Reykjavík Grapevine - 04.02.2011, Side 27

27
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 2 — 2011
”Definitely a top-notch option for your
Easter break, unless you
enjoy the endless lift
lines at Hlíðarfjall and
the accommodation in
Akureyri that books solid
weeks in advance
Words
Bogi Bjarnason
Photography
Alisa Kalyanova
Travel | Snowboarding
Oddsskarð: The Park At The End Of The World
Momentum singer Hörður Ólafsson is gen-
tly chanting at me through my super-sized
Sennheisers. His message is something regard-
ing “holding back”, but the virgin powder unfold-
ing endlessly in front of me in a mad mountain-
ous panorama begs for deflowering and on such
a bluebird day, there is nothing on God’s green
earth that can hold a man from letting loose.
But allow me to backtrack to……right…
about…..here! Saturday 10:30 AM at Egilsstaðir
Airport. We venture into town, and after a brief
stop at the local Krónan we hightail it in our shiny
ride for Eskifjörður and its ski area at Oddsskarð.
We do make a quick pit stop at Guesthouse
Mjóeyri to suit up, where the friendly innkeeper
Sævar welcomes us.
Daffi, head of operations at Oddsskarð, seems
none too pleased to see us, however. Perhaps be-
cause his ambitious snow park project, featuring
big jumps with up to 36-metre clearance, has all
but disappeared under fresh snow, taking the plot
point of this entire article with it.
Still, a powder drenched area with no lift
queues and myriad backcountry possibilities—with
minimal hiking involved—seems worthy enough a
subject for yours truly. Definitely a top-notch op-
tion for your Easter break, unless you enjoy the
endless lift lines at Hlíðarfjall and the accommoda-
tion in Akureyri that books solid weeks in advance.
Given, there are only a short lift serviced children’s
run and two main tows, the latter of which (the
one that takes you up to the top) seems to be on
permanent hiatus.
Fog, that old party crasher, makes repeated
appearances throughout the day, ultimately caus-
ing an early retreat for us boarders.
Back at Mjóeyri, a quaint, charming retreat at
the edge of town, owner-operator Sævar hatches
a game plan for Sunday. Off-piste activities are the
order of the day he feels and we are all too happy
to agree.
Eskifjörður itself is a village of limited possi-
bilities as far as recreation goes. So, after wind-
ing down at the local swimming pool hot tubs, we
head on over to Reyðarfjörður. It is a virtual me-
tropolis in comparison, where one can enjoy the
best pizza pie east of Reykjavík at the local piz-
zeria Tærgesen. You can also venture next door to
Kaffi Kósý, where we—along with a host of locals—
break lose in boundless fits of revelry over Ice-
land handing Hungary their asses on the handball
field. However, you shouldn’t take your business to
Grillskálinn, where a sour, middle-aged clerk will
ignore you or give you an evil eye.
Sunday morning is always a bastard. Well usu-
ally anyway. A mild hangover and a deep-seated
disgust with getting out of bed slowly yield to the
promises of a blue sky evident through the bed-
room window.
The day is perfection wrapped in joyful rapture
served on a gilded platter of contentment. There
are still patches of unmolested cherry powder
alongside the groomed runs, and a crew of local
teenage huckster all garbed out in DC attire have
fashioned a kicker just out of bound. All giddy like
schoolgirls, we slay the powder and bomb the
kicker until the moment of truth arrives—the de-
scent of Fagridalur.
We now find ourselves back to the opening
stanza of this saga. Momentum are again under-
scoring the majesty of the awe-inspiring scenery
assaulting us from all directions. I turn their epic
dirge down as Sævar, our gracious host, has in-
structions and warnings of waterfalls to relay. As
we follow in the tracks of his Telemark skis, the
900 metre vertical descent hits us with barrels of
fun and moments of danger.
We are subjected to flocks of ptarmigans, and
the tracks of reindeer and foxes. The sketchi-
est feature is a narrow chute between cliffs that
brings us down the side of the smaller waterfall
and is unquestionably the scariest piece of snow-
boarding both Brian and I have attempted. The run
ends at an abandoned farmhouse whose slanted
roof I scale so that I might drop down it on my
snowboard. Once topside I almost chicken out.
But with Sævar and Brian—video cameras aloft—
egging me on towards glory, I dot the i of this trip
by launching into it feet first.
Flights provided by Air Iceland – www.airiceland.is
Car provided by Hertz – www.hertz.is
Accommodation provided by Mjóeyri Guesthouse – www.mjoeyri.is
Check out Oddsskarð on-line – www.oddsskard.is
Always best price online.
Various online-offers to all Air Iceland's destinations.
www.airiceland.is
websales@airiceland.is / tel. +354 570 3030 Contact Air Iceland or
travel agent for reservation.
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