Useful information about your holiday riding in Iceland with Sagnaslóð!

WEATHER CONDITIONS
The season starts in late May and lasts until the end of September. During this period of time, there can be a great variety in weather conditions and especially in the mountains, the weather changes surprisingly quickly.

The range can extend from warm and sunny summer days (most likely in July and August) to rain and wind up to gale and even snow at the end of the season. It is vital to bring suitable clothes to be well equipped for all eventualities. For further information see our recommended packing list below which is based on the propositions of well experienced Iceland riders.

CLOTHING AND NECESSARY EQUIPMENT
All items that you don't need during the ride in the mountains can be left behind and picked up again at the farm where we start our tour. The luggage will be transported by the kitchen van. It is recommended to pack light and use the soft holdall type of bags rather than hard shell suitcases since space in the van is limited.

You are asked to bring heavy raingear, a helmet, lunchboxes and drinking bottles.

Beyond that, your bag should contain:
• Long functional underwear, pants and shirt
• Two pairs of warm socks
• Riding boots (disinfected)
• Riding pants (soft shell if available)
• A light middle layer sweater or shirt
• A warm sweater
• A functional warm rain jacket
• Warm and watertight riding gloves
• A small medical kit with bandaids
• Dextrose or chocolate for quick energy
• Set of comfortable clothes to wear at night
• Swimsuit and towel
• Small pillow and ear plugs

DESINFECTION OF THE RIDING GEAR
Riding gear (riding boots, riding trousers, jackets, hats, gloves, etc.) needs to be washed (40°C) or dry cleaned. Used riding clothes and boots that cannot be placed in a washing machine or dry cleaned should be washed and disinfected as follows:

- Rinse thoroughly with detergent
- Dry
- Spray with 1% VirkonS ® (10g per l.water)
- Store for at least 5 days prior to bringing the clothes into contact with horses in Iceland

Saddles, bridles and other used leather gear may not be brought into the country. Please understand that these precautions are necessary because there are no contagious animal diseases in Iceland. Horses are not vaccinated and are therefore susceptible to infectious agents from abroad.

WHAT IS INCLUDED
We pick-up guests at Ísafjörður Airport. The flights to and from Iceland are not included in the tour fee, nor is the domestic flight to and from Ísafjörður. Breakfast, lunchpacks and dinner as well as drinks to accompany the meals are fully included. Alcohol, however, is not and since it is expensive in Iceland, so you might want to visit the Duty Free Shop at the airport to bring a small stash.

INFORMATION WE REQUIRE
To find the right tour and later also the best horse for you we reserve the right to inquire for information about age, weight, height and riding experience.

Please let us also know about dietary requirements, vegetarianism and allergies in advance.

GUIDING STAFF
At least one qualified professional guide will be present on every tour. He will be accompanied by experienced Iceland riders in cases where needed.

All guides are dedicated to the Icelandic nature and passionate horse riders. They will be happy to share their cumulative knowledge about Glacier Rivers, Table Mountains, volcanic activity, the lively birdlife, the Sagas, and the Icelandic history and culture with you during the ride.

SAFETY
GSM connectivity is nowadays almost everywhere available Iceland - even in the very remote areas - in case of emergency. Full Medical Insurance is required to join our tours.

GROUP SIZES
Group size ranges from 8 to 10 riders. We usually calculate to bring at least 2 horses for every rider. It is also possible to book a custom made tour. Please contact info@sagnaslod.is to learn more!

RIDING ABILITIES
The tours are attended with relatively high physical demands. Please make sure you are fit to join. The minimum riding ability required is mastery of the basic aids and the ability to control the horse at all paces and in the open country.

It is a great advantage if you are a proficient rider. We do not accept absolute beginners but would be happy to offer help in finding a more suitable tour.

CHILDREN AND FAMILY DISCOUNTS
We do accept children but they must be strong, competent riders. There is a 50% discount for children up to 14 years of age (turning 13 that year). Families of four pay the price for three persons. Bigger families; please contact me and we will find an acceptable solution.

THE RIDING DAYS
The usual length of the day is 4-5 hours in the saddle and can sometimes be longer than that. We start shortly after breakfast when all necessary preparations are done.

Whenever the terrain allows it, we enjoy the fast but still comfortable tölt of the Icelandic horse. We take short breaks every hour to stretch our muscles and allow the horses to rest a bit. During a longer break at mid day, we have lunch and change horses before we continue to the destination of the day.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
We request a 30% confirmation payment upon booking to be able to confirm a seat. When we have received the confirmation payment the seat is secure. Another 30% is due May 1st and the last 40% is due upon arrival in Iceland. We accept all major credit cards.

ACCOMMODATION
We usually spend the all nights at a well equipped guesthouse, where we enjoy the luxury of showers and regular beds. On the 4 day tours, we stay at the same guesthouse all nights, but we might change guesthouses on the longer tours and the whole group could have to share a room in some cases. In that case it might be comfortable to have ear plugs to be forearmed if there would be snorers among us.

MEALS
The day starts with a hearty high energy breakfast (usually including warm porridge). We then make and pack our lunchboxes for the lunchbreak. The dinner is aimed to be one of the highlights of the day where we explore the healthy and fresh Icelandic/Westfjords cuisine. Without getting too adventurous for regular tastebuds, of course

TERRAIN
Iceland's landscapes offer a wide variety of terrain, ranging from rough rocky mountain passes to smooth and wide heath land, flowery meadows, swamps and stony deserts. The sure footed Icelandic horse is perfectly fit to carry us even through difficult and steep terrain. Our aim is to find our way along the Sagatrails as we tell the stories along the way.

OTHER ACTIVITIES
Although our priority is riding, we might reserve some time during the afternoons to visit interesting sites in case they are reachable from our camp; this could be geysirs, waterfalls, or hot water pools. There is usually no entrance fee for natural wonders in the Icelandic mountains. We will visit naturally heated swimming pools - when we have got afternoon refreshments - in the time between riding and dinner. After dinner we will gather in a cosy room with a glass of wine or beer (or tea, coffee, water, sodas - you name it) and tell stories, sing and entertain each other. Singing is important to us and we will make sure you will learn at least one Icelandic song during your trip and we will entertain you with singing performances in the evenings.

INSURANCE
All guests must have adequate medical and travel insurance.

THE SAGAS
Our priority is to tell and ponder over the Icelandic Sagas. The Westfjords are the scene of Gísal Saga Súrssonar. In 1981 we made a film The Outlaw about this story. In September 2011 a documentary film Memories Of Old Awake was published about Gísla Saga and it's connection with the landscape, life and culture of the area.

The Outlaw http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Atlaginn

Memories Of Old Awake http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/video-and-audio/cambridge-ideas-memories-of-old-awake/