Ski touring trip Iceland with mountain guide

The ski tour to Iceland, the largest volcanic island on earth, offers us unforgettable impressions and experiences. The unique landscape surrounded by the omnipresent elements of nature: fire, water, earth and air force us to pause and marvel.

Technics

Endurance

To the dates and registration

Highlights

Iceland's volcanic landscape is a unique combination of snow and mountains, hot springs, rivers and waterfalls, combined with an impressive coastline and the deep blue sea. Together we will explore, enjoy and travel Iceland. The north of Iceland with its mountain ranges and unique ski touring mountains offers magnificent tours. Fjords, bays and bizarre rock formations accompany us on our journey. Besides the ski tours, we will travel around the country and explore the culture and nature together. The country is full of legends and stories, so the volcanic island is also known as the Troll Peninsula. We will get to know some of them and immerse ourselves in the Icelandic culture.

Ski touring trip

Together we travel through Iceland and do unique ski tours on the Troll Peninsula. In April, the days in Iceland are already very long. The sun doesn't set until 9 pm and it stays light until shortly before 11 pm. This gives us the opportunity to do a lot and experience even more. So we are not only out on touring skis, but also exploring Iceland, bathing in hot springs and getting to know the nature and culture of Iceland.

The weather in Iceland is almost as wild as the story of Floki, the discoverer of Iceland. It changes very quickly and we will experience pretty much everything the weather brings. The days are long, so we can go with the weather.

The mountains on the Troll Peninsula are around 1000 to 1200 metres high, perfect for ski touring. We enjoy our ascents, go leisurely and look forward to lonely and unique descents.

Volcanic island

Iceland is rich in volcanoes due to its geological location. The island lies on the so-called Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where two tectonic plates are drifting apart. This movement creates cracks in the earth's crust through which magma can rise from the earth's interior. The activity is further enhanced by a hotspot in the Earth's interior beneath Iceland, a hot spot in the Earth's mantle that generates additional magma flows. The combination of tectonic plate movements and the hotspot leads to the formation and activity of many volcanoes on the island. Over time, the volcanic activity has resulted in an impressive landscape of lava fields, glaciers, geysers and hot springs.

Accommodation

The accommodation, an old farmhouse, is something very special. The location directly by the sea and the atmosphere invite you to stay. We have plenty of space, sleep in twin rooms and even have a sauna and hot tub!

Touring area
The Troll Peninsula, also known as Tröllaskagi, is a region in the north of Iceland. The peninsula stretches along the coast of the Skagafjörður fjord and offers a breathtaking landscape with steep mountains, deep valleys and picturesque fjords.
Trip - Tour itinerary
Programme of the ski touring trip in Iceland:

Iceland has an incredible amount to offer. The volcanic island is not only unique because of its landscape, but also because of its history and people. Iceland has become very popular in recent years, with holidays to Iceland booming, especially in summer. Nevertheless, it is still possible to travel off the beaten track and enjoy the country without the hustle and bustle, especially in the winter and spring months. Our trip is therefore planned at the right time, the days are already very long and there is time to experience a lot. There is also not much snow at low altitudes and the roads are passable even without an off-roader.

Saturday:
We meet at Keflavik International Airport, where our journey begins. Together we check our luggage and load it into our travelling vehicle, a van for nine people in a group of six. We drive north for about an hour and spend the night in a small hotel in a pretty village. We have the opportunity to eat real Icelandic food for the first time and enjoy our first evening together.

Sunday:
We drive the rest of the way north, about 4 hours, and are sure to see a lot on the way. An incredible number of migratory birds gather in the midlands at this time of year, thousands of geese migrate across the country and nest again. The landscape changes incredibly quickly and we enjoy the contrast between the South and North Island. If possible, we go on a ski tour, then move into our accommodation and heat up the sauna for the first time.

Monday to Friday:
We live in a house right by the Eyjafjord just outside Akureyri. The house has plenty of space for cooking and cosy get-togethers.
We can relax in the double rooms and have enough privacy to withdraw. We will go on regular ski tours during the day. Wherever the conditions are most promising. Experience shows that the tours don't take all day, we take our time to get to know the island and Iceland. There are many sights, hot springs, waterfalls and interesting stories.

Saturday:
We drive back to Reykjavik by car and spend the night in a hotel in the centre of Reykjavik. There's plenty to see here too and it's the perfect place to round off the trip.

Sunday:
On the last day, we drive back to the airport in the morning and fly home.

Suitable flight connection:

Flights from Icelandair:
- Outbound flight FI569, 14.00 ZRH - 16.00 KEF
- Return flight: FI568, 07.20 KEF - 13.05 ZRH
Accommodation
The time we don't spend on ski tours, sightseeing or the like, we enjoy together in our accommodation. We cook and cater for ourselves, the kitchen is great and the rooms invite us to chat, sit and be together.

We sleep in two bed rooms and the house has several bathrooms. There is enough space to retreat and find peace.
Requirements
- Mastering the ski touring technique with its basics (skins, hairpin bends). Often these are normal ski tours, as we know them from Switzerland. If possible, we also include tours with passages where we tie on the skis or a foot ascent is included.
- Safe downhill technique in open terrain and in different types of snow. We often find the most beautiful powder snow. But like everywhere else, the weather can do what it wants.
- Condition for 1000m of ascent at a leisurely pace over a week. Sometimes we will do less than 1000 m, maybe more. We divide the tours so that we have enough energy for all days!
- Splitboarders are welcome, provided they are experienced.
Price and performance
- CHF 3390.- for the whole trip from 4 participants:inside
- 500 CHF will be charged additionally for less than 4 participants.
- Small group up to a maximum of 6 guests per mountain guide.
- Hotel accommodation on arrival and departure
- Comfortable "old farmers house" right by the sea with hotpot, including catering in the accommodation.
- Spacious rental car with winter tyres, including fuel costs.
- Excluding flight and, if applicable, meals and consumptions in restaurants and cafes.
- Exclusive alcoholic beverages
- As we have high fixed costs, special cancellation fees apply for this trip. Travel insurance is recommended.
  
  Cancellation up to 180 days before departure: CHF 1500.-
  
  Cancellation up to 60 days before departure: 80 % of the tour price
  
  Cancellation 59 to 0 days before departure: full tour price