Anyone Ever Ski Iceland? Anyone Ever Been There?

[The Reverend Floater]

How's the skiing? How's the exchange rate? How's the poon? We all want to know!

[ulty_guy]

new frequency has an article about it, i have it, but haven't read it yet. at any rate, icelandic air runs pretty good deals on it from london, i might have to give it a shot in march/april.

poon is purportedly pounderiffic

[bagtagley]

poon is purportedly pounderiffic

Yoink!

2345

[grrrr]

Iceland mini!

[chamdrew]

I stopped in Reykavik a few years ago on my way to London cause it was the cheapest flight. Blew whatever money I saved on the flight in one night out. Crazy expensive town -- minimum $8 beers (and that was in '00). There are many hotties though and the landscape is spectacular -- volcanic, lunar-looking tundra. Unlike anything else I've ever seen. Don't know much about the skiing other than the lift-served is really small. I was there in the fall and the lifts weren't even turning yet but I drove by the hill closest to town and it was pretty unimpressive. Backcountry potential is massive though, I'm sure. Don't know if that's any help, but there you have it anyway.

[SnowyOwl]

Crazy expensive town -- minimum $8 beers (and that was in '00). There are many hotties though and the landscape is spectacular.

I did some work in Iceland a number of years ago and can vouch for both statements. Killer babes and killer prices. Everything needs to be shipped in. It is an incredible landscape - think Lord of the Rings with more ocean shots. All roads ring the coastline - interior is accessible by vehicle only in summer. If you had a couple of sleds and knew the landscape, it would be wild. Its the size of the state of New York with about 300,000 inhabitants. Don't know the snowpack data, but there is constant precip in Reykjavik on the south coast in winter - and branch of the Gulf Stream slams into the south coast, and the interaction of cold currents, warm currents and land mass creates a heady atmospheric brew. I remember the weather in Reykjavik in Feb as being day=32.5 degrees and raining and night being 31.5 and snowing. This was pretty constant. It is a really really neat culture - highest literacy rate in earth, and a real regard for art. Geothermal heats everything.

[Tap]

That "Girls Gone Wild - Iceland" was off da hook, yo!

[The Reverend Floater]

That "Girls Gone Wild - Iceland" was off da hook, yo!

Sold. See y'all in Reyjavikakaijivckkk.

[cj001f]

This looks like a good time:
http://www.offpistemag.com/iceland/iceland.html
Cheap airfare from the East Coast on Iceland Air - you can even get a several day layover to/from another European destination. They make you pay for your own booze on the plane though

[Ripzalot]

not much vertical in iceland. great for kiteski tho.

better off to go to greenland instead. i read an excellent article on greenland a while back. real edge-of-the-world conditions and experience. i'll post it if i can find it.....

[morningdew]

I spent two weeks over there a few Septembers ago, mainly backpacking and exploring the interior. As others have said, the scenery is other-worldly, the women are beautiful, and certain things (esp. booze) can be ridiculously expensive. Go, even if it isn't to ski.

I've heard that the skiing can be good when the weather lifts, which isn't too often. A friend of mine went back over to ski and wound up getting a spot on a fishing boat headed to an island north of Iceland to make some turns...I think he ended up being seasick most of the time on the boat, then they hung out in a foggy camp on this island for a few days and never really got any significant skiing in.

Lots of glaciated terrain in Iceland that could be sweet, if you can find a way to access it. And I think the coastal stuff depends more on weather than anything. For a good source of info, try reaching Oskar at Ultima Thule Expeditions: http://www.ute.is/english/
He gave us a lot of good info for our trip, even though we weren't ponying up for one of his tours. Like I said, just go. Any skiing would be icing on the cake.

[Mcwop]

I swam in this pool in Iceland:
http://homepage.mac.com/mcwop/.Pictu...AE0B7211D9.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/mcwop/.Pictu...9A0B7211D9.jpg

[edg]

Been there in summer. There was a sign post to a ski resort, but checking in a little guide book revealed it had winter openings only. Scenery is fucking awesome; lunar looking rocks, excellent sea scenery, MASSIVE glaciers (bigger I've seen up close) and driving through the fault line is just damned cool The touring there would be amazing, and I think you should be able to find plenty of good snow

edg

[SnowyOwl]

I swam in this pool in Iceland:
[/IMG]

The Blue Lagoon! That place is fucking awesome. Outfall from one of the biggest geothermal plants in the world. 12" of pure white silicone ooze lines the bottom, thus the weird blue glow. Water is superheated at 350 degrees and still liquid due to pressure. Dissolves silicone out of the rocks.

[mrw]

not much vertical in iceland.

When lacking vertical, concentrate on the horizonal

[edg]

The Blue Lagoon! That place is fucking awesome. Outfall from one of the biggest geothermal plants in the world. 12" of pure white silicone ooze lines the bottom, thus the weird blue glow. Water is superheated at 350 degrees and still liquid due to pressure. Dissolves silicone out of the rocks.

But they don't tell you that...

Geothermal plant -> natural hot spring
Silicone ooze -> revitalizes beauty mud (isn't that the stuff they sell in bottles?)
Weird blue glow -> 100% natural wonder

The real natural ones are quite cool too, went to one at a campsite in the 'interior' and one about an hours drive from the air port (on a hiking path from a campsite).

Good stuff...

edg

[L7]

I've always wanted to go and have seen some cheap flights. As mentioned above I here being there is expensive as hell. The skiing would be a fun bonus but don't think it's up to much. The Canadian National team went there for summer training once I think. They didn't go a second time.

[The AD]

Keep in mind Reykjavik is at about the same latitude as Fairbanks, AK. So, right now, the correct answer to "what's Iceland like?" is: dark, very dark.

[Meathelmet]

Dunno, looks kinda crappy...

http://www.cruiseatlantic.com/high_d...land_pic33.jpg


http://www.cruiseatlantic.com/high_d...land_pic32.jpg

http://www.cruiseatlantic.com/high_d...land_pic23.jpg

Well, at least the resorts alvik ski area

http://www.eyjafjordur.is/special/da...image_ensk.jpg

Haldarfjell ski area:

http://www.eyjafjordur.is/special/hl...image_ensk.jpg

And in the evening you would have to entertain the monster from the lagoon:

http://www.rejsebixen.dk/Norden/Isla...on_Iceland.jpg

Just to be burnt to death in the night.

http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/...eimaey/H31.jpg