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Alison Turner

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 Walking under my favorite waterfall AND a rainbow

Walking under my favorite waterfall AND a rainbow

Winter in Iceland

Alison Turner February 14, 2017

For someone who avoids being cold at all cost and wears a puffy vest in the summer, a trip to  Iceland during the winter would seem like something I'd want nothing to do with.  However, I have a deal with myself that if I keep thinking of something day after day, I have to figure out a way to do it.  That something on my mind was seeing the Northern Lights in person.  I knew that it would be a hit or miss situation to see the elusive nature show and there are no guarantees, but I knew I had to give it a try, even if that meant camping in the snow.   The fact is, the weather is cold but not that cold compared to a lot of places in the winter.  I decided to make the voyage and packed several layers, found a $99 deal on Wow air, and squeezed all of my things in a small carry on bag to head out for an adventure.

 Taking a walk at 10am.

Taking a walk at 10am.

Teaming with CampEasy camper vans, I was able to travel in a 4x4 heated van for the week.   I have to say, Iceland is pretty magical in the winter.  But I'm sure you already knew that.

 Waking up and having the waterfall all to myself for a few minutes.

Waking up and having the waterfall all to myself for a few minutes.

After I arrived, I started driving the Southern route on the ring road until I reached my favorite waterfall, Skógafoss.  I tried to make the best of the limited daylight hours and plan my route the next day but that didn't always happen.  Last April, I drove the entire ring road but didn't travel to the West Fjords.  I decided to find a route to the area that was the safest to drive since many of the roads are closed during this time.  

I took the ferry across and found a camping spot all to myself.  Even though I was off of the main road in the area, I only saw about 3 cars pass by.  The further you get from Reykjavik, the less and less people you will see and that's why I changed direction and decided to travel Northwest instead of Southeast on this journey.

 I love the Icelandic Horses

I love the Icelandic Horses

It was 4 days into the trip and since I only had a week, I wan't sure I would be lucky enough to get a glimpse of the elusive lights.  Then one night in the West Fjords after I settled into camp, I set up my go pro for a time lapse of the moon over the ocean and forgot about it.  I cooked dinner in the camper and about 20 minutes later, I decided to go out to check on the camera.  To my surprise, the Northern Lights were out in full force and I was completely overwhelmed with excitement.  There wasn't anyone around but I still burst out with a, "are you kidding me?!!" (over and over again). There was a bright green swirl with a long stretch of light that went beyond the horizon.  I quickly grabbed my go pro on 1% power and put it on time lapse to record the movement.  I had each image 20 seconds apart and I quickly realized that 20 second was too much time between shots.  As soon as it appeared, it was gone.  That five minutes I had of Northern Lights made the entire trip.  I was so excited like a kid and stayed up to see more of the show but sadly, it wouldn't be as brilliant as it was when it first appeared. I'm just glad I was able to capture some of the magic. I will never forget that moment.  You can see some of the time lapse footage I took in the video below.

 

For the remainder of the trip, I drove around the western fjords, the Snaefellsnes National Park, golden circle to the secret lagoon, Pingvellier National Park, and took a dip in the icy Lagoon near Fontana spa.  A close second to seeing the Northern Lights was plunging into a frozen lake for no other reason than for the experience of doing it.  Many say that there are a lot of health benefits to submerging in an icy bath and I have to say that once I took that first step in the water, everything in my being told me not to continue.  Once you're in, it's a feeling I can't describe besides the obvious numbness and shock.  After defrosting from the first dip, I did it again just to be sure... of what, I am not quite sure.  To my surprise, the second time was a bit easier.

 My second dip in the icy lake...keeping an eye out for the exit

My second dip in the icy lake...keeping an eye out for the exit

To say that I camped in the snow in the winter is a bit of a stretch.  Even though it was winter and I was sleeping in a van... I had a heater, stove, and everything you'd need to stay comfortable.  The vehicles at CampEasy made the cold bearable and actually enjoyable for someone who isn't a fan of extreme temperatures.  

 Warm water at the secret lagoon

Warm water at the secret lagoon

The only thing I missed was Max.  However, he would have hated the cold and everyday looked at me like I was crazy.  Come to think of it, that's what he does normally.

If you can, I would recommend a trip to Iceland in the winter, or any time of the year.  Seeing the Northern Lights was an experience I will never forget.  To rental a camper van to tour the country, check out CampEasy.  To check out my video from my last voyage to Iceland, click HERE.

 My 4x4 Camp Easy Camper for the week

My 4x4 Camp Easy Camper for the week

In Travel, Adventure Tags iceland, winter, campeasy, campervan, iceland in a campervan, winter in iceland, solo travel, travel
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