The outdoors

Friday, 08 April 2011 10:10 Jón Páll Vilhelmsson

The outdoors

The highlands
Fitness level
Hiking rating system

Mountain cabins

In the highland tours we make reservation in comfortable heated cabins. On rare occation there may be some nights in tents. The tents are set up by our crew, ready to sleep with a mattress and a sleeping bag. Cooking facility is always near a cabin.

Sanitation

We camp on campgrounds with proper sanitation facilities. There are fine toilets in or near cabins where we stay at the time.

Natural hot springs

We often use the opportunity to use natural hot springs to dip into. It's a wonderful experience and there are plenty of such hot spots around Iceland.

The nature baths in North east Iceland by Lake Mývatn is a must visit if you are in the are. It's a modern natural spa based old culture of the are to bath in hot springs.

Fitness level

The hikes are fairly easy though perhaps not meant for people with no prior hiking experience. These are easy walks with a camera and tripod but sometimes on uneven ground, rough lava, rocky beach etc. There may be easy day hikes in some tours with a day-pack but you never need to carry a tent or a sleeping bag.

Class 1:

Easy hiking - usually on a good trail.

Class 2:

More difficult hiking that may be off-trail. You may also have to put your hands down occasionally to keep your balance. May include easy snow climbs or hiking on talus/scree.

Class 3:

Scrambling or un-roped climbing. You must use your hands most of the time to hold the terrain or find your route. This may be caused by a combination of steepness and extreme terrain (large rocks or steep snow). Some Class 3 routes are better done with rope.

Hiking difficulty rating system

Hiking	Class 1	Easy hiking - usually on a good trail.
Hiking	Class 2	More difficult hiking that may be off-trail. You may also have to put your hands down occasionally to keep your balance. May include easy snow climbs or hiking on talus/scree.
Climbing	Class 3	Scrambling or un-roped climbing. You must use your hands most of the time to hold the terrain or find your route. This may be caused by a combination of steepness and extreme terrain (large rocks or steep snow). Some Class 3 routes are better done with rope.
	Class 4	Climbing. Rope is often used on Class 4 routes because falls can be fatal. The terrain is often steep and dangerous. Some routes can be done without rope because the terrain is stable.
	Class 5	Technical climbing. The climbing involves the use of rope and belaying. Rock climbing is Class 5. Note: In the 1950s, the Class 5 portion of this ranking system was expanded to include a decimal at the end of the ranking to further define the difficulties of rock climbing. This is called the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS). The decimal notations range from 5.1 (easiest) to 5.14 (most difficult). Recently, the rankings of 5.10 through 5.14 were expanded to include an "a", "b", "c" or "d" after the decimal (Example: 5.12a) to provide further details of the ranking. None of the routes described on 14ers.com are Class 5, so I will not go into detail of the expanded decimal system.