The Ice-O began on Friday with an evening sprint wich started in a local school at 6.00pm.

This gave Ilze and I time to explore the  Hallgrimskirkja  which looms over Reykjavik. It is difficult to photograph  as the sun always seems to be behind it. The statue out the front celebrates the Viking explorer Leif Eriksson who sailed from here to Labrador in what is now Canada.  It was several centuries later that Portugal’s Christofo Colombo’s expedition landed in the West Indies and named it after his Genoese navigator “Amerigo”

Hallgrimskirkja.

Leif Eriksson, the discoverer of North America

We were also extremely luck to arrive during organ practice.

Organist in full stride.

Organ in Hallgrimskirkja.

Reykjavik from Hallgrimskirkja tower

View from Hallgrimskirkja of the volcano
Snaefellsjokull looming over Reykjavik.
Thank Odin for spell checker.

The sprint was pretty standard stuff except for the little local parks which were areas of volcanic lava too rough to build on and too rough to Orienteer in. Ilze and I both  did the same course and did very well. (Experienced Street-O persons Rule in Iceland.  We both came second.

Ice-O. Sprint

Day 2 was a different kettle of pickled herring.

First thing to recognise was the last thing that came to Pete’s mind (and not until he sat down afterwards) is that the background base colour of the map is not white ( ambient open forest) but cream (moss covered open rocky ground.) The moss covering on the rocks was up to 200mms thick and was like running on foam rubber. Having said that it was still slow going and featureless navigation so track running was all the rage which made it far too quick for Pete. Also the vegetation had not been updated for many years as growth rates here are so slow. We met the mapper who was from Italy (not related to Amerigo) and he said it took him some to understand that waves of lava need to be recognised like waves in the ocean. (Perhaps he was related to Amerigo). I made a mistake approaching number 8 ,because I was still seeing white, and came in 4th.

Registration was in a local hut with a turf roof.

Rego.

Ice-O Long distance.

Course setters notes. “if you get lost in Icelandic forest, just stand up”

Except in this bit.

David B away for Victoria.

Peter. Away for Odin’s knows how long

Not on my course

Control 4. (69)

Ilze wisely chose to stay and have a chat the our ex coach Will G’s dad who is coming over for Oceania.

Chatting to Will G’s Dad

So it is back home to blog and cook Kryddad milt Chillibragd.

We think is lamb-steaks with a chilli sauce.

Pete.

PS. It was delicious.