Hornstrandir – Iceland’s most remote corner.
Even historically, when life was different across all of Iceland, Hornstrandir was unique. With jutting sea cliffs and a harsh climate, this corner of Iceland is unsuited to raising livestock. This meant that to survive, the locals largely fished or hunted birds rather than relying on farming. Life was tough – and made tougher by the occasional polar bears that would drift ashore on Greenlandic icebergs!
Nowadays, this corner of Iceland is totally uninhabited. You can catch a boat out there through July and August, but you’ve got to be self-sufficient – prepared with your own tent, food and trekking kit – there’s no access for vehicles. The landscape is spectacular, with arctic foxes roaming freely, and myriad native plant species growing freely without the pressure of sheep grazing, but it’s certainly not somewhere to head lightly.
What about winter?
You might be thinking that a place so wild in summer must be truly spectacular in the winter – and you’d be absolutely right. So why not get out there and see it for yourself?
Introducing: Sea to Summit
After 2023’s roaring success, we are delighted to be running our Sea to Summit ski-touring expeditions again in 2024!
If you’re a backcountry skier looking for an adventure on the edge of the world – look no further. Meet us in Ísafjörður, hop aboard our favourite oak boat Örkin, and let us take you to Iceland’s wildest corner. Find yourself on untouched slopes, soaring summits and steep couloirs, living every skier’s dream.
Then when you’re done for the day, hop back aboard for a hot dinner, good cheer and the opportunity to really experience living at the end of the earth! Try your hand at mussel gathering or cod fishing, and if you’re really brave, why not take a refreshing dip in the north Atlantic waves?
A picture is worth a thousand words
But what does it feel like, truly, to be in a place like this? Just you, your crew and your guide, alone against the elements? Well – we think videographer Mirto Menghetti has summed it up quite nicely! Check it out: