10-Day Cross-Country Skiing tour with pulka/sledges

A beautiful traverse on cross country skis over the Icelandic highlands, from high grounds above Akureyri in the North, over the deserted Sprengisandur - the ancient route between the Hofsjökull and Vatnajökull glaciers - to Landmannalaugar an area of high geothermal activity. This is a winter tour to the center of Iceland, an area that in winter is not easily accessible. Our reward is an incredible combination of wide open spaces and impressive mountainous landscape and geothermal activity; here snow, ice, fire and water come together to create an enchanting winter world. The snow covered vastness, unpredictable winter weather conditions, and the isolation make this tour a personal challenge for the participants. Accommodation in tents and huts.

Departures:
22.03-31.03.2012 - Confirmed departure!

Cross country skiing: Ten days
Walking per day: 7-9 hours
Total walking distance: 220 km (137 miles)
Altitude: 600–1100 m (1950-3600 feet)
Maximum ascent: 900 m (2900 feet)


Groups: 6 to 12 participants.

Equipment List

Included : Guide for 10 days for groups up to 7 participants and assistant guide for groups from 8-12 participants, food for 10 days (from lunch day 1 to lunch day 10), domestic flight from Reykjavik to Akureyri, transportation from Akureyri to Eyjafjörður, hut fees, tents (3 nights), cooking gear, pulkas/sledges and transportation from Sigalda to Reykjavik.
Note : Meeting with the guide the night before departure to go over the equipment and other travel details. - This tour offers an ideal training opportunity for those wanting to participate in the Greenland traverse or other Arctic expeditions. However, it's first and foremost a challenging way of exploring the Icelandic highlands during the winter season.
Meeting Point : Participants are picked up at accommodation in Reykjavík before the tour starts in Reykjavik and dropped off at accommodation in Reykjavik at the end of the tour.
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Package price for accommodation in Reykjavík before and after the tour:

In a guest house with shared facilities:

- Based on double occupancy 11.000 ISK per person (for persons traveling together, both persons
  have to purchase this item for it to be valid).

- Single room: 16.500 ISK.

Day 0: The evening before departure, meeting with the guide to go over the equipment and the itinerary for the following week.

Day 1: Our Sprengisandur expedition begins with an early morning flight from Reykjavík to Akureyri, capital of the North. Entering Eyjafjörður, the first day's project is to get all the gear up to the mountain plateau at 800 m altitude.

Day 2: On the high plateau we head straight south to Laugafell, where a hot geothermal pool is ready for a moment of relaxation. First and second night in mountain huts.

Days 3 and 4: From Laugafell, we traverse a long plateau of small hills. We set course in the direction of a mountain mass crowned by the glacier Tungnafellsjökull. Our destination is Nýidalur that lies just under the glacier. First night in tent and second in a hut.

Days 5 and 6: From Nýidalur the our rout takes us closer to the great icecap of the Vatnajökull glacier, Europe's largest, that dominates the skies to the east. Our route takes us over Vonarskarð (Passage of Hope) and over snow covered lavafields to Jökulheimar at the edge of the  south west corner of the glacier. First night in tent and second in a mountain hut.

Days 7 and 8: Jökulheimar (meaning literately "World of Ice") is the source of one of the country's largest river Tungnaá. At this period the mighty river is typically covered by ice and snow, acting as a sort of a highway leading all the way to Landmannalaugar a large valley surrounded by colorful rhyolite hills. In Landmannalaugar there's another extremely appreciated warm natural pool besides the hut. In this volcanic are incredible landscape a. First night in tent and second in a mountain hut.

Day 9: A rest day in Landmannalaugar, giving us a chance to explore this geothermal area in its winter coat. Lava fields, mud pots, geysers and hot springs decorate the landscape creating magical contrasts of ice and fire. This day also serves as security day in case of difficult weather or snow conditions.

Day 10: Last leg will take us north-west towards Sigalda, where there is an open road for the vehicle to transport us to Reykjavík.

Departure Date	Availability
22. Mar 2012	Confirmed departure