Today I’m reading through the packing list for a four-day trip to Iceland tomorrow. It’s one of those trips where I’ll go from shorts to parka apparently. We’re climbing a 7,000 foot peak. It’s fourteen miles.
I live and train from 5,000 to 9,000 feet, so I’m not concerned about the altitude. I’ve put in some seven mile runs in the last month. I figure that will get me all the way up and then it’ll be all downhill for the other half of the trek.
Hopefully, I'll be seeing some of these (credit: Tomi)
I googled the mountain and looked at some photos. There’s ice and snow and lots of it. The trekkers are roped up with ice axes and crampons. I’ve been to Kilimanjaro, but we didn’t have ropes and crampons. I rock climb, so I’m okay with ropes. But, I am concerned about what to pack.
Though we won’t be sleeping or camping on the mountain, the guides recommend a 30 to 50 liter backpack. Without a tent or stove or sleeping bag, I can’t imagine why I’d need more than a day pack. Screw it. I’m taking a day pack. It says I need glove liners, but not insulated ones. I’m taking the ones I use for snowboarding. If my hands sweat, I’m okay with that.
For dinners, we need to bring smart casual clothes for dinners out, but dresses are unnecessary. Oh, and I need a swimsuit for the geothermal spa. Gals reading this will know that I’m now up to my fourth or fifth pair of shoes. Major hiking boots. Running shoes. Sandals. Flats or casual dress shoes warmer than sandals but not sporty like my running shoes. This is the kind of trip where you make concessions.
So next week, I’ll let you know if I made any major mistakes once I’ve decided what to take and what to leave behind. Photos of puffins yet to come, I hope. Cheers!!
