My North
Air Iceland Connect Magazine Nº 01 · January–April 2020 · Your free copy
Adventures across the Arctic Ilulissat, Greenland, 69° N, -30 °C, 17/03, 12:56
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Keeping Iceland warm since 1926
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Contents 06 07 08 10 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
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From our Managing Director New website for My North Happenings this winter and spring Bird’s-eye view: The frozen fairytale of Ilulissat Ferry adventure along Greenland’s west coast Vok Baths and Bistro: Treats for the body and soul Recipe: Traditional Icelandic head cheese Interview: Tomas Ari programs, bakes and bikes Family fun: Sledding down Iceland’s longest slope Scaling adventures: Snow sports in the East Fjords Travel: On the trail of wild reindeer Festival: Illuminated art in Seydisfjordur Instagrammers inspired The art of Adalheidur: Wooden creations Travel: Hot springs in the wintry Westfjords News from Air Iceland Connect Service and safety on board Route network and destinations Our fabulous fleet Map: Flying across Iceland
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PUBLISHED BY AIR ICELAND CONNECT Editor: Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir (editor@airicelandconnect.is) Cover image: Benjamin Hardman Copy editor: Sarah Dearne Translations Icelandic ↔ English: Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir Contributing writers: Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir, Carolyn Bain, Sarah Dearne, Benjamin Hardman, Ivar Petur Kjartansson, Ben Mack, Hlynur F. Thormodsson Contributing photographers: Chantal Anderson, Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir, Erick Lee Cummings, Anthony Delanoix, Rita E., Lachlan Gowen, Benjamin Hardman, Ben Mack, Elli Thor Magnusson, Hrefna I. Melsted, Arni Saeberg, Martijn Veenman, Johannes Waibel Advertising: Ingimar Eli Hlynsson (advertising@icelandair.is) Design: Bertrand Kirschenhofer, Jonas Unnarsson / Islenska Ad Agency Printing: Prenttaekni
A HOME AWAY FROM HOME
The warm and cozy Saga Lounge at Keflavik International Airport is a place where you can put your feet up, dine in style and enjoy the picturesque views while you wait for your flight. We look forward to welcoming you. The Icelandair Saga Lounge is open to Saga Premium passengers, Saga Silver and Saga Gold members, and certain credit card holders. Guests must carry a boarding pass for a departing Icelandair flight.
GREETING
From our Managing Director
Welcome, winter! Dear traveller, Welcome aboard. Welcome to “Our North”. Now is the time for winter adventures, and we should all go out and enjoy what the coldest and darkest season has to offer. My favourite winter activity is skiing, which I have practiced since I was a child. Few things compare to racing down a good slope on a beautiful winter’s day. At the end of the day, nothing beats warming up in a hot pool. All of our destinations have excellent runs suitable for all and beautiful bathing locations can be found in many of them; the latest addition is Vok Baths, offering a new and unique activity in East Iceland. Arni Gunnarsson, Air Iceland Connect Managing Director
Flip over to page 10 and marvel at Benjamin Hardman’s photographs of polar landscapes in Ilulissat, north of the Arctic Circle. Globetrotter Ben Mack is equally taken with Greenland; he writes about his ferry adventure on page 14. On page 24, snowboarder and musician Ivar Petur Kjartansson reveals his favourite slopes in the East Fjords, where he grew up. There’s something for the entire family. Meanwhile, My North editor Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir goes sledding with her family on Iceland’s longest run (see page 22). She also tracks reindeer (see page 26) and checks out East Iceland’s hottest new attraction: Vok Baths (see page 16). Carolyn Bain soaks up the winter in the Westfjords, gazing at northern lights and bathing in natural hot springs (see page 34). Tomas Ari Gislason of Air Iceland Connect’s IT department talks about his work and hobbies on page 20. He bakes and cycles in his spare time and once went on a five-day bike tour of his home region, the Westfjords. Artist Adalheidur S. Eysteinsdottir discusses her wooden creations and artistic events in the North on page 32, and on page 28, you can read about a special light art festival in the East. Other exciting events are covered on page 8, and on page 30 you can see some of the amazing photographs shot by our readers at Air Iceland Connect’s destinations. What kind of adventure are you up for in the North this winter and spring? My North provides the inspiration and Air Iceland Connect will take you there. Book your dream trip at airicelandconnect.com and share your adventure with us with the #mynorthadventure hashtag. Enjoy your journey and the wonders of winter.
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NEWS
Air Iceland Connect
Save time with online check-in A i r I c e l a n d C o n n e c t n ow offers online check-in. Go to airicelandconnect.com/check-in then enter your last name and booking confirmation number. You can choose to have your boarding pass sent as an SMS or email. You can also download and print it, or add it to your Apple Wallet.
My North magazine enters cyberspace If you were unable to finish this magazine while in the air or would like to check out more travel adventures from back issues, these can be found online at a brand-new website dedicated to My North, the Air Iceland Connect magazine. Since it was first published in 2017, we at Air Iceland Connect have received much praise for our in-flight magazine, both for design and content. We would therefore like to make it accessible to a larger readership and for the many inspirational travel stories to live on after they have disappeared from the planes. My North in-flight magazine takes you on an adventure across the Arctic. With stunning photographs and insightful features, we hope to awaken your curiosity about our destinations and whet your appetite for future travels. Read and share our articles at: → mynorth.airicelandconnect.com
SMS
WALLET
You can check in online at any time of day, up to 45 minutes before departure for domestic flights and 90 minutes before departure for international flights. Note that Air Iceland Connect may need to close the online check-in for certain flights if disturbances due to weather conditions are imminent. → airicelandconnect.com
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EVENTS
Out a nd about
In Iceland and beyond
Exploring the north this winter or spring? Check out our top picks for the coming months. TEXT: Sarah Dearne
Iceland
Photo: Arni Saeberg.
All over Iceland 24 January to 22 February
Photo: Johannes Waibel.
the Myvatn Open – Horses on Ice (6–7 March), where Icelandic horses race across the frozen Lake Myvatn. THORRABLOT (WINTER FEAST) Iceland- Guests are also invited to join a riding ers honour the Norse gods in the tour on the lake. ancient month of Thorri, feasting → myvatn.is on staples that have kept bellies full through centuries of harsh winters. This is the perfect time of year Akureyri to sample some of Iceland’s more 20–22 March / 3–5 April interesting dishes. Adventurous eaters are advised to book a Thorrablot ICELAND WINTER GAMES / AK EXTREME buffet or flip over to page 18 for a Taking place at Hlidarfjall ski resort, traditional recipe to make at home. the Iceland Winter Games encompass just about any winter sport you might think of – and quite a few you might not (snow volleyball, anyone?). Myvatn Then in April, AK Extreme moves the 6–8 March party downtown, transforming the city into a massive ski jump. Register MYVATN WINTER FESTIVAL AND MYVATN to compete or just show up to enjoy OPEN Taking place for the first time this year, the Myvatn Winter Festival the spectacle. is a long weekend full of winter sports → icelandwintergames.com and family-friendly events. Don’t miss → akx.is
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Aldrei for eg sudur. Photo: Anthony Delanoix.
Reykjavik 25–29 March is Iceland’s biggest annual design event, taking over downtown Reykjavik in search of fit, form, and function. The festival commences with DesignTalks, a conference geared towards industry folks, while the more casually curious will enjoy exhibitions and other creative happenings around the city centre. → designmarch.is DESIGNMARCH
Isafjordur 7–12 April / 16–19 April ALDREI FOR EG SUDUR + SKI WEEK /
Aldrei for eg sudur (10–11 April) is a much-loved free music festival where bands donate their time simply for the joy of being there. The festival runs hand in FOSSAVATNSGANGAN
Faroe Islands
Akureyrarkirkja church. Photo: Lachlan Gowen.
hand with Ski Week, which, despite its name, includes diverse events such as concerts, Easter egg hunts, kids’ theatre, guided hikes, and more. The following week, cross-country ski race Fossavatnsgangan takes place in the area. → aldrei.is → skidavikan.is → fossavatn.com
All over Iceland 9–20 April EASTER EVENTS During the Easter break, Icelanders often travel their own country to engage in winter activities. The ski resorts in East Iceland and Isafjordur (where Ski Week takes place) are popular, as is North Iceland where there are five different ski resorts. In Akureyri, the Hello Easter programme (10–20 April) offers a range of family-friendly activities. → east.is → westfjords.is → visitakureyri.is
Photo: Rita E.
Greenland
Photo: Erick Lee Cummings / Visit Greenland.
Torshavn 1 February
Nuuk 5–8 March
WINTER LIGHTS (VETRARLJOS) Celebrating the returning daylight, Winter Lights brightens the Faroese capital with a day of concerts, light shows, and other illuminating events. The city’s holiday lights are packed away and replaced with colourful projections, shooing away the last of the winter gloom. All events are free of charge. → facebook.com/vetrarljos
NUUK SNOW SCULPTURE FESTIVAL After an 11-year hiatus, the Nuuk Snow Fest made a most welcome return in 2019 and is now officially back in full swing. The festival challenges competitors to transform 3x3x3 m (9x9x9 ft) snow cubes into icy works of art. Illuminated by a colourful light show, these marvellous creations then form a delightful exhibition for all to enjoy. → snow.gl
Klaksvik 17–22 February
Uummannaq 28 March
TORRADAGAR (DAYS OF TORRI) The Days of Torri festival celebrates both the Norse midwinter feast and a special period in the fishing calendar, when the fish is particularly fat and full of roe. Head to Klaksvik on Nord oy island for a delicious seafood buffet, fishing-themed cultural events, and the annual Torri Run. → visitnordoy.fo
NATIONAL DOG-SLED CHAMPIONSHIP
is Greenland’s biggest and most exhilarating dog-sledding event, attracting the nation’s swiftest mushers and canines to compete over 40 km (25 miles) of frozen sea ice. This year’s race will be held in Uummannaq, an exquisite island town reachable via a short plane ride from Ilulissat. → knqk.gl – AVANNAATA QIMUSSERSUA
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TRAVEL
Greenland
Winter above the Arctic C ircle Following winter solstice, the return of the sun is a cherished sight in Ilulissat. TEXT AND PHOTOS: Benjamin Hardman
Situated 350 km (217 miles) north of the Arctic Circle in the West of Greenland, at the edge of the north’s largest ice cap, visitors to this beautiful town and its surrounding wilderness areas in the winter will be dazzled by the frozen ice fjord oasis known as Disko Bay.
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01 Pushing through the sea ice on the way to the icebergs of Disko Bay. 02 A pack of Greenland sled dogs taking a break on their way to a fishing hut. 03 Northern lights over an iceberg in the backcountry. 04 A puppy running around in Ilulissat. 03
Throughout the winter months, towering icebergs from the nearby Sermeq Kujalleq outlet glacier will become locked in the winter sea ice, slowly releasing into the ice fjord as the sun returns in late January. By this time, a boat trip into the pockets of open water will allow you to get up close to the icebergs, giving you a true sense of their immense size. No matter how many times you take a boat trip out in Disko Bay, there will always be something new to photograph. The ever-changing weather around the glacier create dynamic lighting conditions over the ice; it’s simply a dream for photographers. To gain an even deeper experience at winter in the Arctic, one may choose to head towards the inland ice. Traversing the frozen lakes and rocky valleys by dog sled or snowmobile, you’ll arrive at a lookout point at the tail end of the ice fjord, where you’ll get the opportunity to witness just how frozen a landscape can be. The backcountry landscape is stark and wide open, and the feeling of remoteness will be amplified when sitting on the sled with your musher and a team of Greenland dogs, working in cohesion with the snowy
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terrain. The sense of community can really be seen out there with the local fishermen always greeting each other in passing. It’s such an interesting way of life, and working in these often extreme conditions shows their incredible strength and resilience to the cold. To complete your winter experience in Greenland, there’s nothing that can bring you closer to your surroundings than immersing yourself in the wonders of the Igloo Lodge. Situated along the fisherman’s route just outside of Ilulissat, you’ll have the opportunity to spend a night sleeping inside an igloo. After a nice day of activities, your experience will begin in a wooden cabin situated nearby the igloos, where your hosts will prepare a traditional dinner inside their cabin, giving you a chance to warm up before heading off to sleep. You may even get a glance of the aurora borealis after your meal, with the clear and dark skies in all directions completely free of light pollution. It will then be time to rug up and begin your night in the elements. With enough space inside for two people and rectangular ice bricks creating a solid structure above you, your warmth and comfort
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inside will come from a thick reindeer hide placed beneath a winter sleeping bag, as well as from a few small candles, which strangely enough can actually warm up the room by several degrees. Feeling the cold, crisp air above the polar circle will bring a special energy to your time in the north; there is a sense of purity there that is hard to find anywhere else. These experi ences, from seeing towering icebergs to traversing the backcountry on a dog sled, will make for an unforgettable trip to the Arctic. GETTING THERE:
Ilulissat
Reykjavík
Air Iceland Connect flies between Reykjavik and Ilulissat from March to April and June to September, twice a week in spring and autumn and up to six times a week in summer. → airicelandconnect.com → worldofgreenland.com/en/igloo-lodge
MYVATN NATURE BATHS
Please book online at naturebaths.is
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TRAVEL
Greenland
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Sa iling with the Mother of the Sea A ferry ride up the Greenlandic coast is a great way to meet locals and experience spectacular scenery. TEXT: Ben Mack
“The sea is really quite gentle today – it’s just like being rocked to sleep like a baby!” says Lars, smiling broadly from the Sarfaq Ittuk’s information booth on deck three. He’s not wrong. The slow rolling – up and down and up again – is relaxing. It’s all the more relief for someone who’s never been on a ferry at sea before. As I travel with the passenger ferry
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from Nuuk to Ilulissat, it’s obvious Greenland is a place unlike any other. The high, snow-covered coastline seems reminiscent of giant scoops of vanilla ice cream – some parts of the coast even have the same rounded shape. The inky blue water is dotted all around with the white caps of waves – like sprinkles on a blueberry kaffemik cake, the traditional Greenlandic dessert. The smell
of salt air fills the nostrils – it’s a real high-seas adventure! No wonder so many children are running around pretending to be pirates. Ships have provided transport by sea between settlements up and down the western coast of Greenland for centuries. The Arctic Umiaq Line came into existence a bit more recently, in 2006, though its roots go
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01 A snowy aerial view the town of Ilulissat. Photo: Benjamin Hardman. 02 The M/S Sarfaq Ittuk sails year-round along Greenland’s western coastline. 03 The observation lounge on deck four is the perfect spot to watch wildlife and meet fellow passengers. 04 To reach some communities like Kangaamiut, it’s necessary to take a smaller boat to shore. Photos 02–04: Ben Mack. 04
back to 1774, when it was known as Den Kongelige Gronlandske Handel (“The Royal Greenland Trading Company”). Its sole ship in operation, the M/S Sarfaq Ittuk, sails year-round, from Qaqortoq in the South of Greenland up to Ilulissat, about 350 km (217 miles) north of the Arctic Circle. With Nuuk in the middle of the route, it’s convenient for people from north and south. Among the passengers is Mike, who after starting the day with an open-faced sandwich, strawberry yoghurt and coffee in the bluecarpeted cafeteria on deck three, says he’s returning home to Sisimiut after a holiday in the capital with his wife and daughter. There’s also the young Danish couple who, like me, are heading to Ilulissat. In the cosy viewing area with blue couches at the back of deck four (a favourite spot on the five-deck ship), other passengers have similar stories. Speaking of stories, the imagination goes wild
as we arrive in Kangaamiut in midmorning, the billowing wind-blown snow obscuring the brightly-painted houses perched on the steep sides of hills. Amid the winter twilight, it feels like being in a real-life mystery novel. On day three, after many of the passengers had disembarked in Sisimiut, Greenland’s second-largest town, the glass-smooth seas are streaked with white lines in mesmerising geometrical patterns as far as the eye can see: ice! Yet we pass through smoothly – it’s as if we’re floating on top. Outside, the only sounds are the cries of five white-and-blackstriped thick-billed murres, flapping their large wings as they occasionally dive towards the water before soaring back up to the nearly cloudless sky. In the distance float enormous icebergs. Several storeys high, they appear many times bigger than the ship. As we finally sail into Ilulissat at about half past three in the after-
noon, the lights of the town are shining across the dark water (it was long after the sun had gone down for the day) like stars in space. It seems the Mother of the Sea – Sassuma Arnaa – wants us all to remember the voyage. GETTING THERE:
Ilulissat
Nuuk Qaqortoq
Reykjavík
Air Iceland Connect flies between Reykjavik and Nuuk two to three times a week, yearround, and to Ilulissat from March to April and June to September. The ferry sails year-round, from Ilulissat to Qaqortoq. It departs from Nuuk on Tuesdays and Fridays. Check out the Arctic Umiaq Line’s website for more information. → airicelandconnect.com → aul.gl
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CULTURE
Geothermal living
Nutrition for the body and soul
The hot water in lake Urridavatn is used for bathing in Vok Baths, brewing tea and beer – and cooking at Vok Bistro. TEXT: Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir PHOTOS: Martijn Veenman / Vok Baths
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01 From the above the pools look like holes in the ice – which is the meaning of vok. 02 Bathers enjoy the peace and quiet of the surrounding countryside. 03 On clear winter nights, the northern lights might come out. 04 On Fridays, Vok Bistro serves sushi for lunch – with locally-grown wasabi! 02
I take a few strokes and my body glides through the warm water. I feel as if I can swim into the ice-covered lake and onwards into infinity. The soft winter sun gives the surroundings a golden glow and the frosty grass glitters. The three hot pools seem like holes in the ice. I break off a piece of the thin ice and hold it up against the sun, observing the rays shining through it. My eyes wander over to the ladder that leads down into the lake. Today, 1 November, the temperature is 0°C (32°F). Can I withstand the cold? Without mulling over it much, I walk over to the ladder and plunge into the freezing water. I gasp. Ten seconds will do! I jump out and into the hottest pool, feeling a strange sensation in my body. For a while, I enjoy being by myself in the wondrous world of Vok Baths. I feel the stress drain away in this unique blend of hot and cold water from Urridavatn lake by Egilsstadir in East Iceland. “The hot water is the only certified hot drinking water in Iceland,” states Heidur Vigfusdottir, CEO of Vok Baths. Included in the admission is tea from Vok Bistro’s tea bar, with organic herbs from nearby farm Vallanes and certified 75°C (167°F) water from
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the source on the bottom of the lake. “In the summer we have fresh herbs,” explains Heidur. As I visit in late fall, the herbs are dried in teabags. I can choose between birch, camomile, mint, blackcurrant leaves and nettle. Camomile smells tempting and goes deliciously with my lunch. Vok Bistro specialises in light courses with seasonal food from Fljotsdalsherad around Egilsstadir. Today is a Friday, which means there’s a sushi buffet, mostly with fish hauled in at local harbours. Surprisingly, the wasabi is local, too – grown at Nordic Wasabi’s greenhouse! The buffet also includes a vegetable soup with hot water from Urridavatn and fresh bread baked on the premises. Barley and (when in season) vegetables from Vallanes are used for the accompanying salad. Meat and cheese platters are popular, especially due to a cheese called Gellir made at Fjoshornid, a dairy farm in Egilsstadir. The jams are made by Holt og heidar, based at Hallormsstadur in Iceland’s largest forest. The brewery in Egilsstadir, Austri Brugghus, makes special beers for Vok Baths, using hot water from Urrida
vatn and barley and lemon balm from Vallanes. Vokvi, a blond beer, and Vaka, an IPA, are served on tap for bathers to enjoy while having a soak. I order a Vaka, place the glass on a stone table resembling columnar basalt and make myself comfortable on the wooden bench in the pool. All of the wood used for the construction of the baths is larch from Fljotsdalur valley. The sun lights up the golden beverage. I soak up the silence, have a sip, sink deeper into the wonderfully warm water and feel perfectly relaxed.
GETTING THERE:
Egilsstadir
Reykjavik
Air Iceland Connect flies from Reykjavik to Egilsstadir in only 50 minutes. It takes less than 10 minutes to drive from the airport to Vok Baths. Hot food is served at lunch and cold dishes during opening hours. In winter the baths are open from noon to 10 pm. → airicelandconnect.com → vokbaths.is
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CULTURE
Food
Recipe for Icelandic head cheese TEXT AND PHOTO: Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir
The old Norse month of thorri is from late January to late February. This is when Icelanders celebrate thorrablot, a feast of traditional thorramatur, or “thorri food”, which ranges from pickled ram’s testicles to dried fish. While everyone likes a good thorri celebration, not everyone enjoys the food. However, Icelanders should perhaps pay more respect to the food that kept their forefathers alive, as it is an excellent example of head-to-tail cooking – which back then was known as common sense. In Icelandic, head cheese of lamb is known as svidasulta. It’s tasty and easy to make. The following recipe can be found on the website for Leidbeiningastod heimilanna, a
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database of household guidelines (leidbeiningastod.is). INGREDIENTS
4–5 singed sheep heads (available frozen in most Icelandic supermarkets) Cold water to cover the heads (too much water will diminish the congealing effect) 2–3 tbsp. salt Mutton stock
After the heads have cooled down somewhat, remove the meat and chop rather coarsely. Put the meat in a box or a loaf tin and pour the broth over so that it floats between the pieces of meat. The broth should preferably go right up to the edge, but too much broth will make the head cheese fall apart. Leave to cool, then place something heavy on top and close the lid. The head cheese can be stored in the fridge for over a week. Alternatively, put it in the freezer or pickle it in whey.
METHOD
Defrost and rinse the sheep heads in water. Boil in salted water for 1.5–2 hours or until the meat can easily be removed from the bones. Move the heads to a plate and let the water drain off. Keep part of the broth and add mutton stock for more flavour.
DID YOU KNOW... Thorri food was traditionally pickled in whey (or mysa in Icelandic), a byproduct of skyr, which increases its nutritional value. Vitamins from the whey are transferred to the meat and the acid preserves various supplements. The acid also makes the meat more tender and digestible. (Source: mbl.is)
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g n i k i b d n a g n i k Ba
Tomas Ari Gislason is project manager of the IT department at Air Iceland Connect. He also studies mathematics at the University of Iceland, bakes breads and cycles. TEXT: Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir PHOTO: Arni Saeberg
Can you tell us about your work at Air Iceland Connect? In the IT department we work on various projects, like implementing new solutions for the check-in system and payment system for the web. We are constantly developing the website by improving the
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booking system and offering more options. There are many systems used in an airline operation: maintenance, shift management, flight scheduling and booking all require a variety of systems, to name some examples. They need to be able to communicate with each other, and the main challenge lies in integra-
tion. It can be complicated to find a solution to discrepancies. I’m also involved in business intelligence; I need to gather the key information from the operating systems and make it visible for the executives who take care of decision making regarding bookkeeping and other factors. It has to be very accu-
INTERVIEW
Air Iceland Connect
rate and I have to make sure that everything is correct so that their decisions are based on the right information. How do you apply mathematics in your work? I learn a lot of programming, which I can make use of here, as well as mathematical methods. Analysing data is not a large part of my work but that is something I enjoy, working with data and numbers. Baking is one of your two biggest hobbies. What are your baking preferences? Once a week we bring baked goods to the office, and when it’s my turn, I bake everything myself. That’s what I enjoy the most: baking for a lot of people, not only myself. I mostly bake breads, from yeast, and I also cook a lot at home. I bake all kinds of breads. I’ve experimented with “country-style” sourdough but lately I’ve turned to country loaves with regular yeast for simplicity. I’ve also made doughnuts with yeast, which need to be proofed and then deep fried. I brought doughnuts like that the other day, which proved very popular. I make them with all kinds of icing, like coffee and lemon. I also enjoy baking cinnamon rolls and I’ve experimented with butter dough and croissants. You’re also into biking. Yes. I cycle both in summer and winter. From where I live, it takes me 15–20 minutes to cycle to work along the shore of Skerjafjordur – it takes a little longer in winter because the studded tires slow me down.
I like to think when I cycle. Then there’s no interruption and I can dig deep into organising my day or finding a solution to a problem. I find cycling relaxing yet I feel as if I’ve achieved a lot.
along the rest of the Isafjardardjup coastline back to Isafjordur. Wasn’t it hard?
I often go to Ellidavatn lake and sometimes through the forest in Heidmork and all the way to Hafravatn lake. I also take shorter tours to Karsnes in Kopavogur or Grotta in Seltjarnarnes. There are many routes around the capital area. I’m from Isafjordur in the Westfjords and I prefer cycling away from the towns and into nature. I usually go by myself, but sometimes I go with my brother, who’s also a cycling enthusiast. We’ve gone on cycling trips in the Westfjords together.
It was quite a challenge. On the first day on the Svalvogur route, many of the bikes broke down. We all had adventure or gravel bikes with drop bars, not mountain bikes, and some were shaking apart. It was a rough trail and we had to make many repair stops. We could fix most things, but I broke a spoke and needed a new rim. I could finish the day, and then my family brought a new rim so that I could replace it. It was a little cold and wet. The first days were calm, but it was windy during the last two. The weather was rather bad for July but could have been worse. We weren’t freezing but the headwind was difficult. I was tired during the latter part of the trip.
Can you tell us about a memorable trip?
What do you get out of a journey like this?
We once did a roundtrip of the Westfjords in five days. There were five of us cycling and others who joined us along the way and barbecued with us, and we carried tents and mattresses and camping stoves and sleeping bags. We cycled from Isafjordur to Thingeyri through the tunnel. Then we cycled along the Svalvogur coast but not across Hrafnseyrarheidi mountain pass. From there we cycled to Dynjandi waterfall and up Dynjandisheidi pass, down to Trostansfjordur fjord and from there to the villages of Bildu dalur, Talknafjordur and Patreks fjordur. We continued to Flokalundur and from there to Gufufjordur fjord. There, we were picked up and driven to Mjoifjordur, and then we cycled
It’s amazing to experience nature when you’re cycling. You travel in a slower fashion and are able to take everything in. It’s totally different from driving, which is fun too.
Where do you cycle when you’re not going to work?
Do you travel to the Westfjords often? What do you miss about Isafjordur? I try to go every two months or so to visit my sister and my grandparents. And the town – I like being surrounded by mountains. My in-laws also live in the Westfjords. There’s a different rhythm there, somehow. In Reykjavik everything takes longer. In Isafjordur I feel close to the town and the people. I know everybody and trust the entire community.
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Sledding for daredevils
ACTIVITIES
Family fun
Kaldbakur cloaked in white.
Sign up for a joyride down the longest slope in Iceland with Kaldbakur Tours in Grenivik. TEXT: Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir PHOTO: Kaldbakur Tours
“Mum! Go faster!” I hold my breath as I kick my heels into the wet snow as hard as I can to control the speed. My five-year-old son lies on his belly in front of me on the sled, facing me so he can’t tell how steep the slope is. I have a view of the entire Eyjafjordur fjord but don’t have any time to enjoy it because now the sled rushes down the hill. My son lets out a shriek of joy and I laugh frantically – or until my mouth fills up with snow! Suddenly, the sled stops, and I notice that my son is lying on a heap of snow I scooped into the sled with my feet. He thinks it’s hilarious! As we wait for our pickup, we observe our travel companions sliding down the hill, one after the other, but there’s no sight of my husband and our younger son. Finally, I spot them in the snow cat. The threeyear-old chickened out and fell asleep in his father’s lap. Kaldbakur, King of Eyjafjordur, towers over the village of Grenivik close to the fjord’s mouth. Even in summer, he
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is often cloaked in white, and in winter, completely covered in snow (the name translates as “cold back”). At 1,173 m (3,848 ft.), the mountain has the longest ski slope in Iceland. Kaldbakur Tours in Grenivik offer joyrides on the mountain, suitable for people of all ages, beginners and snow-sport enthusiasts alike. The adventure begins on a snow cat (the company has two which seat 64 in total) which takes travellers all the way to the top. Then they can choose how to get back down: by snow cat, skis, snowboard, on foot – or on a customised plastic sled! Racing down the mountain is a thrill, but the ride up is too; my sons get super excited when we drive up a seemingly vertical hill. The weather starts out gloomy, but at the peak of Kaldbakur the clouds part and we gasp when we realise how high up we are. Afterwards, our driver and guide takes us down to the first proper slope. The runs are many, long and of various levels. My son and
I think we’re on top of the world when we race down all of them, laughing in the face of danger! We pass some backcountry skiers, walking uphill, carrying their skis. The adventure is up when we reach the basecamp. While driving back to Akureyri, the five-yearold daredevil falls asleep as well, over the moon, but absolutely exhausted. GETTING THERE:
Grenivik Akureyri
Reykjavik
Air Iceland Connect flies daily between Reykjavik and Akureyri in only 40 minutes. From there, it take 35 minutes to drive to Grenivik. Kaldbakur Tours offers adventure tours on the slopes of Kaldbakur from January to May, or while snow lasts. → airicelandconnect.com → kaldbaksferdir.com
Domestic flight from €67 d l a n G r e e n A rct i c
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GREENL AND Nerlerit Inaat
C i rc l e
e A rct i c C i rc l
Grimsey
30 min .
Isafjordur
40 m
Akureyri
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GREENL AND Ilulissat Kulusuk Nuuk Narsarsuaq
Thorshofn
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50
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Vopnafjordur
Egilsstadir
I C E L A N D Keflavik
N o r t h
REYKJAVIK
FAROE ISL ANDS Torshavn
From city centre to countryside in under an hour A t l a n t i c
O c e a n
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Your adventure is just a click away. Our airport is conveniently located in downtown Reykjavik, and a trip across the country that’s as quick as your average commute means that you can get started in no time. airicelandconnect.com
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ACTIVITIES
Adventure guide
Powder paradise
I grew up in the East Fjords of Iceland and began skiing at an early age. As a teen, I switched to snowboarding and have not looked back. Every winter, I travel with my family to East Iceland for a snow-sport adventure. I know the ski resorts and mountains in the region like the back of my hand and all the secret spots ski and snowboard enthusiasts should explore. My favourite is the 500-m (1,640-ft) drop from the top of Bjolfur mountain in Stafdalur. Afterwards, it’s almost obligatory to have pizza and a refreshing drink at Skaftfell in Seydisfjordur. Here are my suggestions for something calm, curious and exhilarating for the entire family in the mountains back home. TEXT: Ivar Petur Kjartansson PHOTO: Elli Thor Magnusson
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Calm
Curious
Exhilarating
Both Stafdalur and Oddsskard ski resorts have excellent facilities for beginners. Stafdalur is probably the best in the country for the youngest practitioners, with a cable in perfect slant for kids on their first-ever runs. The area has lots of cushions, obstacle courses and decorations to make the experience even more fun. At Oddsskard there’s a superb cable lift for those with basic know ledge of skiing and snowboarding, where people of all ages can practice before moving on to longer and steeper slopes. The area also has the country’s best terrain park with all sorts of jumps and obstacles for daredevils.
Both resorts have a number of varied courses for those looking for demanding and diverse challenges, both on and off-piste. Stafdalur has, for example, a more than 2-km (1.4-mile) groomed run behind Stafdalsfell mountain. Oddsskard is a powder paradise with steep slopes all around; you just have to wander a few metres away from the lift. At both resorts, the bravest family members can find demanding runs off-piste without having to go on a long hike, and the family can still enjoy the day together. (Ask locals about off-piste conditions.)
The East Fjords have endless mountains and alpine slopes. The ridge between Seydisfjordur and Mjoi fjordur extends to 1,200 m (3,973 ft) above sea level and can easily be accessed from Fjardarheidi mountain pass. From the top of Odds skard is a short walk to world-class slopes (with a drop of at least 1,000 m / 3,281 ft) which go down to the seashore in Eskifjordur. The magnificent Snaefell, Iceland’s tallest mountain outside glacier regions, towers over Fljotsdalsherad. You can hike to the top and slide down one of the country’s longest runs, even until September if conditions are favourable (take precautions and carry safety equipment).
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ACTIVITIES
Wildlife tour
Reindeer safari Searching for wild reindeer in East Iceland. TEXT: Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir PHOTO: Hrefna I. Melsted
“I think I see reindeer!” I look in the direction Helga is pointing and closely inspect the colours in the landscape. I notice some lighter dots. “Aren’t those horses?” I ask. “No, they’re reindeer,” she maintains, and as we drive closer I can see that she’s right. We sneak out of the car and tiptoe towards the wild animals. Helga hands me binoculars and I marvel at these stately creatures: a male with large, branchy antlers, a smaller female – which has spotted us and has her guard up – and a playful little calf, which makes a run for it and happily jumps about. Helga Hronn Melsted runs tour company Tinna Adventure in Breiddalsvik with her husband and daughter. They offer a range of super jeep excursions all around East Iceland, including the Wild reindeer experience tour from October to June. Skies are overcast as we drive towards Djupivogur,
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where reindeer have been sighted recently. A distinct mountain towers over the road. “This is Naphorn,” says Helga, adding that outlaws once hid there in a cave. “See the troll climbing up?” She points at a stone formation on the side of the mountain. Waves crash against skerries. On the horizon, the outlines of Papey island appear. “My mum grew up here and when she was little she thought they marked the end of the world!” We drive past Djupivogur and onto the rough trail of Geithellnadalur valley. We cross snowbanks and ford rivers but only find possible traces of reindeer. Helga regularly pulls out the binoculars. “No, it’s only a sheep…” Eventually, we turn back. There are around 5,000 wild reindeer in East Iceland and they usually stick together, up to 200 animals in one herd. They graze in the highlands, as well as the lowlands. It’s on the way
back to Breiddalsvik that we see the three reindeer – by the side of the highway. Enchanted, I watch until they disappear from sight. The late autumn colours are magnified by the rain. “People don’t like the East Fjord fog,” says Helga. “But I do. There’s something mysterious about it.” GETTING THERE:
Egilsstadir Breiddalsvik Reykjavik
Air Iceland Connect flies from Reykjavik to Egilsstadir in only 50 minutes. From there it takes about one and a half hours to drive to Breiddalsvik. Tinna Adventure also offers pickups from Egilsstadir and other towns in East Iceland. → airicelandconnect.com → tinna-adventure.is
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EVENT
Art festival
A celebration of light Every February, an East Fjords town celebrates the return of the sun with glowing art. TEXT: Carolyn Bain PHOTO: Chantal Anderson
Seydisfjordur’s reputation as a creative hub belies its population, which barely nudges 700. The town’s artistic repertoire is impressive, from the LungA festival to artist residencies, schools, galleries, and even art installations high in the hills. The town’s setting is itself a masterpiece, but those dazzling peaks cast long shadows during the winter. When the sun returns after its months-long absence in mid-February, it’s time to celebrate. With a name that translates as “Art in Light”, List i ljosi is a free annual festival founded in 2016 by Celia Harrison from New Zealand, together with local Sesselja Jonasardottir. In 2019 it received the Eyrarrosin prize, awarded to outstanding cultural events in Iceland’s countryside. The festival lights up the town with works from local and international artists. Installations, projections and
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live performances vary each year, and locals and visitors rug up to walk the streets after dusk, pausing to admire buildings that glow with animations or hillsides that reflect profound messages. Anything is possible, from oversized illuminated chickens roosting by the lagoon to shiny disco balls suspended from bridges.
Inside Herdubreid, the Flat Earth Film Festival screens a small selection of offbeat international films, while the local electricity company turns off central streetlights so the light of the art shines extra bright. If the weather gods are kind, northern lights glimmer overhead and amplify the town’s artistry.
The famous Blue Church is often a beacon for projections, but in 2019 it was Herdubreid, the town’s community centre named after Iceland’s favourite mountain, that took centre stage. It featured a mesmerising visual piece from Slovakian artist Boris Vitazek entitled “Second Litany”. A strong pulsing beat was used to chor eograph 3D projections that looked like giant human figures dancing and sitting on the building’s facade.
GETTING THERE:
The town works together to ensure the weekend is a calendar highlight.
Seydisfjordur
Egilsstadir
Reykjavik
Air Iceland Connect flies to Egilsstadir in only 50 minutes. From there it takes about 30 minutes to drive to Seydisfjordur. The next List i ljosi festival will take place 14–15 February 2020. → airicelandconnect.com → listiljosi.com
Ready. Offset. Go! All Orkan operations are carbon offset Orkan and the Wetland Fund have signed a threeyear agreement on the carbon offsetting of all of Orkan’s operations. In this way, we shoulder our social responsibility and systematically reduce our carbon footprint. Last year, Orkan opened two hydrogen service stations, at Vesturlandsvegur and in Reykjanesbær. This year, a new multi-fuel-station was added on
Miklubraut that has methane gas, electricity and hydrogen available. Through carbon offsetting and an increased supply of renewable energy sources, we are contributing to an improved environmental culture in line with our updated priority: to be an energy company of the future.
Customers can now also carbon offset their fuel purchases:
Key and card holders register at the pump or on orkan.is
7 ISK discount per litre goes towards carbon offsets
More information about the project can be found at orkan.is.
The Wetland Fund equals your carbon offsetting contribution
PHOTOGRAPHY
Competition
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Adventure by Instagram Share your northern adventure with the world, using the hashtag #mynorthadventure. A selection of photos will be published on the Air Iceland Connect website and social media channels, and the cream of the crop on the pages of this magazine, too.
Please note that by using the #mynorthadventure hashtag, you are granting us permission to use your image in our magazine, website, and on our social media channels.
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01 Greenland @luisa.ramz Soft light. 02 Iceland @sebastianmzh Bird’s-eye view of a black beach. 03 Greenland @luisa.ramz It was overwhelming to see a whale for the first time. 04 Mosfellsbaer, Iceland @mmatusiak_ Day 67: The twigs.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Competition
Solheimajokull, Iceland @greenland_explorer
And the winner is… Lasse Kyed (@greenland_explorer on Instagram). “My fellow adventure guide students and I were looking to practice some ice climbing and ended up finding this massive moulin on Solheimajokull, or “Home of the Sun Glacier”. However, the beautifully named glacier couldn’t quite shine its light all the way down into this deep hole, and even with a 40-m (131-ft) rope, we couldn’t get anywhere near the bottom. Moulins are formed by the summer meltwater, reshaping a crevasse or finding another weak feature in the ice which begins to pour down, some moulins even going down to the very bottom of the glacier. This particular moulin was wide enough for me to send my drone down into the hole, allowing me to capture it from a bird’s-eye view.”
Lasse wins a flight to any of Air Iceland Connect’s destinations in Iceland. Congratulations!
Do you want to participate in our photo contest? Tag your favourite image from any of our destinations with #mynorthadventure and the winning shot will appear in the next issue of My North. Bird’s-eye view is our favourite angle. The photographer will win a flight to any of Air Iceland Connect’s destinations in Iceland. Click away!
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CULTURE
Visual art
01 A gardener at Icelandair Hotel Fludir in South Iceland, the cradle of the country’s greenhouse farming. 02 A gentleman and a pissoir at Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina.
rt a ly d n rie f y ll ta en m n ro Envi 01
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Visual artist Adalheidur S. Eysteinsdottir talks about her sculptures at the Icelandair hotels and the cultural happenings she organises at her home in Siglufjordur. TEXT: Hlynur F. Thormodsson PHOTOS: Icelandair Hotels
“Eight years ago the Icelandair Hotels asked me to cooperate with them on creating an Icelandic and environmentally friendly theme for the hotel lobbies. My works were considered to fit their criteria as I have for many years recycled materials for my art creations. At the time, I was inspired by Icelandic country culture and daily life, so I ended up making wooden sculptures in the spirit of each hotel,” says Adalheidur S. Eysteinsdottir, who has been one of the most prominent artists in North Iceland for the past 30 years. In the early ’90s, she took an active part in developing the Listagilid art street in Akureyri and was named “Artist of Akureyri” for the year 2000. “The sculptures greet guests in the lobby and set the
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tone for the atmosphere. For example, I made a reindeer for the hotel in Egilsstadir and a skier for the one in Akureyri. I’ve just completed a work for Myvatn, a huge ogress. It’s based on the tale of a troll who lived in the area and came to Myvatn in search of food.” Seven years ago, Adalheidur acquired the old community centre Althyduhusid in Siglufjordur, where she lives, works and operates the exhibition space Kompan. “There are nine exhibitions a year by various artists and diverse events like concerts, workshops, dance shows, lectures, poetry readings and more,” says Adalheidur. An annual performance festival is held there every Easter, this year 10–11
April, with a focus on visual art on the 10th and music on the 11th. “Of course, I work on my own art every day as well. In the past five years I haven’t held as many exhibitions as I used to, just a few smaller exhibitions every year. In July I’ll open an exhibition in Kristnes in Eyjafjordur, and I’ll also exhibit my work in Selardalur in the Westfjords, Amsterdam and Arhus, and participate in a few collaborations and workshops.” In the span of her career, Adalheidur has held over 160 solo exhibitions in 14 countries and taken part in a multitude of joint exhibitions. She has received awards and recognitions and has also received the artist salary from the Icelandic state seven times. Her works can be viewed at freyjulundur.is and althyduhusid.com.
Advennttuurree awwaaiitts Anchorage Anchorage
Vancouver Vancouver Seattle Seattle Portland Portland San Francisco San Francisco Edmonton Edmonton
Denver Ilulissat Ilulissat
Minneapolis / St. Paul Minneapolis / St. Paul Kansas City Kansas City Chicago Chicago Cleveland Toronto Toronto Montreal Montreal
Nuuk Nuuk
Narsarsuaq Narsarsuaq
NerleritInaat Inaat Nerlerit Helsinki Helsinki
Kulusuk Kulusuk
Akureyri Akureyri KEFLAVIK REYKJAVIK REYKJAVIK
Baltimore Washington D.C. New York Washington D.C. New York Philadelphia Philadelphia Boston Tampa Boston Halifax Orlando Orlando
Torshavn Torshavn
Oslo Oslo Bergen Bergen
Copenhagen Copenhagen Billund Billund Hamburg Hamburg Berlin Glasgow AmsterdamBerlin Glasgow Amsterdam Dusseldorf Dusseldorf Frankfurt Manchester Dublin Manchester Frankfurt Dublin Brussels Munich Munich LondonBrussels London Zurich Zurich Paris Paris Milan Geneva Milan Geneva
Barcelona Madrid Madrid
The road travels from Greenland to all around the world.
airicelandconnect.com
Stockholm Stockholm
l i a r t r e t wa e On th The Westfjords have some well-loved public pools, plus remote roadside hot-pots.
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TEXT: Carolyn Bain PHOTOS: Visit Westfjords
I first heard the Icelandic term rjoma blida on a late-winter visit to the Westfjords a few years ago, when snow combined with soft sunshine and calm seas, and the sky and the water were the same shade of pale blue. Rjomi means cream, blida can mean tenderness or fair, and together they make a whimsical word that describes soft, radiant weather. I didn’t expect to encounter rjoma blida again in the Westfjords on an early-winter visit, but there it was. As I drive east from the main town of Isafjordur along the accordionedged bay of Isafjardardjup, the fjord waters are so still I can see plumes
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of steam indicating whales surfacing to breathe. The plentiful, extraordinary Icelandic water is a recurring motif for the trip – this is, after all, a country with nearly 5,000 km (3,100 miles) of coastline, plus glaciers, rivers and geothermal springs in abundance. From Isafjordur, the goal is to try out a few local pools. Hot water famously makes this country tick; cold weather becomes infinitely more bearable when there’s the prospect of a warming soak somewhere scenic. The Westfjords are not generally viewed as a hot spot in Icelandic geology, but there are well-loved public swimming pools in almost every small town, plus remote roadside hot-pots and scenic shoreline surprises.
My first destination is Reykjanes at the southeast of Isafjardardjup; this pocket of activity includes a small salt-harvesting business, plus accommodation in an old boarding school, but of most interest on my unofficial water trail is the outdoor 50-m pool. It might not appeal for lap-swimming – the water is a toasty temperature thanks to the nearby hot spring. There’s a bench built along the inside of the pool, perfect for sitting, thereby giving this pool its nickname as “Iceland’s largest hot-pot”. From Reykjanes, I head towards my accommodation, but there’s a worthy detour. At Horgshlidarlaug, 19 km (12 miles) south of Reykjanes along the east side of Mjoifjordur, lies a
TRAVEL
Westfjords
01 Surfing at Arnarnes. 02 Northern lights at Osvor, Bolungarvik. 03 Having a soak at Horgshlidarlaug. 04 From Skotufjordur in Isafjardardjup. 02
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small, simple concrete pool by the side of the road. There’s a sweet green changing room at one end, and a note to visit and ask permission from the farmer down the road. Permission granted, I sit for a while and scout for more whales. The final destination for the weekend is Heydalur, a rural treat only about 10 km (6 miles) from Horgshlidarlaug, on the opposite side of Mjoifjordur. Here, there are year-round activities and accommodation in rooms and cottages, with an onsite restaurant and plenty of four-legged residents (from dogs to horses to an Arctic fox that pays regular visits). There are several ways to get wet here: uniquely, there’s a swimming pool in a greenhouse on the property
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and a natural rocky pool outside. A more adventurous short walk (which involves some rock-hopping across a river) leads to a beautiful alfresco rock pool with toasty waters and a serene outlook. After a weekend of views and soaks, it’s time to head back to Isafjordur and my return flight to Reykjavik. A little time on my hands leads me to seek out one last hot pot: Bolungarvik sits 13 km (8 miles) north of Isa fjordur and its pool sits in the shadow of panoramic mountains. After a brief soak, I head to the airport, but not before noticing some surfers catching waves in the town’s bay. Truly, Iceland’s water has something for everyone.
GETTING THERE:
Bolungarvik Isafjordur Reykjanes
Reykjavik
Air Iceland Connect flies to Isafjordur daily in only 40 minutes. The drive along Isafjardardjup to Reykjanes takes just under two hours. Bolungarv ik is only 10 minutes away in the opposite direction. → airicelandconnect.com → westfjords.is
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NEWS
Air Iceland Connect
Connecting the dots There’s always something happening at Air Iceland Connect and our destinations. Here’s a roundup of some of the most newsworthy events. TEXT: Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir
Photo: Vok Baths
A world of adventure
Strengthening the ties of travel
Fresh “new” drink: Kranavatn
Would you like to make someone happy with a special present on Valentine’s Day, perhaps? Air Iceland Connect’s gift certificate is the key to a world of adventure, be it a skiing break in Akureyri, a romantic soak in Vok Baths by Egilsstadir, a music festival in Isafjordur or a thrilling dogsled ride in Ilulissat.
The Icelandair Mid-Atlantic Tradeshow is coming up – 30 January to 2 February in Reykjavik – offering the ideal setting for travel industry professionals from around the globe to meet, work together and exchange ideas. Conveniently located in Iceland, midway between Europe and North America, buyers have the opportunity to work with premium suppliers from Iceland, Europe, the USA and Canada. This relaxed environment allows participants to interact in multiple programmes and at dinner parties as they strive to develop their business relationships. These programmes have proven to be a great success in strengthening the ties between thousands of travel professionals.
Drinks are on us! Kranavatn is a premium quality drink, totally fresh and also good for the environment. It’s been in the making for thousands of years in our glaciers and filtered by endless lava fields. Sounds good? Well, it’s actually our tap water.
Gift certificates can be used as payment for all of Air Iceland Connect’s domestic and international flights. They can be purchased either with a credit card or Icelandair Saga Points and are valid for two years. (See mynorthadventure.airicelandconnect.com/gift-certificates.)
Fast facts about Air Iceland Connect and aviation in Iceland
49,444
international passengers took off from Reykjavik in 2018, 11,631 from Akureyri – up by 70.3% from 2017! – and 3,655 from Egilsstadir – up by 9.7%.
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The latest campaign by Inspired by Iceland taps into the global environmental trend, encouraging visitors to drink (environmentally) responsibly and stop wasting money and plastic. Icelandic tap water – literally kranavatn – is fresh and pure and available all over the country. Just go to the nearest tap and fill up your reusable bottle.
737,319
domestic travellers passed through airports in Iceland in 2018: 48.9% through Reykjavik, 25.9% through Akureyri, 12.3% through Egilsstadir and 4.4% through Isafjordur.
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different types of aircraft flew through Icelandic airspace in 2018: the most common was Boeing 777, followed by Boeing 757 and Boeing 787.
5.3
tonnes of goods were delivered by air to Grimsey island in 2018; 410 aircraft movements were registered at the local airport.
SERVICE
Air Iceland Connect
Shared stories
Duty free – Your first stop
When you land in Reykjavik or Akureyri after an exciting trip to GreenWe would love to hear about your travels. In the seat pocket is a journal land the first stop is the duty-free where passengers who have sat in this seat before you have made some store, where you can buy sweets, notes about their travel experiences. What did you discover on your trip? alcoholic beverages and various Pick up a pen and share your adventures with future travellers the old- other items at bargain prices. fashioned way.
Environmental policy
Service on board Sit back, relax and enjoy your journey. The Air Iceland Connect crew will do their utmost to make your flight as pleasant and comfortable as possible. If you need anything, you can call a cabin attendant by using the call button above your seat. On all Air Iceland Connect flights, passengers receive a complimentary beverage: coffee, tea or water.
Safety on board
We recognise that our activities have an impact on the environment in terms of the use of raw materials, emissions to air and water, and waste generation, and we seek to minimise this as far as is reasonably practisable. Air Iceland Connect was the first airline in Iceland to receive the ISO 14000 international environment management standard certification. The airline began recycling in 2008 and has since taken further steps towards greener operations, for example by reducing water and energy usage, as well as emissions.
Please follow our safety demonstration closely and read the instructions on the safety card in your seat pocket. Kindly follow the guidance and suggestions of the cabin crew throughout the flight. The use of mobile phones and electronic devices on flight mode is allowed gate to gate. Cabin baggage should be stored in the overhead compartments or under the seat in front of you. We recommend that you keep your seatbelt fastened for the duration of the flight. Smoking is prohibited on all Air Iceland Connect flights. That also includes vaping. Now you can carbon offset your flight when you book your ticket, just as simply as adding a suitcase, and help planting a true fairytale forest.
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DESTINATIONS
Air Iceland Connect
Dog-sledding extravaganza
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Kulusuk
Visited Qajaq brewery
Adventure isla nd extraordinaire
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Narsarsuaq
Shape your adventure
N o r t h
You’ve arrived in Iceland. So why not explore the northern region a little further? Our partnerships, route network and innate curiosity mean you’re never more than a decision away from your next adventure.
→ Visit our website airicelandconnect.com and make it happen.
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Takeoffs and touchdowns
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The beginning and end of a terrific journey, Air Iceland Connect’s main airports are not just for passing through. REYKJAVIK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT In the heart of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik Airport serves as the centre for domestic flights in Iceland. It’s located in Vatnsmyri, where aviation in Iceland began on 3 September, 1919, with the takeoff of the first airplane in the country. Scheduled flights from cle C i r launched in March Reykjavik Airport were tic A rc 1940, when Air Iceland moved its headquarters from Akureyri to Reykjavik.
Nerlerit Inaat
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d l a n n e e G r
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Medita ted in the dark Saw the return of the sun Grimseyx Felt the forces of nature Isafjordur x Thorshofn Swam in a x Akureyri Vopnafjordur spec ial pool x
AKUREYRI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Located in North Iceland’s largest town, Akureyri International Airport is the gateway to the Arctic. From there, scheduled flights are offered to several locations in Iceland, including Grimsey island in the North, as well as Thorshofn and Vopnafjordur in the Northeast. International flights from Akureyri include scheduled and charter flights to Greenland. Akureyri International Airport is also the centre for ambulance and emergency flights in Iceland.
A rc t i c C i rc l e
Flew in a simulator
Amazing Alpine skiing
Torshavn
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EGILSSTADIR 6 0 ° INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Egilsstadir International Airport serves as an alternate for Keflavik International Airport and is open 24 hours a day. Located on the banks of Lagarfljot river in Iceland’s tranquil East, the airport is just a short drive away from Hallormsstadaskogur National Forest, serene seaside towns at the foot of majestic mountains and other attractions.
Fabulous midwinter fea st
ISAFJORDUR AIRPORT Isafjordur is the base for exploring Iceland’s Westfjords and some of the country’s most rural and isolated areas. The flight approach is an adventurous experience on its own – enjoy the thrill as you descend at the end of the majestic Isafjardardjup fjord, the view of the many smaller fjords that fork out of it and the tall mountains all around.
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M
FLEET
Air Iceland Connect
Towards the
In the Age of Settlement they embarked on a journey into the unknown with their loved ones. The five Bombardier aircraft in our fleet are named after female settlers and Icelandic saga heroines. Still flying high, we uphold their legacies with pride.
Audur djupudga TF-FXA Q400
Thorunn hyrna TF-FXI Q400
Arndis audga TF-FXG Q200
Audur djupudga (“deep-minded”) was the only woman to lead a settlement expedition to Iceland. She was considered peerless among women, provident and wise, as witnessed by her epithet. After losing her husband and only son, she sailed to Iceland along with her crew. It is said that her settlement extended across all the valleys of Breidafjordur in West Iceland. Audur was a Christian and was considered to be particularly noble and generous. She gave large estates in her settlement to her crew and made her home at the current church estate of Hvammur in Dalir.
Does her epithet refer to a shawl she wore over her head or shoulders? Along with her husband, Helgi magri (“the lean”), Thorunn hyrna settled in Eyjafjordur, Northeast Iceland, and was the first woman to do so. Thorunn was the sister of Audur djupudga, the most famous of all female settlers. While Thorunn and Helgi sailed into the fjord, looking for a place to build their farm, Thorunn gave birth to a daughter on a small holm in Eyjafjardara river. Their daughter, Thorbjorg holmasol, was the first native-born resident of Eyjafjordur.
Her father was a settler in Dalir, but she wished to choose her own land. Arndis audga (“the wealthy”) settled in Hrutafjordur, Northwest Iceland. Her epithet suggests that she acquired wealth while presiding over her estate. Little is known about Arndis, as written documentation is scarce. However, if one reads between the lines it is clear that she was a powerful woman who defied the patriarchy. Arndis married Bjalki Blaengsson but their son Thordur became known by his matronymic surname: Arndisarson. Thordur later appeared as a character in Kormaks Saga, a poetic love story.
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unknown
Wind beneath our wings Q400
Q200 The Air Iceland Connect fleet comprises of two Bombardier Q400s and three Bombardier Q200s. The Bombardier Q400s are larger and 30% faster than conventional turboprop aircraft and therefore offer new opportunities. In addition to being used for domestic flights, the Bombardier Q400s fly a steadily increasing number of passengers to Greenland. The Bombardier Q200 aircraft have certain qualities: they require a short runway (e.g., they can take off when fully-loaded from an 800 m / 2,625 ft runway), can withstand a stronger side wind than comparable aircraft and can carry more freight. The Bombardier Q200 can be specifically configured for cargo transport.
→ Read more about our fleet at airicelandconnect.com
Thorbjorg holmasol TF-FXH Q200
Thuridur sundafyllir TF-FXK Q200
The first person born in Eyjafjordur was a girl who was given the name Thorbjorg holmasol (“Islet-Sun”). It is said that she was delivered on a delta in Eyjafjardara river when her parents, settlers Thorunn hyrna and Helgi magri (“the lean”), were sailing their ship to Kristnes. There, they built a handsome farmhouse and raised the girl, who was bestowed with the most cheerful epithet in the history of Icelandic settlement. In Akureyri, the region’s first settlers are remembered in various ways; there’s a kindergarten called Holmasol after Thorbjorg.
She was known as a volva and was said to be well-versed in magic when she settled in Bolungarvik, the Westfjords. She was called “sound-filler” due to her ability to cast spells that filled every sound with herring. As thanks for her spell, each farmer in the area awarded her with a hornless ewe. Her son was the poet Volu-Steinn Thuridarson. His father was unknown. DID YOU KNOW... Kaffemik is a Greenlandic celebration of childbirth, birthdays, first days of school, and other notable events. The hosts invite family, friends and neighbours over for coffee and heaps of cakes, and sometimes soup, seal and reindeer meat.
Our extended family Air Iceland Connect is part of Icelandair Group, an Icelandic travel industry corporation. The largest corporation in Iceland, Icelandair Group is the owner and holding company of the airline Icelandair and several other travel industry companies in Iceland. Its headquarters are at Reykjavik Airport.
ICELANDAIR GROUP SUBSIDIARIES: Air Iceland Connect FERIA (VITA Travel) Fjarvakur Icelandair Icelandair Cargo Icelandair Hotels Iceland Travel IGS, Icelandair Ground Services Loftleidir Icelandic
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GRÆNLAND GREENLAND Nerlerit Inaat A rc t i c C i rc l e
Grímsey
Ísafjörður
Akureyri
Breiðafjörður
Blöndulón
Ljósufjöll
Snæfellsjökull
Hofsjökul Langjökul
GRÆNLAND GREENLAND Ilulissat Kulusuk Nuuk Narsarsuaq
Faxaflói
Geysir Gullfoss Þórisvatn
Þingvellir
REYKJAVÍK Keflavík
Bláfjöll Bláa lónið
Hekla
(Blue Lagoon)
N N o o r ð u r - A r t h t l A t l a n a n t s h a f t i c O c e a n
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Eyjafjallajökull
Vestmannaeyjar
Mýrdalsjökull Katla
Heimskautsbaugur
Hvað sést út um gluggann?
Þórshöfn
Dettifoss
Vopnafjörður Dimmuborgir Mývatn
What can you see out the window?
Egilsstaðir Ef þú villist hringdu í Neyðarlínuna 112. Vertu kyrr á sama stað og bíddu eftir því að björgunarsveitir finni þig. Askja
Landsbjörg býður upp á niðurhal á ókeypis smáforriti fyrir snjallsíma (emergency app) af vefsíðunni safetravel.is. Hnitin þar sem þú ert staddur verða send björgunarsveitum ef þú virkjar forritið.
Holuhraun
Vatnajökull
If you get lost, call 112, the emergency service line. Stay where you are and wait for rescue services to find you. The Search and Rescue Association also offers a free emergency app, downloadable from their website safetravel.is. Your coordinates will be sent to the emergency response crews should you use the app.
Öræfajökull
FÆREYJAR FAROE ISLANDS Þórshöfn / Tórshavn
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