Iceland review - 2013, Qupperneq 29

ICELAND REVIEW 27
The worst thing was that I knew that the weather forecast was bad. I kept
thinking about everybody and how stupid it would be if I would die now.
my feet were three times bigger than normal.
Because I had walked barefoot I had cuts but
they weren’t deep.” Lasserre can consider
herself lucky that the consequences of her
38-hour outing weren’t worse. “They were
surprised to find me alive,” she says. Lasserre
was amazed and grateful to discover that 250
volunteers had gone looking for her. “That’s
unbelievable for French people. You can be
proud. There’s help for everybody.”
“Landsbjörg is unique,” agrees Jón Arnar.
“In other countries search and rescue is
more complicated with professionals of the
military or fire brigade participating. We go
out looking for everyone who goes miss-
ing—we can’t lose a single taxpayer,” he
jokes. “It’s a hobby, a lifestyle. I don’t do
it for the money. I trust that if something
happens to me, people will come looking.”
Jón Arnar has been a volunteer with ICE-
SAR on and off for about 25 years. “This
wouldn’t be possible if not for the dedica-
tion of individuals and companies,” he says
of the effectiveness of the Icelandic search
and rescue system. “People can take paid
time off work to search for missing persons.”
ICE-SAR is also active in accident preven-
tion efforts. “People have to be reminded to
register their travel plans on safetravel.is and
to let others know where they’re going,” says
Jón Arnar of a website ICE-SAR specifically
set up for tourists to register their itinerar-
ies. “People have to realize that the weather
in the lowlands is not the same as up in the
mountains. There can be a vast difference in
temperature just 200 to 300 meters higher
up. They have to dress sensibly and be pre-
pared for any scenario, especially in an area
unknown to them. People may think they’re
experienced—but they haven’t been hiking
in Iceland before.”
Lasserre has learned her lesson. “One has
to think clearly and evaluate the situation.
We tend to minimize the risks and con-
tinue even if we realize something is wrong.
Maybe this will make people think,” she says.
“I had to stay in the hospital for four days
and it may take my feet one month to heal.”
Therefore, Lasserre has decided to return
to Dax, her hometown in southwestern
France, instead of spending the summer in
Iceland. “I would feel strange to stay here
with everybody else working. I prefer doing
nothing with my friends.” There is no love
lost, though. “I love this country all the same.
I think I will come back—I have a heart for
this country. It’s a beautiful place—extreme,
but that’s how life is.” 
Top: Kaldalón, seen from the road
that leads along Ísafjarðardjúp from
Ísafjörður to Heydalur.
Bottom: As her feet may take one
month to heal, Lasserre has decided
to return to France.