Iceland review - 2019, Page 97

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Iceland Review
handled, nor would it be the last. A quick
look at the reindeer’s teeth, and they know
its age. Eleven minutes later, the animal is
unrecognisable – furs, antlers, and meat
ready for the next step in the process.
Guiding light
Even though the East Icelanders never
learnt the Sami way of reindeer herding,
there are plenty of people who make their
living off the reindeer. The first time I
see reindeer guide Siggi Aðalsteins, he’s
dressed for the part. 'How much camou-
flage is there in the world?' I find myself
thinking.
The next time I see him, the evening
before heading out to the hunting grounds,
he’s wearing a colourful night gown chomp-
ing on cod liver. We say goodnight. The
first sight upon waking is him chugging a
bottle of cod liver oil. He runs on fat - it’s
essential for a man who spends his days
hiking for hours on end, following herds of
animals through the wilderness.
For a dedicated reindeer guide such as
Siggi, each day starts with a reading of the
recap of the previous day’s hunt from the
Environmental Agency’s website. “Eiríkur
with one, hunting a cow. Felled near
Hvammsá. That’s not at all where they
got her,” says Siggi. “Not everyone knows
geography,” his son Aðalsteinn laughs.
The season is a near 24/7 gig for the
guides. They barely stop to sleep. For
these men, hunting is life. Each day, new
hunters arrive, ready for their one hunting
day of the year. They’ve passed a marks-
manship test and won the golden ticket
in the reindeer hunting license lottery. By
now, they’re eager to get their hands on a
reindeer. Siggi himself guided 92 separate
kills last summer.
The hunt is on
10:13. The day starts in Digranes, in the
far northeast of Iceland. The plain is wide
open, the kind of place which has never
experienced calm air. Today is no excep-
tion: the wind beats your face with the
sharpness of a morning chill. Apparently,
a herd had been spotted in the area. On
the way here, we see a council of ravens
devouring a fallen sheep. Rat-tail flutter-
ing in the wind, Siggi inspects the horizon
for signs of reindeer. “They’ve hung out
here all summer long. They’re on show for