Skateboarding through an Icelandic blizzard.
FIELD NOTES
Date: Tuesday 23 May 2023
Location: Borgarnes - West ICELAND 🇮🇸
64.5446° N, 21.9105° W
So I’ve found myself in the direct path of an Icelandic “Code Yellow” blizzard. Being late May, it is meant to be the beginning of Summer but the conditions and temperature says otherwise. My mode of transport, my trusty longboard and my refuge in the form of a one man tent. I’m prepared for Iceland’s Summer but now I needed to put my faith in my gear to prevail through these wintery conditions.
Okay so at this point you might be wondering what an obscure set of circumstances to find oneself in?.. in Iceland during an Arctic-like blizzard on a skateboard!? Why!? Well let me rewind just a little to give you some context…
Skating towards Borgarnes and the last whaling station in Iceland.
I was 3 days into a monumental attempt to be the 5th person to ever skateboard the entire distance around Iceland. Just a casual 1330kms and part of a bigger picture life path I have recently taken of doing good in the world whilst living out some epic adventures. This challenge was centred around fundraising and raising awareness around the abhorrent whaling industry in Iceland. Doing the trip solo, I had given myself no more than 40 days to complete the expedition. Leaving from the countries most iconic church, Hallgrimskirkja in the city centre of the capital, Reykjavik. Oh and did I mention, I was also lugging my Deuter Aircontact Ultra 50+5L pack, camera gear and all the essentials needed to keep me safe in this inhospitable landscape.
So there I was, staring down the face of an intense weather system and needing to get myself and all my gear to some form of safety and shelter. The warning for the blizzard had been issued throughout the night which inconveniently coincided with my first night in the tent. The effects of the blizzard became very apparent during the night and early morning.
Blistering wind gusts of up to 140km/hr were ripping their way through the valleys between the giant snow capped mountains of Mount Esja and hitting harrrd, repeatedly bending my tent in on itself.
For those who don’t know Iceland, there are next to no trees so finding a wind buffer was incredibly difficult. I had positioned my tent on the other side of a small grassy knoll but there was no hiding from this. Rest assured I did not get much sleep that night.
To make matters worse the intense conditions I had experienced throughout the night were just the beginning. The encroaching storm that had generated off the frigid waters of Greenland was now due to peak mid-morning and as much as I had faith in my tent I did not want to risk damaging it beyond repair so early on in my expedition. So I had to make a quick (and relatively easy) decision to seek out more substantial shelter at the nearest accomodation several kilometres down the road. The only problem was I had to pack down in the middle of a raging storm, skate my board and 30kg of semi wet gear all the whilst not getting blown off the road and into an abyss.
Loaded up with 30kg+ of gear and skating North with wind gusts up to 140km/hr behind me. Seeking refuge...and quickly!
One could be forgiven for really feeling the grip of loneliness and despair in such a situation. But as much as I was alone, at the same time I also wasn’t. My longboard, aptly known as “Loki” and yes, named after the Viking God of Mischief was with me every “push” of the way. He became not only an inanimate object but also a loyal friend out on the road. As you can tell it got pretty lonely 10hrs a day skating along a road. And yes maybe I had already lost my sanity but we had made a pact… to keep each other safe. And on this particular day I was grateful for the reliability and stability Loki gave me even when the most ferocious winds whipped up.
Not without a struggle I did eventually arrive at the accommodation, to the staffs shock, saturated and miserable and with enough gear to fill up the foyer. Which leads me to exactly that, my gear.
Picking out the right gear and listening to experienced staff at Wild Earth Australia played a pivotal role in ensuring I stayed safe and somewhat comfortable throughout my expedition. In Iceland the wind and rain has a habit of penetrating from all directions most days and can really expose you to the elements if your gear fails you. So staying dry isn’t only a priority but also a matter of life and death. For this reason the quality of my gear played a much bigger role than I had anticipated and this became more apparent as the trip went on. This was day 3… And the days that followed made it look like a stroll in the park.
My camp for the night. A raging storm generated off the coast of Greenland will roll over those mountains during the night and cause havoc.
To find out how I faired against the blizzard and the rest of the expedition watch my Iceland mini-series on YouTube here or click the video tile below.
Duncan
Below is a list of some of the key pieces of gear that played a role in my trip.
Nemo Hornet 1 Person Tent
Deuter Aircontact Ultra 50+ 5L Hike Pack
Sea to Summit Lightweight Dry bags (3L, 5L, 8L)
Sea to Summit Glory Quilt
Sea to Summit - Thermolite Reactor Sleeping Bag Liner
North Face - Chamlang Jacket