Ísafjörður in the Westfjords
was our first destination in the northwestern peninsula of the country. The
drive is full of high winds, water falls, windy roads...and sheep as you make your way through the
fjords. However, it is some of the most dramatic landscape in the country with
mountainous peaks, deep green valleys, separated by the dynamic fjords.
Our friends at the bouldering gym in Reykjavik pointed us in the direction of a climber who could tell us about climbing in the Westfjords. The weather for the entire summer had been pretty wet so the area we wanted to explore ended up not being an option. However, the trip to city was worth it nestled at the edge of the fjords the streets are lined by the tin clad buildings, with a harbor filled with fishing boats protected from the windy Norwegian Sea by the remote northern most peninsula Drangajökull.
We ate at a local cafe then headed towards the north-central coast. We stopped and climbed a rock formation overlooking the fjords, winding our way back through the fjords until we found an abandoned church Nauteyri and threw down some bivys overlooking the Ísafjörður fjord.
We've been home from Iceland for a few weeks now and are enjoying the sun and WARMTH! Dustin decided it was time to get back out and work on our climbing list, next up was the Sun Dial.
It's just beyond a popular hike to Lake Blanche on the Southeast side of the lake. Once we arrived at the base there was already one group on rock, and another waiting to ascend. The was moving, and pretty soon we were in the shade of the dial with the dropping temperatures and increasing wind the one group bailed. We waiting a until the group ahead of us was a couple pitches up and then we started up. The rock above must have been chossy because the group above us started dropping rocks. We started zig-zagging to avoid the drops, but it got pretty sketchy so we ended up bailing as well. The area was beautiful, so hopefully we can make it back and finish the climb.
Ísafjörður in the Westfjords was our first destination in the northwestern peninsula of the country. On our way was the first bouldering and climbing area Vaðalfjöll. According to area legend it is also the largest elf palace in the Westfjords. The road to the honeycomb formation is a little rocky but the car we were in got us to the base. The volcano formed basalt honeycomb columns were fun to scramble on, the only unnerving parts were the mossy areas which seemed to be holding together parts of the formation. The day we arrived we had clear skies with long spanning valleys. Towards the end of our climbing we watched clouds start rolling in and mists start dropping. The best part was to the rain against the tent fly, the worst was when the winds picked up and the cold. I stayed cold the entire trip.
We arrived in the Keflavik, found a bus to take us to Reykjavik, found the city campground and set up camp. The campground is like a hotel: a wide field that holds 600+ tents, indoor bathrooms, showers, wifi, running water, free stove fuel, cooking areas, grills, and more all for $30 for the 3 of us. The first few days we spent in the city visiting the local bouldering gym for climbing beta, renting a vehicle, trying local eats like whale, and getting our bearings. The people are super helpful pointing out places for us to visit, things to see, rocks to climb, and pools to soak in.
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