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SpotCheck | Freeride in the midnight sun

Heliskiing in Iceland

by Stefan Siegel • 06/12/2016
Stefan Siegel
Stefan Siegel
After a pretty messed up season, in which the good skiing days could be counted on one hand and the dust was already settling on the skis in January, I was tormented by the thought of storing the equipment in the cellar almost unused in May....

Whether it's due to climate change or this year's El Niño, we alpinists will have to look for alternatives, because the ski season in the Alps no longer starts in December and ends every April with long ski tours. Two years ago, a friend told me enthusiastically about the Troll Peninsula in the north of Iceland, which she was allowed to visit for a film production.

On a farm that has been passed down from generation to generation in the Bergmann family since 850 AD, Joküll, a mountain guide, fulfilled his dream of opening up the valleys of his homeland to freeriders. In the meantime, the project called Arctic Heli Skiing has grown considerably. The former farm now accommodates up to 20 guests from April to June, equipped with a sauna, test ski center, two helicopters and an excellent chef.

Stefan Siegel
Stefan Siegel

After a flight of around four hours, I land in Reykjavik and hire a car so as not to miss out on the scenery on my first visit to Iceland. Another six hours' drive through breathtaking scenery later, I arrive in Akureyri in the north of Iceland. A 35-minute domestic flight is the quickest way to reach the city. From Akureyri, mountain guide Robert drives me to the lodge. He tells me that the season doesn't start until April, as soon as the days get longer again - which means it's no longer dark all day.

The handful of mountain guides from Arctic Heliskiing work almost exclusively in Canada and extend their season with two more months in Iceland. We arrive at the farm around 8 p.m. and the sun is still high in the sky. At dinner, I overhear a conversation between three Swiss people who are planning a ski tour directly above the lodge after dinner. Why not? The untracked slope is tempting and there's no time limit. I join them.

My next morning begins with a yoga session led by Joküll's mother, before the red helicopter flies us about 10 minutes south to the glacier. At almost 1,100m, we land in a lunar landscape that has probably not been seen by many people. With huge turns and an equally huge grin, my 192cm-long skis fly over the firn, while our pilot waits for us in the sun next to his machine in the valley.

Stefan Siegel
Stefan Siegel

While many heli-ski companies request helicopters externally, Joküll leases two helicopters including pilots for the entire season. This gives you less of a feeling that the flight time is calculated in seconds and you can't appreciate the experience because of the rush. After 12 descents of 1,000 vertical meters each, our thighs are burning and we return directly to the lodge on our skis from the last landing site. After such a bad season, the weather gods took pity on me and gave us a second day of sunshine, which we spent on the opposite peninsula of the fjord. More indescribable descents down to the seal and whale territory were like a reconciliation with the bad winter for my skier's heart.

Here's to seeing you again next season!

Practical information:

If you want to experience Iceland on skis, you still have time until the end of June. However, the main season runs from April to the end of May. Joküll offers various packages that are not just geared towards expensive heliskiing. My recommendation is to explore the area by ski touring and perhaps get dropped off by helicopter a few times to keep the costs down. The ski cellar at the Arctic Heli Skiing Lodge is so well equipped with over 40 test skis that you can leave your skis and airbags at home. The snow was very wet at the end of May due to the proximity of the sea, especially in the afternoon, so it's handy if you can access different ski models at the lodge.

Further information can be found at: http://arcticheliskiing.com

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