Reykjavik
need to know
(
2,110
m
)
height of the country's highest mountain,
Hvannadalshnúkur
(
10
)
number of ski resorts in Iceland, of whch
Bláfjöll (skidasvaedi.is) is the largest
(
4,000
km
2
)
the area available for
Icelandic heli-skiing
easyJet
flies to Reykjavik from London Luton. See
our insider guide on page 157. Book online
at easyJet.com
easyJet Holidays
Two nights B&B at the three-star Cabin
hotel departing on 25 January, including
flights from London Luton, costs £232
per person. easyJet.com/holidays *
101
Hotel
A sleek, boutique hotel located in central
Reykjavik with its own stylish restaurant
and bar. Book at hotels.easyJet.com
Klængshóll is JB’s family homestead and it’s far
removed from the often glitzy timber lodges of North
American heli-ski operations. Dinner is eaten in the
farmhouse kitchen along with fellow skiers and members
of JB’s family, after which everyone sits outside to
enjoy the pastel shades of sunshine on the mountains
before going early to bed. We dined fantastically
well on everything from Arctic char and catfish to
ptarmigan, goose and lamb – all local and organic. Booze
consumption remained modest, since you want a good
night’s sleep after heli-skiing – and you don’t want a
hangover when you’re in a helicopter.
You only need to be a confident and competent
intermediate skier or better. All the specialist gear, such
as fat skis and avalanche safety equipment, is provided
along with a brief exercise in how to use it, and snow
conditions are far less demanding than the powder that is
part and parcel of traditional heli-ski destinations such as
Canada, Alaska and Russia. Iceland’s maritime snowpack
produces very user-friendly, classic spring skiing
conditions of soft, butter-smooth ‘corn’ snow, which your
skis will skim across with ease – and quite often warm
sunshine to go with it.
It all amounts to a magical experience, even for a
hardened ski buff. Indeed, there’s an Icelandic saying that
pretty much sums it up:
“
Hvað er ekki að líka?”
It means
"
What’s not to like?" Shark meat aside, of course.
Arctic Heli Skiing (arcticheliskiing.com) operates from
March to June with prices from €4,760 per person for four
days of all-inclusive heli-skiing
ICELAND OFFERS SOFT,
BUTTER-SMOOTH ‘CORN’
SNOWWHICH YOUR SKIS
WILL SKIM ACROSS
–
AND WARM SUNSHINE
TO GO WITH IT
PHOTO
FREDERIK SCHENHOLM
*
FOR T&CS SEE P173
0 6 8
H E L I - S K I I N G
R E Y K J A V I K
