WT18 catalog single pgs

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The celestial phenomenon of the aurora
borealis is one of the most sublime wonders
of the natural world. We’ve designed an
adventure brimming with winter escapades
and wonderful chances to see the lights, and
we’ve timed it to give us plenty of daylight
to enjoy great outdoor adventures and dark
night skies for the aurora. We’ll snowshoe
across lava fields, cross a glacier with crampons
(no experience necessary!), and hike to—and
behind—some of Iceland’s most legendary
waterfalls, including Seljalandsfoss and
Skógarfoss. We’ll also hike right in the rift
between the European and Atlantic plates,
and down inside a giant lava tube with
stalactites and ice formations. As night falls,
we’ll search for the spectacular blue, green,
and violet arcs shimmering across the sky
above us. This is winter adventure, WT style!
Days 1-2 Snowshoeing / Skógar / Skógarfoss /
Glacier Walk Heading to the Blue Mountains
outside Reykjavík, we snowshoe from crater to
crater across a lunar landscape (snowshoeing is
like hiking—no previous experience is necessary).
At Skógar, we visit the folk museum and hike to
Skógarfoss, a waterfall that bursts out of the
mighty Myrdalsjökull Glacier and plunges 200 feet
off a rock shelf. At night, we’ll be on “northern
lights alert,” and our countryside hotel gives us
great viewing prospects far from the city lights.
Days 3-5 Great Geysir / Snowshoeing /
Thingvellir / Mt. Hengill We watch the
spouting plumes of Great Geysir, which gave
its name to all the world’s geysers, then hike
and snowshoe in Thingvellir National Park—
and right between the dramatic rift between
the North American and European continental
plates. We also hike or snowshoe on
Mt. Hengill, and by night, enjoy soaks in
geothermal pools at our hotel (the “Northern
Lights Lounge” has floor to ceiling windows
and is our cozy spot for viewing).
Days 6-8 Mt. Strutur / Surtshellir Lava
Tube / Reykjavík / Blue Lagoon Snowshoeing
brings us up Mt. Strutur and onward to the
Hallmundarhraun lava field, with its giant lava
tube. We hike right down into the earth as
we explore the spectacular 1.5-mile Surtshellir
lava tube, with its intricate ice formations. We
also hike to the hidden Glymur waterfall, one
of Iceland’s highest. Our hotel’s location has the
clearest skies in Iceland, perfect for our prospects
of seeing the lights. After a soak in the famous
Blue Lagoon, depart on Day 8.
SNOWSHOEING, HIKING, AND SKY GAZING
HIGHLIGHTS
• Hunt for the elusive northern lights in
Iceland’s prime viewing locations
• Snowshoe and hike in Iceland’s
otherworldly landscapes—glaciers,
waterfalls, volcanic craters,
moss-covered peaks
• Explore the geological wonders of
Thingvellir National Park, a spectacular
UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Savor utterly fresh Icelandic cuisine,
relax in the mineral-rich hot springs of
the famous Blue Lagoon
DETAILS
• 8-day trip begins and ends in Reykjavík
• 7 nights hotels
• All meals included
DATES
Nov 11-18, 2017
Feb 17-24, 2018
Mar 17-24
Nov 10-17
TRIP COST
$7895 (9-12 members)
$8495 (4-8 members)
Single supplement: $1060
TRIP LEVEL 1 2 3+ 4 5 6 7
Moderate to steep snowshoeing and
hiking, 2-6 hours a day
FOR A DETAILED ITINERARY: 1.800.368.2794 OR EMAIL 77
The northern lights are a great show, but Iceland is also the place to hike in some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world.
DAN HELLER RAGNAR TH SIGURDSSON
JOHN ALEXANDER