#galtarviti

[snorrihelgason]

Can't wait to get back to my lighthouse sanctuary. #galtarviti (at Westfjords)

[snorrihelgason]

Saturday night drive through the west fjords with Gunni and The Beach Boys. #einmitt #galtarviti #lífið2014 (at Westfjords)

[nordurpollinn]

Galtarviti, Westfjords, Iceland

[snorrihelgason]

Just spent a few days writing in Galtarviti, one of the most remote and beautiful places in Iceland. Good people, good music & good times. #galtarviti

[chezcoletta-blog]

experience of solitude in iceland

After the wedding in Iceland, i was recommended to go to a lighthouse at the north-west Fjords. Its easy to take an inland plane from Reykjavik to Ísafjörður, if you don't mind skipping a long drive through the countryside. I was accompanied by a bandmember of the icelandic band múm (http://mum.is/) who was also going to stay at the lighthouse to work on new songs in solitude. We where expecting more people to come as we where told. At Ísafjörður we were picked up from the lighthouse owner Olafur and taken to a boat. Normally it is possible to walk over the mountain in a half a day trip to reach the lighthouse at Galtarviti, but with to much luggage its better to go with the boat. From the boat we saw seals swimming along side with us for a little while. After arriving at the lighthouse i was shown arround to the house, which was not quite what i had expected... I bet my friends from Reykjavik decided i should have this experience for once.

The lighthouse offers his visitors a place with no telefone and internet connection. Complete solitude on a hill right by the ocean, enclosed by two mountains. The light of the lighthouse is run by solar energy and there is one particular place to plug up electronics to a generator run by Windpower. It's practically the perfect eco-housing.

Olafur told me on the first day, that his lighthouse is a popular place for icelandic-, aswel as international artists. Artists come here to be undisturbed and inspired. Proudly he tells me that 8 Books have been written here, a few music albums have been composed and even dancers have worked on their choreographies at his lighthouse.  The lighthouse also has exhibitions during the summer saison.

News Article about the Galtarviti exhibition: 

http://grapevine.is/Author/ReadArticle/An-Offer-You-Shouldnt-Refuse

http://listings.grapevine.is/2012/06/08/galtarviti-keflavik-vestfirdir/?doing_wp_cron=1343319367.3835120201110839843750

If any visitor desperately needs to have either internet or a phone connection, one can choose from hiking two mountain tops. One mountain serves only telephone (easier walk) and the other mountain both (harder walk). The walk can be done in approximately 2 hours one way. Off course i tried it all and was extremely motivated to hike right from the first day on. All lighthouse residents give you a smile in this case because they say, this urge will go by once you really start enjoying the solitude.

I learned another thing right in the beginning of my week at Galtarviti. Be aware of the nature. If any accident happens if one is alone out there, there is no way for immediate help or care. So there are certain rules that have to be remembered. Someone coming from a big city might not even think about the actual risk. Several icelanders told me, that every year adventure tourists in iceland have mortal accidents. So after my first frightening hike experience alone on the mountain i started to ask questions of safety. These are a few rules i collected.

Rule 1#: always tell someone when you are leaving, where you are going and your estimated time of arrival or return. Someone will call the icelandic lifeguards and search troops for you in case you are missing, but it might take some time if the telefone connection is 2 hours away... The rescue teams are suposed to be very good and fast, but if you don't say where you go, the search area cannot be inclosed to your benefit.

Rule 2#: never wear jeans when you are hiking in the icelandic highlands. And no sneakers. Always good outdoor clothing. When jeans get wet they start hurting on the body and they might even frieze. So if you have problems finding your way, you might just frieze in your jeans by running circles in the fog, before you get home. 

Rule 3#: always check the weather forecast before you plan anything.

Rule 4#: don't pollute, trash, waste, disrespect the icelandic nature. Many Icelanders, if not the majority of them, believe in their nature spirits, like fairies, trolls and ghosts. If they notice you are disrespecting the nature, they will get really pissed off. 

All in all i stayed one week at the lighthouse and had the chance to have several walks in the area and experience a time of isolation. After the first three days a strong storm arose and i couldn't take walks anymore. The further people we had been expecting to come to the lighthouse, had canceled due to the storm. For three days i had to stay only in the lighthouse. It is a feeling of letting things happen, because there is nothing to do about it, or at all. A feeling that one never has in that way in a city where you would have at least digital entertainment or the chance of contacting friends and family. The attention starts narrowing and one starts daydreaming. Also i totally lost track of time which was supported by the fact that the sun doesn't go down at all. After a while i just slept when i got tired regardless of what time it actually was. 

Great was the cooking of the lighthouse keeper Olafur. We had great meals and there was nothing left out on the menue. Since Gunnar from the band múm was at the lighthouse aswel, i found it great to sporadically join the playing sessions at the Studio area he had set up. Olafur and Gunnar were also good story tellers. Many stories where related to this place and it's history which made me picture it as a magical place, as it is.