Reykjavík Grapevine - 14.03.2014, Blaðsíða 22

Art | Inspired by a glacier
22The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 15 — 2013
In the throes of turbulence, we descend through seemingly endless clouds, the pre-
cence of which does not bode well for the day on the hill. My travel companion Frosti
and I are flying into Akureyri to spend the weekend snowboarding at Hlíðarfjall.
Issue 3 — 2014 Travel
Thankfully, we touch down safely. We
park our asses in a warm, red Yaris
rental car and make for the hostel we
have booked for the weekend. The
Akureyri Backpackers is too nice to be
called a hostel though, so I’m going to
refer to it as the hotel from now on.
After murdering some delicious
burgers from the lovely people at Ham-
borgarafabrikkan we head back up into
the cloud cover. The mountain is coated
in sweet, sweet powder and an intermi-
nable fog. We make a trudging ascent
with the chair and then the T-bar and
barely make a single run through the
whiteout before we are forced to call it
a night.
Off The Slope
We make a bee-line back to the hotel
in time to witness Iceland turn a three-
goal deficit around and snatch fifth
place in the European Handball Cham-
pionship out of the clamouring hands
of the Polish team. Hands are clapped.
Toasts are made. Jubilation is felt.
Then we stroll over to the Ketilshús
art gallery to taunt our friend, the multi-
talented artist Curver, who is doing
some avant-garde file clerking in the
buff as part of his 'Paperwork' perfor-
mance art piece that is running there
for a full month. Alas, the exhibition is
closed and we are left to wonder if he
covers up his manhood once people
have stopped gawking at it.
Later that night, at Akureyri’s hip-
pest drinking post, Græni Hatturinn,
punk poets Grísalappalísa are like an
egg in a microwave—explosive! With
a swing to their step and panache as
their backseat driver, they are worth ev-
ery króna we paid to see a single band
play for all of 40 minutes.
On The Slope
Amply tanked up for the hill the fol-
lowing day, we burst through the hotel
door into a most glorious sunshine. On
the hill we meet up with newly-minted
local Margó, and as Frosti heads off to
tinker with his bindings, I tail her to the
mother lode of virgin powder for turns
aplenty and bountiful sprays of the
white fluff.
Hlíðarfjall boasts 24 trails serviced
by one chair lift and three tow lifts. The
main attraction, however, for ageing
powder hounds like myself is the T-bar
up Strýtan. This is the steepest part of
the mountain and offers access to off-
piste lines full of cherry powder, and if
you’re willing to hike there are numer-
ous chutes, cliffs and cornices avail-
able. If, however, you are a freestyle kid,
the lower slopes offer up an array of
rails and big jumps.
When my legs can’t take it anymore
I resort to hanging out in the rail garden
to grab some nice shots of the local jib-
bing talent. But, alas, the talent seems
to have stayed up all night watching
local hero Halldór Helgason at the X-
Games, so I brave the murderous cast
iron constructions on my own for Frosti
to shoot.
Until Next Time!
After some additional powder runs, we
do a quick drive by of Ketilshús again
and try to get Curver to break his vow
of silence, but he doesn’t and we end
up merely snapping some shots of him
in the nude.
Then we take a dip at the munici-
pal swimming pool to complete a circle
started 14 years earlier when we both
got arrested there for some unmention-
able activities. The pool is cool, the tub
is hot and the sauna is too much. Thus
refreshed, I go to my friend’s Hrönn’s
place for some pizza and a brewski or
a few before we relocate to Margó’s
house for a small alcohol-infused get-
together.
I wake up the next morning to Frosti
having hijacked my phone and moved
us to a later flight. Now we have time for
some more riding and a bit of photog-
raphy. After another one of those deli-
cious Backpackers brunches, Margó
meets us up at the hill and we take a
long, backcountry powder run until my
thighs scream from exhaustion.
Back at the airport I misunderstand
the drop-off directions for the rental car
key and almost drop it in a mailbox by
mistake. Silly me! After a lot less bumpy
flight back, it’s time to say goodbye. Un-
til next time!
Powder Galore At
Hlíðarfjall Ski Resort
Words
Bogi Bjarnason
"The main attraction,
however, for ageing pow-
der hounds like myself is
the T-bar up Strýtan. This
is the steepest part of the
mountain and offers ac-
cess to off-piste lines full
of cherry powder..."
Distance from Reykjavík:
388km
Accommodation provided by Akureyri Backpackers, book
accommodation at www.akureyribackpackers.com
or call +354-5719050
Car provided by Hertz car rental, book car at www.hertz.is.
Flights to Akureyri provided by Air Iceland,
book flights at www.airiceland.is
or call +354-570-3000.
www.elding.is
Northern Lights Cruise
Daily at 21:00 from 16 October to 14 March
Daily at 22:00 from 15 March - 15 April
Elding Whale Watching schedule – all year round
* From 15 May to 15 September
** From 15 June to 31 July

Make sureit’s Elding!
ELDING
WHALE WATCHING
from Reykjavik
Call us on +354 519 5000
or visit www.elding.is
Jan-Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov-Dec
EL-01 / EL-02 / EL-03
13:00 13:00
9:00 9:00
13:00
9:00
13:00
9:00
13:00
9:00
13:00
9:00
13:00
9:00
13:00
9:00
13:00
17:00* 17:00 17:00 17:00 17:00*
10:00
14:00
10:00
14:00
10:00
14:00
13:00
20:30** 20:30
COME FIND OUT
HOW DO YOU SAY
DELICIOUS
IN ICELANDIC?
WE OFFER ICELANDIC
DELICACIES PREPARED
IN SOUTH AMERICAN
AND SOUTHERN EURO-
PEAN STYLE.
marrestaurant.is 00354 519 5050 #marrestaurant