Monday, May 16, 2011

Iceland

Most of us have seen the fantastic video by Alastair Humphreys about crossing Iceland.

Several friends of mine have been to Iceland, Alaskan friends who have packrafts and know their potential, but they always came back without anything fantastic to say about it.

Alastair's 215 mile traverse of the island over ice field and down rivers puts Iceland firmly on my hit-list. The video by Alastair's trip partner, photographer Chris Herwig, is informative and beautiful.



My hunch is the trip could be done a bit quicker (read lighter) if you weren't packing for what look like award winning videos. Maybe a Black Diamond Firstlight for the breezly ash-storms, and fewer 'lectrons for recording your epic.

If I read right, there're two days or so worth of boating, leaving about about 165 miles of walking. Late season, you could skip the crampons and walk on the ashy ice.

It looks like it could be done as a 10 day trip, probably it (or a variation) being the best packrafting journey in Europe, so far, (there's still some development needed in Scandinavia and elsewhere, of course). Another river or two on an trans-Iceland traverse to push the pack:raft ratio closer to 1:1 rather than 3:1 would make things easier on the ole' feet and back, but certainly don't want to miss out on that water-fall landscape on their first river, the "Pjorsa".

Anyway, it'd be neat if those two submitted one of their packrafting videos to Banff Mtn Film Festival. The Hig and Erin story will be there, no doubt, as well as other packrafting videos like a CarpeyBiggs Grand Canyon one. Luc Mehl as soon as he unclips his ski bindings and climbs back in his packraft will make something quirky and fun with his new Canon.

Maybe this could be the year of the packraft at Banff.

7 comments:

  1. If you'd like to see some packrafting action in Scandinavia, then you might want to take a look at this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/den_dzjow/sets/72157624688387751/

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  2. Oh yeah Roman, potential of PR in Europe is a different story. However, one of the latest vids:
    https://picasaweb.google.com/sven.schellin/ObereIser#5594737219473679906

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  3. @TY That is a beautiful place, with mountains, rivers, moose, reindeer, and wolves and sweet looking rapids -- where is it?

    @Sven -- something tells me that's you in the muti-colored PFD? That drop looked like a fun one.

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  4. Yes it is. Better to have a PFD there, Multicolored or not. More drop(s):
    https://picasaweb.google.com/sven.schellin/KameniceTBei11Kubik#5597255879225676466

    If I had not been in Iceland (by bike) so often in the 90ies, this would be on my list to.

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  5. @Roman Dial: It's in Sarek National Park in northern Sweden.

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  6. If anyone is thinking of an Iceland trip drop me an email on alastair@alastairhumphreys.com
    I wouldn't necessarily recommend repeating our route - there are so many great options (east to west, or south to north over the bigger glacier)

    And yes, we were neither lightweight nor speedy!
    Al

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  7. Hey there! Just wanted to let you know that I shared your, and Alastair's, video on my facebook site: www.facebook.com/IcelandEyes. Thanks for posting them...always fun to see adventurers in action on our little Lava Rock!

    ~ Maria www.icelandeyes.com

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