Story
On 1st July 2010 myself and a small group of friends will depart for Iceland to undertake a 5 day mountain trek and a 2 day ascent of Iceland’s highest mountain. We will be self sufficient and unsupported.
Upon arrival at Reykjavik we will board the interior bus service that will take us for some hours along river beds and dirt roads into the central Icelandic highlands. The initial part of the expedition will take us on foot for some 80km through one of the most active geothermal areas. Starting close to the volcano Mt Hekla we will encounter hot springs, steaming vents, barren mountain landscapes, deserts, snowfields and high snowbound mountain passes fringed by glaciers. Many rivers will have to be forded and the weather is likely to throw anything at us before we finally descend towards the North Atlantic coastline. Our journey will then continue towards Europe’s largest glacier, the 8,000 sq km Vatnajokull ice cap. Here rising almost 7,000 ft above us, lies our climbing objective, Mt Havannadalshnukur. Set on the crater fringe of the Oraefi volcano, it provides our two day objective. The route will take us up broad rocky ridges and steepening slopes before we step onto the ice cap. Here roped up and mindful of crevasses we will continue up the glacier before the final steeper climb to the summit. Hopefully the weather will allow views across the expanse of the ice cap and towards the volcano Grimsvotn to the north. The eruption here in 2004 serves as reminder of the volatility of the region. Our descent will take us back onto the coastal road and homeward bound.
My personal aim is to celebrate my 50th birthday and 15 year in Mountain Rescue by raising funds for the Team, of which I am Team leader – Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team. . All donations will be made to my Just Giving account, which pays directly to the Team, and can be viewed from the home page link at www.twsmrt.org.uk
Update 14/7/10 - many thanks for the donations - we had a fantatsic trip - completedd the trek but had to pull off the Mountain approx 300m from the top due to thinly concealed crevasses.
David