent was pretty tame as we had set a skin track up to ski the mellow west side of the mtn earlier in the week. The snow had a lovely stable maritime texture with soft hoar feathers on the surface (good luck next time it snows).
Our friends veered off to have some fun (why don't I like fun) and left myself and my cohort to go explore the cooler.
At the top we notice some heavy wind scouring. "This isn't ideal." No. Not it isn't.
We had radios and a lot of high res photos to guide us to the entrance. A miss would have sent us over a 100-200 foot cliff. Cool.
As soon as we started to drop towards the entrance we knew we were in for some "fun." The scoured snow was table top hard Just absolute styrofoam. Mtn axe, edge, kick turn, mtn axe, edge, kick turn...don't fall...don't fall...shiiiit...mtn axe, edge, kick turn....
Finally getting to the entrance, somebody had the bright idea to say "well it's about to get a lot better"
Once inside the cooler...the top wasn't better. The snow was layered with a blocky breakable top layer with wind consolidated blocks breaking off about 4-5" deep and running off a rotten hoar layer of about 8"....just perfect for wanting to catch your skis and tomahawk you 800 feet down into some rocks. Awesome. You know we have a hot tub right....we choose to do this...
Once we got to the middle of the cooler the snow changed again. From windy packed pants-pooping snow it went to absolute fluff. The bottom 500 vert was a dream. Perfect finish.
There are a lot of TRs on here featuring waterfalls and whales. I wanted to show a different side of the island.
FD?
This is all human powered skiing. None of that heli drop stuff for us. Just good old sweat equity.
------
Some more TR related information.
Flights: We're cheap when we go skiing. So we take WOW Airlines. Lately that means the YUL-KEF flight. Pros: WOW's staff is great and the planes are clean. Cons: WOW nickel and dims you to death, your feel like you are tuna being packed into a can, and the plans are crazy hot. That said, WOW gets you there for a pretty cheap price if you pack smartly. Would I recommend WOW? No. Well, not if you are taller than 5'5" and don't have a rubber back and knee joints (i.e. are over 30).
One important note regarding ski bags. WOW has updated their baggage policy. If you now buy a ski bag, you get a ski and boot bag with a total weight limit of 30kg. Sounds good. Its not. In WOW's computer system, each bag is limited at 15kg. That's hard, if not impossible to meet, if you are serious skier. I have the lightest stuff you can have (generally). In my ski bag I have 188cm BD carbon megawatts with dynafit bindings, carbon bd poles, an ice axe, a mtn axe, a 80 meter rando rope, a harness, avy beacon, shovel, probe, helmet, goggles, crampons, headlamps, batteries, skins and assorted other ski junk. No way that weighs under 15kg. Impossible. Also, who checks their boots. No skiers I know. The result is that when you go to check in, there is significant confusion as they try to process it all. My suggestion: just keep stressing that its under 30kg and don't let up. Eventually they figure it out and move on. Smiling helps.
Now, more skiing.
For a whole week this one cooler stared at us. Could we drop it? Was the snow stable? Was the entrance going to kill us? Could we NOT go find out? Ughhhhhhhh Mom I'm scared.
Well, like most things, regret is worse than a bad trip.
So we set off to explore the Hidden Lady Couloir.
Ascent was pretty tame as we had set a skin track up to ski the mellow west side of the mtn earlier in the week. The snow had a lovely stable maritime texture with soft hoar feathers on the surface (good luck next time it snows).
Our friends veered off to have some fun (why don't I like fun) and left myself and my cohort to go explore the cooler.
At the top we notice some heavy wind scouring. "This isn't ideal." No. Not it isn't.
We had radios and a lot of high res photos to guide us to the entrance. A miss would have sent us over a 100-200 foot cliff. Cool.
As soon as we started to drop towards the entrance we knew we were in for some "fun." The scoured snow was table top hard Just absolute styrofoam. Mtn axe, edge, kick turn, mtn axe, edge, kick turn...don't fall...don't fall...shiiiit...mtn axe, edge, kick turn....
Finally getting to the entrance, somebody had the bright idea to say "well it's about to get a lot better"
Once inside the cooler...the top wasn't better. The snow was layered with a blocky breakable top layer with wind consolidated blocks breaking off about 4-5" deep and running off a rotten hoar layer of about 8"....just perfect for wanting to catch your skis and tomahawk you 800 feet down into some rocks. Awesome. You know we have a hot tub right....we choose to do this...
Once we got to the middle of the cooler the snow changed again. From windy packed pants-pooping snow it went to absolute fluff. The bottom 500 vert was a dream. Perfect finish.
Last edited by lionelhutzskis; Jul 25, 2017 at 12:32 pm
Jul 18, 2017, 6:20 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: AVV
Programs: QF, HH
Posts: 1,112
Great photos there; and what magnificent scenery! Iceland is one of those magical places. Do tell us more of your story, from the moment you stepped out your front door to the moment you returned. I'm all ears (or eyes, being online forums but you know).
Jul 18, 2017, 10:03 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Dorset, United Kingdom. Frequently at higher altitudes.
Programs: BAEC Gold and a few others
Posts: 103
Looks brilliant so far!
A client of ours went to Iceland for some heli-skiing but weather made it a bit of a non-starter!
Farbster I have a ski trip up my sleeve for the next TR...!
A client of ours went to Iceland for some heli-skiing but weather made it a bit of a non-starter!
Farbster I have a ski trip up my sleeve for the next TR...!
Jul 19, 2017, 3:18 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 75
The weather is fickle. In Feb. 2016 we had a week of absolute perfect weather and VERY stable snow. This year we dodged rain, ice, sleet, snow squalls and very unstable snow.
As for how we managed, it is just a lot of skinning, cramponing, beer and horse meatballs.
Jul 26, 2017, 12:40 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 75
Sep 9, 2017, 8:58 am
#15
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: JNB
Programs: Flying Blue, Miles and Smiles, Hhonors, ICHotels
Posts: 1,307
Your photos are amazing - please share more of the details.