Schedule June 20:
09:00: Departure from the car parking by Landsbanki in central Ísafjörður.
16:30: Departure from Kirkjuból in Korpudalur, Önundarfjörður.
17:00: Arrival in Ísafjörður

 

Description:

This scenic hike will take us along one of the traditional routes in the region, frequently used in the old days by people either travelling by horses or foot.

 

You will be walking along the same paths that Magnús Hj. Magnússon was carried as an infant in 1873 to his foster parents home in Önundarfjörður. Magnús' life as a pauper and his dreams of becoming a great poet would later serve as an inspiration for the character Ólaf Kárason Ljósvíkingur, the protagonist of Halldór Laxness' novel World Light.

 

A bus will take us from Ísafjörður to Seljaland in the inner parts of Álftafjörður where the hike starts. We will walk up the lush hillside that leads to the Álftafjarðarheiði heath, the one that separates Álftafjörður from Önundarfjörður, offering a spectacular view over the mythic region.

In the afternoon, we will stop by at the old farmhouse in Korpudalur in Önundarfjörður, now a hostel. This is where our hike ends, and from there, we will drive back to Ísafjörður.

 

Necessary equipment:

• Hiking boots
• Wind / rain proof garments
• Warm hat and gloves
• Warm sweater (fx fleece)
• Pic-nic, fx. water bottle, warm drink, sandwiches, chocolate bar /sweets
• Small backpack

Optional equipment:

• Binoculars
• Map
• Hiking sticks
• World Light, the novel
  

Tour length: 15 km; 8 hours approx with transport; 6-7 hours hiking with stops.

Level of difficulty: Moderate for people in good shape.

 

Price: ISK 7,000. Included in price: bus transport and hike with hiking guide.

 

Registering and paying: Please contact the University Centre, phone +354 4503040 or send an e-mail to pernilla@uwestfjords.is. Deadline 16 June.