Driving north from Akureyri, we went right to the top of the peninsula and through some really long tunnels to the little town of Siglufjördur. As we came out of the tunnels into the blinding brightness, we were surprised to find snow had fallen right down to the sea level. Our intended objective had been to explore up a valley past some hot springs, but the temperatures were above freezing and the snow was changing into heavy, wet snow. We pulled into this layby to check the map and consider our options.
We decided our best bet was to get as high as possible in order to seek out the best snow. There was a small ski area above the town, which didn't open until 2pm, but would at least give us an easy ski down if the conditions proved to be as bad as we expected. At the car park, we met a local guy who was responsible for weather forecasting and he showed us a good local website that shows temperature sensors at different heights in the snow pack in the area. He also thought the snow should be good higher up, so we set off to have a look. There were are few piste machines heading up the hillside and we dropped a few hints that they might want to give us a tow, but no offers were forthcoming.
The weather remained good and we soon got into a good rhythm.
Above the ski area, we headed for the Col that would lead to the peak called Illvidrahnjúkur. Although we were relatively sheltered, as we got higher we could see a huge plume of snow being blown off the summit. As we approached the col, we watched and braced as one big gust blew a wall of spindrift down the slopes towards us.
We got armoured up with extra jackets just below the ridge before going for the final summit push.
As we neared the top, more and more views opened up in every direction. It felt like we were the only people for miles around exploring a whole new mountain range.
The last section was an easier angle, but the wind was really strong. I could only take a quick photo at a time before my hands got too cold without gloves on.
It was weird being able to see back out to sea from the top.
It was our first proper summit and marked with a whopper triangular pillar.
We were unsure on how good the snow would be for the descent, but it turned out to be fantastic.
Super soft, deep power for nice floaty, soft, wide turns while enjoying the views.
We decided to make the most of the conditions and carry on skiing down, below the height of the Col until the snow started to become crusty and hard again. Then we stopped for some lunch (there was no wind here) before skinning back up and over the col to the ski area.
The light was becoming flat as we reached the top of the deserted ski pistes, but there was enough visibility to enjoy some zooming down the untouched corduroy back to the car park.
We had a little look around town before heading off. It's a remote place to live, but full of colourful buildings down by the harbour. It took just over an hour to get back to the flat, where we collapsed onto sofas and got stuck into fresh pastries and a big pot of coffee.
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