I & I - 2011, Síða 41

41I&I
It’s so easy to have a close encounter with those great frozen gi-
ants. Other popular tours include combinations of glacier hiking
and horseback riding, northern lights safaris, lava caving and a
thermal Jacuzzi,” says Arnar Jónsson, IMG’s managing director.
“Training and instruction given depends on the chosen tour,”
explains Jónsson. “But in general a good explanation of what
to expect and what to pay attention to in particular is given,
warning people of crevasses, for example. Hypothetical instruc-
tions—of what to do if this or that happens, how to react if the
guide is the one that goes down and so on—are also provided
to prepare the clients. All guides take good time in training the
clients so they feel competent walking on crampons and using
the axe on the ice, trek or climb.”
Arctic Adventures is another operator that depends on the
detailed instructions of its capable guides to keep tourists safe
and enjoying their scheduled activities. “If you’re going ice hiking
with crampons we show you how the crampons work; if you’re
going snorkeling we show you how the snorkeling gear works;
if you’re going caving we’ll teach you how to behave in a cave; if
you’re driving a super jeep we’ll explain how to drive a super jeep,”
emphasizes Tinna Sigurdardóttir, sales manager, raft guide, diving
master and cave guide for Arctic Adventures. “There’s always, of
course, a briefing before each trip on how things work. We don’t
just put customers on glacier gear without proper instructions.”
That is not to say that the couch potatoes among us are ca-
pable of tackling all the tours on offer with detailed instruction.
“Most of our tours are highly flexible in regards to prior training
or certain skills. Ice climbing, for example, is customizable for
both beginners and experienced clients,” says Jónsson. “However
climbing the highest peaks means one needs to be reasonably
fit.” While nobody expects perfect fitness and two percent body
fat, the higher one’s fitness level the more likely one will be able
to complete strenuous activities.
Northern Iceland is more reliable than the south if you are look-
ing for snow. You will find plenty of opportunities for winter ac-
tivities, such as skiing on the slopes of Mt. Hlídarfjall next door to
Akureyri (they have snow machines too). In Siglufjördur, where
the locals are optimistic that the new tunnel will bring an influx
of travelers and make this fishing town of approximately 1,400
inhabitants as lively and bustling as during the height of the her-
ring mania in the 1950s, the town’s Herring Era Museum bears wit-
ness to this period of prosperity when the ‘silver of the sea’ made
Siglufjördur better known than Iceland’s capital in some parts of
the world, only to fall into oblivion once the herring disappeared
due to overfishing.
But Reykjavík and other towns also have museums for the “po-
tatoes”. In winter, hardly a day goes by without a concert—classic,
rock, jazz, pop—and the new concert hall Harpa is home to the
Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera. Tourist shopping
has increased greatly after the Icelandic króna weakened. So
whether you are energetic or the more relaxed type, you may be
surprised how much you can do during winter in Iceland. • tórisvAtn 85 km2 • LAke tHingveLLir 82 km2 • LAke Lögurinn 53 km2 • LAke mývAtn 37 km2 • LAke Hópid 30 km2
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