Living in Colorado, I am long accustomed to skiing in June. Arapahoe Basin spins its lifts as late as possible, and once it closes, a little bit of hiking gets you turns all summer long. But as fun as late-late-spring skiing can be, it doesn’t always afford either a lot of vert or stellar snow conditions. That all changed last week, when @R.B. and I met up with some long-time friends in Iceland for a few days of heliskiing.
After landing in Reykjavik on a Saturday morning, we spent the rest of the day wandering around Iceland’s quirky capital. When we retired for the night, we were exhausted but excited for the next day, when we were to head north to Klængsholl Lodge, home base of Arctic Heli Skiing. The sky had been gray since we arrived, but by the time we arrived on the Troll Peninsula Sunday afternoon, everything had cleared up.
We drove up the beautiful Skidadalur Valley to be greeted at Klængsholl Lodge by a red, polka-dotted helicopter sitting in a lush field. We were directed to our rooms and given a tour of the premises, then went to unpack and get settled. Later we reconvened for dinner, where we met the guides, pilot, in-house chef, and other staff, and enjoyed the first of many top-rate meals.
Day 1
Monday was bright and sunny, and we skied a lot. I believe we had 14 drops, give or take, and skied most of the runs without needing to stop. I’m not sure how much vertical it was, but most runs seemed to be between 1,200 and 2,000 ft, with some longer ones thrown in.
Day 2
Our second day dawned a bit gray. Because the guides expected the clouds to move out later, morning departure was delayed — then delayed again, and finally scrapped completely. Skiing was postponed until evening, and we were instead taken on a tour along the Troll Peninsula to see various local sites, including the town Siglufjördur, where we had lunch and visited the Herring Museum (don’t laugh, it was really cool), and the Saudanes lighthouse.
By the time we returned to the lodge, the clouds were gone. We met up for skiing at about 7:30 p.m. After a half dozen runs, we flew to a hut on the Eyjafjördur, where the chef and staff had prepared another amazing dinner (monkfish skewers, famous Icelandic hot dogs, and crème brûlée stood out), and then we headed back out for more skiing.
Here we were, a week before the solstice, up at 66° north. The sun never disappears; it just descends toward the ocean, dips its toe in, and goes back up. If you like sunsets and sunrises, well, they aren’t fleeting here in June: they go on and on and on. Alpenglow lasts for hours, not minutes. It also means you can ski all night long, which we didn’t quite do, but we were out at the stroke of midnight.
So, we skied more in this golden light, took a lot of photos, and then landed on the beach one more time, up toward the mouth of fjörd, to watch the “sunset” while enjoying a bonfire and champagne toast. Spectacular doesn’t begin to describe it. Eventually we wrapped up and returned to the lodge, somewhere around 2 a.m. Breakfast was blessedly postponed until 10, and I slept harder than I have in years.
Day 3
After our two very full days, we had only 13 min of flight time left, which was good for a couple of long runs and a picnic up above the valley. It was the perfect lazy, sunny ending to ski season.
The Operation
The farmhouse is typical for Iceland, a whitewashed building with a red roof; it houses the kitchen and eating and living areas, along with a few overflow bedrooms. The guest cabins are little duplexes, each side consisting of a downstairs sitting room with bath and extra bed, and a queen bed upstairs under the rafters. The mini fridge is stocked with beer, wine, and other drinks, and there is a small espresso machine for pick-me-ups.
Other buildings are the “barn,” containing the ski shop, yoga studio, lounging areas, and gear lockers; there are also ping pong and pool tables. The turf-roofed bath house has a sauna, showers, and massage room, with a hot tub on the porch.
I can’t say enough about the food provided, which was fresh and local and expertly prepared. Dinner each night just got better and better: we had fish, steak, and lamb. Breakfast was a huge spread with bread and croissants, sliced cheese and cold cuts, Arctic char, hard-boiled eggs, muesli, skyr (Icelandic yogurt), mini pancakes, tomato and cucumber slices, fruit, and wonderfully strong coffee. We ate lunch outside during the day; it usually consisted of excellent sandwiches and various snacks packed into the helis.
The Skiing
You know all the good things about spring skiing? That nice, laid-back, contented feeling? No need to wake before dawn, or race the hordes for first chair? Here it is, in droves. By now, this maritime snowpack is very stable, so there is no need to constantly assess for avalanche danger. Ski season is almost over, and only a few clients are there anyway, so there is no reason to farm turns. The temperature stays fairly consistent, and the sun doesn’t really go away, so you don’t have those huge swings that affect the snow too much. And the snow: miles and miles of smooth, soft corn. Temps were nice and warm, almost too warm the first day. I wore a hoodie and an Arc’teryx Atom LT jacket, and it was a bit much. It was slightly cooler during the night skiing, when the breeze had picked up a bit. The biggest problem for me was that skiing down over the water was, at times, highly distracting.
All gear is available there at the lodge, including packs and beacon/shovel/probe, although it is strongly suggested to bring your own boots. They offer mostly Völkl skis along with a few other brands such as Praxis and Moment. I ended up bringing my own Völkl 100Eights to ensure binding compatibility with my WTR soles, and they were perfect for the conditions.
Guides Einar, JB, and Stephane and pilot Kåre were total pros. They were personable and informative, and we felt safe, relaxed, and under control at all times. Occasionally they were also funny.
Yes, I'm Going Back
We spent another few days in Iceland, visiting the town of Akureyri and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula as we drove back down south. We saw waterfalls, lava fields, lots of sheep and horses, and SUVs with gigantic tires. We climbed up to a volcanic crater and down to a black-pebbled beach. We ate more Icelandic hot dogs, fish soup, and ice cream, and drank more Viking beer. And we didn't even get to the touristy part of the country -- so of course I must return. And I'll go in June, for more skiing.
We booked through the adventure travel company EpicQuest, which is offering next year at a 10% discount now through mid-July. See here for information.
After landing in Reykjavik on a Saturday morning, we spent the rest of the day wandering around Iceland’s quirky capital. When we retired for the night, we were exhausted but excited for the next day, when we were to head north to Klængsholl Lodge, home base of Arctic Heli Skiing. The sky had been gray since we arrived, but by the time we arrived on the Troll Peninsula Sunday afternoon, everything had cleared up.
We drove up the beautiful Skidadalur Valley to be greeted at Klængsholl Lodge by a red, polka-dotted helicopter sitting in a lush field. We were directed to our rooms and given a tour of the premises, then went to unpack and get settled. Later we reconvened for dinner, where we met the guides, pilot, in-house chef, and other staff, and enjoyed the first of many top-rate meals.
Day 1
Monday was bright and sunny, and we skied a lot. I believe we had 14 drops, give or take, and skied most of the runs without needing to stop. I’m not sure how much vertical it was, but most runs seemed to be between 1,200 and 2,000 ft, with some longer ones thrown in.
Day 2
Our second day dawned a bit gray. Because the guides expected the clouds to move out later, morning departure was delayed — then delayed again, and finally scrapped completely. Skiing was postponed until evening, and we were instead taken on a tour along the Troll Peninsula to see various local sites, including the town Siglufjördur, where we had lunch and visited the Herring Museum (don’t laugh, it was really cool), and the Saudanes lighthouse.
By the time we returned to the lodge, the clouds were gone. We met up for skiing at about 7:30 p.m. After a half dozen runs, we flew to a hut on the Eyjafjördur, where the chef and staff had prepared another amazing dinner (monkfish skewers, famous Icelandic hot dogs, and crème brûlée stood out), and then we headed back out for more skiing.
Here we were, a week before the solstice, up at 66° north. The sun never disappears; it just descends toward the ocean, dips its toe in, and goes back up. If you like sunsets and sunrises, well, they aren’t fleeting here in June: they go on and on and on. Alpenglow lasts for hours, not minutes. It also means you can ski all night long, which we didn’t quite do, but we were out at the stroke of midnight.
So, we skied more in this golden light, took a lot of photos, and then landed on the beach one more time, up toward the mouth of fjörd, to watch the “sunset” while enjoying a bonfire and champagne toast. Spectacular doesn’t begin to describe it. Eventually we wrapped up and returned to the lodge, somewhere around 2 a.m. Breakfast was blessedly postponed until 10, and I slept harder than I have in years.
Day 3
After our two very full days, we had only 13 min of flight time left, which was good for a couple of long runs and a picnic up above the valley. It was the perfect lazy, sunny ending to ski season.
The Operation
The farmhouse is typical for Iceland, a whitewashed building with a red roof; it houses the kitchen and eating and living areas, along with a few overflow bedrooms. The guest cabins are little duplexes, each side consisting of a downstairs sitting room with bath and extra bed, and a queen bed upstairs under the rafters. The mini fridge is stocked with beer, wine, and other drinks, and there is a small espresso machine for pick-me-ups.
Other buildings are the “barn,” containing the ski shop, yoga studio, lounging areas, and gear lockers; there are also ping pong and pool tables. The turf-roofed bath house has a sauna, showers, and massage room, with a hot tub on the porch.
I can’t say enough about the food provided, which was fresh and local and expertly prepared. Dinner each night just got better and better: we had fish, steak, and lamb. Breakfast was a huge spread with bread and croissants, sliced cheese and cold cuts, Arctic char, hard-boiled eggs, muesli, skyr (Icelandic yogurt), mini pancakes, tomato and cucumber slices, fruit, and wonderfully strong coffee. We ate lunch outside during the day; it usually consisted of excellent sandwiches and various snacks packed into the helis.
The Skiing
You know all the good things about spring skiing? That nice, laid-back, contented feeling? No need to wake before dawn, or race the hordes for first chair? Here it is, in droves. By now, this maritime snowpack is very stable, so there is no need to constantly assess for avalanche danger. Ski season is almost over, and only a few clients are there anyway, so there is no reason to farm turns. The temperature stays fairly consistent, and the sun doesn’t really go away, so you don’t have those huge swings that affect the snow too much. And the snow: miles and miles of smooth, soft corn. Temps were nice and warm, almost too warm the first day. I wore a hoodie and an Arc’teryx Atom LT jacket, and it was a bit much. It was slightly cooler during the night skiing, when the breeze had picked up a bit. The biggest problem for me was that skiing down over the water was, at times, highly distracting.
All gear is available there at the lodge, including packs and beacon/shovel/probe, although it is strongly suggested to bring your own boots. They offer mostly Völkl skis along with a few other brands such as Praxis and Moment. I ended up bringing my own Völkl 100Eights to ensure binding compatibility with my WTR soles, and they were perfect for the conditions.
Guides Einar, JB, and Stephane and pilot Kåre were total pros. They were personable and informative, and we felt safe, relaxed, and under control at all times. Occasionally they were also funny.
Yes, I'm Going Back
We spent another few days in Iceland, visiting the town of Akureyri and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula as we drove back down south. We saw waterfalls, lava fields, lots of sheep and horses, and SUVs with gigantic tires. We climbed up to a volcanic crater and down to a black-pebbled beach. We ate more Icelandic hot dogs, fish soup, and ice cream, and drank more Viking beer. And we didn't even get to the touristy part of the country -- so of course I must return. And I'll go in June, for more skiing.
We booked through the adventure travel company EpicQuest, which is offering next year at a 10% discount now through mid-July. See here for information.
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The only skiing I have done in the Eastern half of North America that might remotely have the same mtns-meet-the-sea feel is in Quebec at Le Massif beside the St. Lawrence Seaway where the river is about 10-15 miles wide. No midnight sun though. I have never been to Iceland and as interesting as the ski scenery was, I also liked your non-ski photos. Extraordinary and beautiful landscapes, similar to those in recent Ben Stiller film Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
