Archive For August 16, 2024
There are never any weather or snow guarantees and certainly not in destinations such as Iceland. Probabilities are as good as we get. So in Iceland you would not be surprised to encounter grey skies, wind, snow and rain.
We had all of this, except the rain, double XL. It was mid-April and it felt like we had stepped back into winter.
On our drive to Eskifjordur we were stuck at the Skaftafjell Hotel with the roads closed in both directions due to winds gusting to over 50 m/s. Our minibuses would have been literally blown off the road. Of course, there are worst places to get stuck than a comfortable hotel with à la carte dining and a well-stocked bar. The walls shook from the blasts and on our early morning walk we often had to crouch down, progress to windward being impossible.
To add to the driving challenges were those we faced whilst ski touring on variable snow with wind and very flat light. Every morning after our delicious breakfast at Randulf’s we would get geared up and head back out into the White Room, skins on to do what we could. Perseverance paid off and we managed some great skiing and a couple of lovely tops when the weather permitted.
For those who love the outdoors, visiting and skiing in Iceland is an immense privilege. Dealing with the weather is part of the experience.