Back from the glacier!

I’m back from the Vatnajökull and after few intense day at the Guide school studying the wonders of nature it’s time to start blogging again. Unfortunately the school will continue to be very intensive for the rest of the spring but I’m determined to blog along with the school. And as there are many things that I’m planning to write about, I’d like to give you the chance to choose what’s the first (and second) topic I’m going to write about. So go ahead and vote! The voting is open only for one day so hurry!

And to give the post also some other content here are some:

… Numbers along the way

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0 blisters – despite skiing several days in wet boots pulling a pulka uphill. Thanks feet! (Though no thanks for the terrible stink!)

1 quite damaged nose – again! Don’t know if it was because of the ice crystals and the high wind or because of the sun. Maybe both?

2 attempts to get on the top of the Hvannadalshnjukur (2109,6m, the highest peak in Iceland).

3 bird sightings, no other wildlife seen on the glacier.

+8 C, the warmest temperature we had.

13 other people met on the ice (Finnarp team practising with Arctic Trucks guides, two Norwegians with Icelandic guide and an Icelandic-Polish duo on a long trek).

15 days at the glacier.

-23 C, the coldest temperature we recorded, might have been colder during the night.

30 m/s and over, the highest winds we had.

46 inch tyres on the super-jeep that dropped us to the edge of the glacier.

250km of skiing.

Countless good memories of the good moments, great company and shitty weather!

… Photos from the Vatnajökull expedition

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I got my 1000+ photos from the trip sorted out. I was aiming for putting some 60-70 photos online but ended up to 95. Hopefully it’s not too much for you. Photos are in my gallery: korpijaakko.kuvat.fi/kuvat/Vatnajokull-huhtikuu-2012

And my thanks to…

Jaakko, Nina, Heini and Jouni at the finish line - or that's what we thought!

… Heini who did all the blogging from the ice. A big daily task, especially as the blogs had to be written with small smart phone without the help of a real full-sized keyboard. I think she did a great job with great sense of humour in the posts.

… Kimmo who translated all the original posts from the ice from  Finnish to English and sending them into my blog. Once again a abig task to do in addition to the everyday tasks. (So all the updates from the ice are written by Heini and translated by Kimmo.)

… My dear long-time girlfriend Nina who did great job and was great company on the trip.

… and Jouni who did incredible job pulling two pulkas all the way through the Vatnajökull and keeping the moods up with his incredible sense of humour.

All the people who helped us to make the expedition happen. Big special thanks go to Paavo (our contact in Reykjavik) and to Matias (our contact in Finland). And thanks to Eero the expedition doctor (who was luckily not needed) and to all the other people who helped to make the trip happen. Thanks also to Helgi who gave us the ride to the edge of the glacier and to the guys at Hoffel for the ride back from the edge of ice. Icelanders are simply incredible off-road drivers!

And thanks to all the people who followed our trip and commented to the blogs! Reading the daily comments in the tent every evening was important part of the day.

And greetings to the people who we met on the glacier: the Finnarp crew and the Arctic Trucks guys, the two Norwegians and their guide and Lukasz and Tristan.