Women’s Backcountry Ski Iceland 2023
Location - Iceland
Dates
April 1, 2023 - April 8, 2023
Backcountry Skiing in Iceland
Dreaming of skiing Iceland’s fabled terrain? We’ll hike and ski with experienced guides, retreating to our Icelandic home each night.
The journey starts in Akureyri with a shuttle drive to Dalvik. For the next week, we’ll hike and ski long spring days of Northern Iceland. Enjoy dramatic ocean views while skiing right above the fjords. Our highly experienced guides will share their knowledge and lead us through open slopes, ridgelines, and chutes– matched to our group’s ability. We offer instruction and coaching along the way so you can grow your skills with professional guidance and support from our group! If weather permits, take advantage of a heli bump! We’re proud of our high quality trips, guides, and clients. Just ask our return clients. References available upon request. Hope you can join us!
From $4,289
Iceland Trip Details
2:00pm
On Day 1, we’ll pick you up at the airport in Akureyri, Iceland (AEY) this afternoon. Go for a warm up ski at the local ski hill. Then we’ll head to our Icelandic home for the week! Enjoy geothermic hot tubs with a view of the fjord. Toast to a great week of backcountry skiing in Iceland with our group. (For Days 2-7, please see tabs above!)
Enjoy breakfast & coffee in our lodging and head out for an all day ski tour. Explore open faces, bowls, ridge lines, and chutes. Progress in your backcountry ski ability through the week. Learning new skills and gain confidence in steeper terrain. Return to our homestyle lodging on the fjord, enjoy a hot tub soak followed by casual, healthy family-style dinners at the lodge– often grilled fish, salads, rice, etc. Al is a food aficionado, great chef and does most of our dinner prep.
Ski Iceland’s majestic terrain all day, rest, eat well, hot tub, relax, have fun, socialize, repeat all week! If the weather permits, opt to add a heli bump to access deeper backcountry terrain. One night we’ll go out for dinner at a downtown restaurant and get a taste of Icelandic small city life.
Shuttle back to Akureyri Airport at 9am.
What to Expect
- 7 Days Guided Backcountry Skiing in Iceland
- Dramatic terrain, a mix of open bowls, summit ridges, and chutes
- Striking ocean views
- Professional and experienced ski guides
- Our lead guide is Albert Mandell, AIARE Course Leader. Al is a wonderful guide who is very much a part of the Backcountry Babes family in New Hampshire & Colorado and has been leading trips in Iceland for over 10 years. If we have 4+ clients we will have a 2nd guide so we can split into smaller groups as we choose.
- Steep skiing instruction, for those who like pointers
- 3500 – 5000 vertical gain each day, with options to split off early or later, depending on your energy level
- Optional add-on helicopter bump to quickly access even more terrain for additional expense
- 6 nights at a beautiful Icelandic house near the fjord
- Single occupancy rooms, 2 full kitchens, laundry facilities
- Geothermic Hot Tubs for evening soaking at the house AND at the fjord
- Optional visit to Myvatan Hot Spring if we have a weather day
- Breakfast and Dinner included, casual family style meals at our lodging most nights and 1 out to dinner included.
- Van Transportation Included
- Camaraderie and fun in a supportive environment
- Have any questions? Email us at [email protected]
Not Included
- Airfare to/from Akureyri, Iceland (AEY)
- Alcohol
- Lunches. We’ll stop at grocery stores and bakeries throughout the trip so people can pick up their favorite packable lunch foods. This has been a good lunch format for our groups in the past!
- Gratuities for guides
- Optional heli ride to access other backcountry ski terrain (about 150-200 Euro per ride)
- Additional restaurant meals if the group feels like going out for a lunch or dinner more times throughout the week, or a “happy hour” type stop on the way home
Gear Needed for Backcountry Skiing
- Backcountry skis, ski poles, backcountry ski boots & bindings, climbing skins
- Avalanche beacon, probe, shovel
- Backcountry backpack (30-40L)
- Ski Crampons, Boot Crampons & Ice Axe (Don’t worry, we’ll teach you how to use these tools on the trip if you don’t already use them!)
- Proper outerwear, ski gear, and warm layers for spending all day outdoors in various weather conditions
- Bathing Suit for the hot tub
Lodging
After we backcountry ski Iceland’s spectacular slopes we’ll return to the same house each night. Located near Dalvik, our coastal farmhouse features bedrooms with a single or double bed in each room, a kitchen, and laundry machines. Enjoy spectacular views, fresh Icelandic sea breezes and geothermic hot tubs for nightly soaking.
Getting There
FLY: to Akureyri airport, Iceland. (AEY) This is a short 50 minute flight from Reykjavik (RKV)
DRIVE: Drive from Reykjavik to Akureyri. It’s about a 5 hour drive North on the famous “Ring Road.” One-way car rentals available at the airport. It’s an adventure drive: isolated, but beautiful! Can be a challenging drive if there is windblown snow on the road or other interesting weather conditions.
