Welcome to Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, my office in the Westfjords where I guide with Borea Adventures.
Hornstrandir is northerly end of this part of the country. It is only accessible by boat, since there is not a single road here. Up until the mid fifties people still lived here permanently, cultivating the land, fishing and taking care of their livestock.
For last couple of years I have been lucky enough to be able to call this place my home. If you think the rest of Iceland is stunning, you will lose your mind over this part of the country. The Westfjords are one of a kind, where wildlife and weather rule over everyday existence. If you are into hiking or kayaking – visit to Hornstrandir Nature Reserve will blow your mind with its pristine landscape, steep cliffs, whales, arctic foxes and hundreds of thousands of sea birds. But we also have whiteouts, whale bones, river crossings and lack of reception. In short it is a perfect place to log out of your everyday stress and tune into the surrounding wilderness and peace.
Since I first visited the Westfjords, I have never looked back. And it is not only the nature and the landscape that is so unique. It is also the people and the sense of community, present on every step. The strength and resilience of the locals is one of a kind. I do wonder how it would be to be born and raised here, surrounded by the recent history of hardship, local legends, sharp sea breeze and avalanches.
I come from a big city. As I grow older I realize how exhausting living among concrete and anonymous crowd can be. I have always been a person of the outdoors but as the time goes by, I long for peace and solitude more and more.
It can seem contradictory to the fact that I work as a guide – because yes, I am with people most of my working season, and yes I talk and interact with them everyday. But there is a huge difference in doing it surrounded by nature and breathtaking landscapes. And there are surprises and there are challenges in this line of work but also constant gratification in the form of being outdoors everyday and sharing quite experiences with like-minded people.
