Cooped Up? Get Uncooped.

I was doing a little research yesterday for a post about the Eyjafjallajökull-DNA watch, and I came across a really interesting series of articles in Skiing magazine. Journalist Megan Michelson was involved in a ski tour of Iceland, up and down the island's volcanoes, when the Eyjafjallajökull erupted. What would have been an interesting tale of exotic skiing on its own was enriched with true, natural-disaster-infused adventure.

Here's a taste of the trip: "We were planning to climb and ski the biggest volcano in Iceland, 2,110-meter Hvannadalshnjúkur (don’t even bother trying to pronounce that), which is on the southern shore of the island not far from Eyjafjallajökull. But the eruption shut down the road that accesses the southern shore—and the ash and smoke were severe enough that the explosion closed all the airports in northern Europe, which is making international news around the world."

This is the kind of adventure epic I used to subscribe to National Geographic Adventure for, before that magazine folded and they filled out my subscription with standard Nat Geo. It's a really cool four-part story that's worth taking a look at, especially now that late-April showers and sun are eliminating the last little pieces of skiing we have here in the States. Here's the link.

Photos: Daníel Örn

Daníel Örn

• Iceland
• skiing
• skiing
• stories
• volcanoes
• Eyjafjallajökull