SUMMER
ADVENTUREICELAND 2009
SUMMER
ADVENTURE
ICELAND 2009
[Click here for comments about Iceland]
Sun. Aug. 2: Welcome to Reykjavik, Iceland! Our hotel is located in the heart of Reykjavik. You have come to a land of Vikings and Valkyries, volcanoes and glaciers; a land “forged by fire and honed by ice”; heroic sagas based on history and legend; and, an extremely literate and worldly people. Reykjavik is known for its cultural sophistication. Galleries, museums, botanical gardens, fine shops, and world famous gourmet restaurants abound.
HOTEL: (REYKJAVIK)Mon. Aug. 3: Relax and explore Reykjavik at your leisure. Almost everything exceptional to enjoy is within a short walk of our hotel. Admission will be provided to The Volcano Show, created by the Knudsen father and son; who have rushed to the scenes of major volcanic eruptions in Iceland for over 50 years, and filmed the greatest action.
HOTEL: (REYKJAVIK)Tue. Aug. 4: We will be met at our hotel and transported to the “Blue Lagoon,” a luxury spa where we can bathe in a natural geothermal pool in the
middle of a lava field. The lagoon is rich in unique minerals and known for its positive effects on the skin; self-indulgence at its healthiest! Transport will be provided on to the airport at Keflavik.
Mid-day flight from Keflavik to the island of Heimaey. Transfer to our hotel. The island is best known for the huge lava flow created by a dramatic volcano that erupted in 1973, and destroyed a town and added about 25% new land mass to the island. Our hotel will be in the main village of the same name as the island. It is set dramatically above the harbor, at the base of sheltering hills. The natural history museum with its aquarium of bizarre Icelandic fish is one of the best in the country. There is a folk museum, and a fascinating volcanic film. Puffins, the almost cartoon-like birds, with their distinct black and white markings, thrive on Heimaey. Quite often this time of year, thousands of these fascinating creatures descend on the town.
HOTEL: (HEIMAEY)Wed. Aug. 5: This morning you can easily arrange to explore the extensive lava flow of Eldfell. It can be easily climbed by several routes. “The summit still steams slightly, and there are brilliantly colored mineral deposits. In places the ground is hot enough to bake bread or char wood!”
Night flight, Heimaey to Keflavik. Transfer to our hotel.
HOTEL: (REYKJAVIK)Thurs. Aug. 6: At our hotel, we will board our own private 4-wheel drive vehicles with fuel and drivers to explore this wild and vividly beautiful country. “Nowhere on earth are the forces of nature more evident…hot springs, geysers, active volcanoes, icecaps, tundra, snowcapped peaks, vast lava deserts, waterfalls and craters.” We will visit Strokkur geyser which erupts 65 feet every 3 minutes. “Around the site are numerous beautifully colored hot springs, steaming vents, warm streams and psychedelic algae and mineral deposits.” Nearby is Iceland’s star attraction, Gullfoss. The river Hitva drops into two 100’ waterfalls. The canyons above and below them are 200’ deep and 1 ½ miles long. We can explore and walk these areas to our hearts’ content. Then we will drive on to Hella. From there we have a panoramic view of the volcano, Hekla. Notorious in medieval Europe as one of the mouths of hell, it has remained devastatingly active, with its last major eruption in 1991. The lava field is mammoth. Our campground has toilets and showers, facilities for cooking and dining, a restaurant and bar. A pub is just down the road. (You should bring a good tent, sleeping bag, ground pad, clothes to keep you warm and dry; and, durable all-leather snow-sealed boots suitable for all terrain. We will dine in local restaurants.) This is camping at its easiest.
CAMP: (HELLA)Fri. Aug. 7: This morning, Icelandic Horses, tack and an English-speaking guide
will be provided, for riding at one Iceland’s largest horse farms. The sturdy ponies are friendly and well trained. No other breed is allowed on the island. Their famous gait, tolt, is so smooth and steady that the rider scarcely notices any motion. This is fun for first-time riders.
Following the South coast we will stop at the base of Skogafoss, a wide, sheer waterfall; then on to Dyrholaey, where a 360’ high pillar of rock rises over a black sand beach. There is a large colony of puffins and an abundance of other birds. Then on to Skaftafell National Park, tucked into a huge niche in the glacier above.
CAMP: (SKAFTAFELL)Sat. Aug. 8: Our camp is dominated by Europe’s largest icecap, Vatnajokull. Covering 3,280 square miles its “enormous glaciers creep down through every crack in the coastal mountains like oozing blue putty. Volcanoes regularly erupt beneath it, devastating farmland with melted ice and debris as large in volume as the Amazon river.”
Free walking nature tours, accompanied by knowledgeable park staff members are available; or, we will provide your choice of the following led by professional, English-speaking Icelandic mountain guides. All gear necessary for glacier walking and climbing will be furnished:
Glacier Tour (2 ½ hrs.) Easy level. Walking on Svinafellsjokul glacier tongue, through a wonderland of ice sculptures, ridges and deep crevasses. You will be taught how to use basic glacier equipment such as crampons and iceaxes.
Halfday Glacier Tour (5 hrs.) Moderate level. Climb the Svinafellsjokul glacier tongue up to its deep valley between the summits of Hvannadalshnukur and Hrutsfjall, traversing zones of different glacier formations. Discover large water cauldrons, deep crevasses and strangely shaped ridges. For a minimum of 2 persons.
Climb Hvannadalshnukur (10-15 hrs.) Difficult level. The highest peak in Iceland (6,952’). An unforgettable climb in a breathtaking panorama. No special difficulties, but good physical and mental shape count. For 2 to 8 persons.
CAMP: (SKAFTAFELL)
Sun. Aug. 9: A boat cruise of Lake Jokulsarlon will be provided: weaving among glistening icebergs on this mirror-smooth lake is an experience you will remember for a lifetime! Then a long, leisurely drive following the coast back to Reykjavik. On your last night, you will probably want to enjoy a performance of the Sagas or indulge yourself with an expensive meal at one of Iceland’s famous restaurants.
HOTEL: (REYKJAVIK)
Total cost of $3,580.00 per person, double occupancy; all hotel campground stays; admission to The Volcano Show; transport and admission to the “Blue Lagoon” luxury spa; KEFLAVIK/HEIMAEY FLIGHTS with airport transfers; private 4-wheel drive vehicles with fuel; horseback riding with English-speaking guides; your choice of walking on Svinafellsjokul glacier, climbing the glacier between the summits of Hvannadalshnukur and Hrutsfjall, or climbing Hvannadalshnukur (6,952’), all provided with the services of professional English-speaking Icelandic mountain guides and all necessary gear; and boat tour of Lake Jokulsarlon.
A non-refundable initial payment of $1,790.00, payable to W.S. Donahoo and received at:
is required to confirm a reservation.
Spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, upon receipt of initial payments. AVAILABLE SPACES ARE STRICTLY LIMITED TO 10 PARTICIPANTS; THE SIZE OF THE GROUP WILL NOT BE INCREASED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
All payments are non-refundable; except as covered by trip cancellation/interruption insurance. The premium cost of such insurance is not included in the total cost of the trip. Payments are not transferable to other passengers or other trips.
Final payments will be due in May 2009.
Items in italics are not included, but are suggestions based on location and time available. Departure taxes at foreign airports and gratuities are not included.
Passports, valid for six months after the end of the trip, will be required.
Buz Donahoo, Condor
Adventures
Post Office Box 3415
Winter Park, FL 32790, USA
Tel/Fax (407) 645-0490
buz@condoradventures.com