A few years back I thought I knew some things about Iceland, and maybe I did. I have driven around the country and slept in the back of a minivan. I've visited dozens of waterfalls and even hiked behind one. I've visited many hot springs around the country, both well known and secret. I've soaked in pools of varying temperatures at a public swimming facility.
I've spent a sunny afternoon watching recently calved chunks of glacier get alternately jammed up in a rushing river and then melt enough to roll over and be released on their way out to sea. Yes, I've eaten whale and puffin and fermented shark and many other strange delicacies as well as the delicious local lamb and the never-to-be-missed world's best hot dogs. I've enjoyed a white Russian at the Lebowski bar, I've drank more Brennevin than I should probably admit, and I've even managed to regretfully throw back a shot of frighteningly sour, sweet and salty Opal. (That last one is not recommended for the faint of heart.)
I've even strolled down a black sand beach studded with incredibly beautiful chunks of ice and found one that looked like a giant diamond ring, which in a case of tremendous foreshadowing I only half-jokingly put on the finger of the woman who would later become my wife.
However, when I skied with a photographer in northern British Columbia who told me her boyfriend was a heli-ski guide in Iceland, I had to rethink all that I thought I knew about this fabulous land of fire and ice. Before that moment, I somehow had no idea they even skied in Iceland. It just goes to show, the more you think you know, the less you actually know.
EVEN FOOD & WINE LOVES IT
After a season of research and more than a few conversations with folks in the know, my now wife, Kim, a couple of our good friends and I loaded ourselves onto a plane and headed off to what would be the adventure of a lifetime — helicopter skiing at 66 degrees north.
Every trip to Iceland should start with a day or two in Reykjavik, and so ours did. Food & Wine magazine recently ran a feature story on how great the Icelandic capital's dining scene is, and I couldn't agree more — on every trip here we have found delicious food. Fortunately for us, our most excellent and modern hotel right in the heart of the city, Ion City Hotel, was next door to one of Food & Wine's top eight picks, Sumac.
Dinner at Sumac was a lively experience featuring top-notch mediterranean flavors and a bustling dining room filled with folks seemingly having just as great a time as we were. With only two nights in town, we also had to visit one of our favorites, Snaps. The French-inspired bistro that never disappoints, with such delicacies as escargot and boeuf bourguignon served in an atmosphere that almost makes you think your plane landed in Europe.
Despite being very compact and walkable, Reykjavik has a very big city feel. When you visit, which you most definitely should, be sure to allow time to stroll the streets and stop into any of several fabulous cafes, bookstores and pubs. But don't miss the waterfront and amazing architecture of the Harpa Concert Hall as well as the art installations nearby. Of course, before we could head north to ski we had to stop by the famous Hallgrimskirkja church and then grab one of the best hot dogs known to humankind at Baejarins Beztu Pylsur.
TAKE A DIP IN THE SEA
The current homebase of our heli destination, Viking Heli, is just a few minutes outside the northernmost town in Iceland, Siglufjrour, and for our arrival journey we chose to drive. Another popular option for arriving to Viking is to fly out of Reykjavik domestic airport into the city of Akureyri, where Viking staff will pick you up for the remaining hour or so drive north.
We broke our drive up north by spending one night at the Brimslod Guesthouse right on the oceanfront in the village of Blonduos, and what a wonderful stop it was. The rooms feature a modern farmhouse feel and are very comfortable. The location allowed us to stretch our legs with a stroll along the ocean before digging into a fabulous dinner featuring a delicious arctic char topped with a creamy celery root sauce finished off with a world-class chocolate souffle topped with fresh berries and cream.
There are possibly more hot springs than humans in Iceland, so having a favorite is nearly impossible, but another highly recommended stop along the way is at the Hvammsvik hot springs. The oceanfront location and natural landscape is breathtaking, but the highlight is the rock thermal pool jutting right out into the ocean. This special set up allows braver guests to climb right out of the thermal pool and take a brisk ocean plunge. If you've made it this far, you must give it a try.
Upon finally arriving in the incredibly picturesque town of Siglufjorour, we checked into our hotel for the next few days, the Siglo Hotel, where we were greeted immediately by Viking staff and updated as to the plan for skiing, eating and everything in between. The hotel, which is known as one of the finest in Iceland, features a waterfront hot tub and an amazing restaurant where we dined on Icelandic specialties each night of our stay. The town itself is a photo backdrop in the making. With deep roots in herring fishing, one must-see attraction between heli time is the award-winning herring museum. There are also art galleries, a bakery, shops and even a local micro-brewery to make strolling the quaint streets a true pleasure.
NEVER-QUITE-SETTING SUN
Our first scheduled day of skiing started out a little slow as weather issues prevented us from getting right out into the mountains, but the Viking staff were overwhelmingly accommodating and offered guided ski touring to anyone who was interested while taking the rest of the patiently waiting skiers out to lunch at a local restaurant. Finally, just when we thought the day might be a bust, we received word that we were good to go right around 5:30 pm. By 6 pm we were at the heli barn, and by 6:30 the first group of skiers was in the air.
One of the amazing aspects of skiing this far north in the spring is that it's light pretty much all day so the regularly expected hours of skiing simply don't apply. When our group finally made it out into the mountains, what followed was one of the most incredibly beautiful evenings of skiing any of us had ever experienced. We skied run after run of consistently carvable corn snow from the tops of the mountains right down to the ocean under a blanket of always-setting but never-quite-disappearing golden sunlight. The scenery alone made this day unforgettable, but the skiing was pretty darn great, too. Our guide Marius made the day almost more fun than should be legally allowed.
After our initial day of basking in the golden glow of a constant sunset while enjoying panoramic views of indescribable beauty, I thought it couldn't get any better. Once again I discovered I know almost nothing.
Our guide Marius made the day almost more fun than should be legally allowed.
Day 2 a storm rolled through and covered the seemingly endless mountainscape in a blissful layer of fresh white powder. Once the weather cleared up enough to fly, we were back in the air and headed off to etch lines in the easel of virgin snow, but with a new guide, a hard-charging and good-time-loving German named Heiko. When Heiko isn't guiding in Iceland, you might just find him paragliding in the Alps or — get this — heli-guiding in, of all places, Uzbekistan. I guess there's now another place I must go skiing.
While the main draw to skiing in Iceland is skiing corn snow in the sun, we now found ourselves skiing fantastic boot-top powder run after run. On our best, and longest, day of skiing, all the other groups decided to pull the plug after lunch. That's when things got really interesting. With no limitations on us, the intensity of the skiing ramped up, and we found ourselves chasing Heiko down steep couloirs I would have never guessed existed in Iceland.
On the last of our fun-filled days skiing with Viking, our legs finally gave up, and we called quits early in the afternoon. But the always friendly and fabulous Viking staff didn't let the fun end then. Back at the heli barn, they cranked up the bbq and cooked us up an unbelievably delicious lunch while we sipped beers on the deck and passed around the binoculars to take turns checking out the incredible lines we had left on the nearby mountains.
HELI LIKE A VIKING
If you're even remotely considering heli-skiing in Iceland, I can't say enough great things about the Viking operation. Every single staff member we encountered from reservations staff to guides and everyone in between were amazing. Also, the skiing, food and scenery simply can't be beat. Lastly, coming for the 2025 season, they are opening a new lodge, called Hofoi, just a short drive from Akureyri. This new facility will provide amenities such as a rooftop bar, restaurant, gym, spa, indoor golf and horse stables, as well as an array of activities such as hunting, fishing, kayaking and horseback riding. I guess just when you think this experience can't get any better, Viking says, "Hold my beer and watch this."
When our experience of a lifetime was over and we were back in Reykjavik on our way home, Kim asked me if I would ever want to visit Viking and ski there again. I couldn't help but answer quickly, "I don't think I could possibly forgive myself if I don't." As I've written before about adventures such as this one, what are you waiting for? ♦
John Grollmus is a lifetime resident of the Inland Northwest, local restaurateur and backcountry ski guide. He loves all things outdoors, food of every kind and, more than almost anything, skiing. John can currently be found living with his wife and favorite human, Kim, near Hope, Idaho, and at johngrollmus.com.
