UKC

Can anyone share any experiences of ice climbing or mountaineering in Iceland in winter? I know there is another post from last year on the forums but there is not a lot of feedback. I have looked at some guide companies based there but they aren't doing trips when I am planning to be there, which is around New Year's Eve.

Any help much appreciated (or alternatives where the Northern Lights will also be visible)!

In reply to squicky:
Quite a lot of info, including helpful links, has been posted in several UKC threads over the last couple of years, so a thorough search would be well worthwhile.

In Reykjavik on 31st December, sunrise will be at 11.21 and sunset at 15.41. This may be one of the reasons the guiding companinies aren't doing trips!

Also, bear in mind that Iceland enjoys the Gulf Stream, so conditions can be fickle. I've arrived in Reykjavik in winter to find 6" of snow on the ground and daytime temperatures at –10C with a strong N wind, then a few days later, I've left in pouring rain with snow almost gone and temps of +10C. Last year, there didn't seem to be much snow in Reykjavik at all, though the Highlands get lots of snow – but the problem with that is access...

Never been that early, but I believe things can form by then:
http://northnorwayice.blogspot.co.uk/
Certainly, the norther lights are visible.

In reply to Nick Harvey:

This seems to relate to Northern Norway, which is well north of the Arctic Circle where Iceland is south of it and is (more) affected by the Gulf Stream and has a much more maritime climate than (I think) N Norway has.

Agree about Northern Lights. They were seen in Iceland in August this year.

It does, suggested as an alternative.

In reply to Nick Harvey:

Ah, OK. I scanned the page you posted a couple of times and didn't see a reference to Iceland.

In reply to Nick Harvey:

OK, I give up! I've now looked at the home page you posted 4 times and the link to older posts at the bottom of that page twice and I still can't see anything about Iceland. Give us a clue!

In reply to Solaris:

Nick was saying "it does" in answer to you saying his page relates to North Norway. He is suggesting North Norway as an alternative to Iceland as there is more chance (basically, a certainty) of there being ice there plus you may well see the northern lights there as well.

The OP had asked for alternatives to Iceland right back at the start!

Exactly, Toby from Sheffield. Ta
It wouldn't be my first choice for dates to go, but if I had to go then, that is where I would go.

In reply to Nick Harvey:

Yep; I saw a pic on the Lyngen hotel's facebook page just the other day showing a very nearly in condition icefall - still a little thin but loads of ice formed already. The guys were out mountain biking who were taking photos, they said the trails were great because the ground was frozen solid, but fresh snow only high up on the mountain tops.

In reply to Nick Harvey and TobyA:

Aha! OK Gotcha, sorry!

In reply to TobyA:

Just don't. I got away to Norway last winter with a new baby, but funds are definitley forbiding it this year. I went to the wall for the first time in months last weekend - it was pathetic.

In reply to Solaris:

No worries - I would love to go ice climbing in Iceland sometime; I think you went on a trip there last winter didn't you? But, from what I've read, it seems there is some luck involved in getting good conditions there. Northern Norway has to be more reliable I'm sure, although there is the issue that routes could get swamped with snow and avalanche danger above etc. I have though seen the northern lights each time I've done a winter trip up there which is strong selling point for the region!

<hijack>Nick - if it snows, would you be up for some Welsh winter action in the coming months? It might not be Lyngen's endless icefalls, but some scratchy-stratchy-hopey-prayee mixed sort of stuff!</hijack>

In reply to TobyA:

I've been three times, including winter 2012, but that was a walking trip. Luck probably is the name of the game and I *suspect* that it can be a bigger factor than in Scotland (especially in the south), but don't quote me on that because I'm going on webcam observations and a few days' experience only! However, local knowledge can definitely help, as Nadir Khan of this parish found last winter.

If you got the right conditions, the 20+ waterfalls of Skógá (in a distance of about 6 miles, situated N of Skógafoss http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sk%C3%B3gafoss#mediaviewer/File:Skogafoss_from... would make a fantastic, probably multi-day trip.

I thought you'd be all about Kinder Downfall now, but yes. I am even doing some training, albeit not really climbing specific. I have not completely given up hope on a small scotland trip either.

Thanks, guys there's some really helpful stuff there. Iceland sounds like fun but perhaps not around new year! And I've just checked Tromsø and that gets 0 minutes of daylight around then because it is polar night so great for the Aurorae but possibly not so great for ice climbing! Sadly I'm not very flexible on dates, that'll be the only time I can take a few days before summer.

In reply to squicky:

The lack of daylight isn't necessarily a huge issue. a) Headlamps are great these days, b) even though the sun doesn't rise, at midday its only just below the horizon, so there is some ambient light and the snow reflects that, amplifying it (and also moon and starlight likewise) and c) how cool would it be to go climbing in the polar night?! Ice climbing under the northern lights - that would be special.

Tromsø is actually a really cool town too, you could be based there in a nice hotel and get out to climbing places from there easy enough. Norwegian might even fly there direct from London too, although that might just be in the summer - but anyway, its not hard to reach.