From Langidalur | Thórsmörk Trail Volunteers

Nov 13

Our team of volunteers “from 6 to 66 years old”.

In July we were joined by volunteers from Sjá (Sjálfboðaliðasamtök Um Náttúrvernd) for a special weekend project in Thórsmörk. More than 40 participants took part in our biggest project of the summer (and biggest project ever!).

The group worked in small teams on a series of hiking trail maintenance and erosion control projects on several sites. These included the west side of Valahnúkur as well as sites close to Húsadalur and Sönghellir where erosion fences were construced. A huge amount of work was completed in theses areas over the two days. Hosting and organizing food for 40+ people set a new record at our Langidalur base camp!

We would like to thank everyone who was involved and look forward to working with our friends from Sjá in Thórsmörk next season. We have added some pictures of the weekend to a new album on Flickr.

Nov 4

Video from Sjá… Icelandic nature conservation volunteers

Familiar faces from 2013… A video posted by our friends from Sjá (Sjálfboðaliðasamtök um náttúruvernd). Our international volunteers worked together with Icelandic volunteers on a special weekend project close to Húsadalur in summer 2013.

Thanks for posting!

Oct 30

Our friends at the Icelandic Mountain Guides

Last summer we teamed up with The Icelandic Mountain Guides (Íslenskir Fjallaleiðsögumenn) for a trail repair project on the Laugavegur. In the first partnership project of its kind, the company awarded us a grant to support the work of the volunteer teams and take on the challenge of repairing the Laugavegur between Thórsmörk and Emstrur. We were formally presented with the award at a celebration to mark the company’s 20^th birthday in Reykjavik earlier this month.

During the project, we ventured 10km north from our home in Thórsmörk and establish new “long-range trail teams” at remote work sites along the trail. Work focused on restoration tasks in areas where the deep soil layers had been damaged and as well as re-profiling soil and stabilizing vegetation in these areas, improvements to drainage were made to prevent further damage. Five of our volunteer teams undertook the work in July and August, camping close to the work sites during the projects.

There is a great deal of work remaining along the Laugavegur, but this has been a successful start. The funding allowed us to develop out long-range teams and to complete a large amount of valuable trail repair work along the trail. We would sincerely like to thank The Icelandic Mountain Guides for their support and wish them a very happy 20th birthday!

Oct 20

Our team last summer…

We are putting together an album of pictures of volunteers who joined our team last summer. Was there really that much sunshine?

Oct 12

Our base camp at Langidalur

The Thórsmörk volunteer base camp was established at Langidalur by the Forest Service (Skógrækt ríkisins) in spring 2013. The camp is hosted by the Iceland Touring Association (Ferðafélag Íslands).

This season we have been busy developing the camp and improving facilities for the teams. We now have solar powered electricity for phone charging and 12v lighting, as well as hot water on tap (heated by gas). Work on the drying room has been ongoing all summer but it is now complete with metal roof and the new building includes an undercover kitchen and washing up area. Luxury for those joining us next season!

We created a Flickr album with pictures of the improvement work at the base camp completed last summer…