Quarantine at the edge of the Arctic

While much of the world is on lockdown, Ása Steinars, took to the mountains to isolate herself at a remote cabin in North Iceland. With quiet days spent taking photos and ski touring, she shared with us how she likes to spend her time living remotely in the winter conditions of the North.

Physical activity, whether it is inside or outdoors, has rarely been as important as it is right now. However, we urge everyone to be safe and to follow the local laws in your area as all countries are approaching the COVID-19 health crisis in different ways.

Physical activity, whether it is inside or outdoors, has rarely been as important as it is right now. However, we urge everyone to be safe and to follow the local laws in your area as all countries are approaching the COVID-19 health crisis in different ways.

"Nature and being outside has always been important to me. Especially now when the days are finally getting longer and it’s exciting to explore the outdoors again.

This is part of being healthy and even though we live in uncertain times it’s always good to get outside and get some fresh air. The best thing about nature is all you need is yourself, and depending on activity some equipment, but social distancing is easy."

"What I love to do is escape the city and get a remote cabin. That brings me closer to nature which is where I want to be. This time of year my favourite area to go to is north on the Troll peninsula because there’s a lot of snow which makes the landscape look beautiful."

"A lot of the time I just go outside to take pictures. I got an old film camera that is fun to play around with and just being outside brings creativity. Walking around in the fjords, finding angles and exploring is something I very much enjoy.

I like to go out no matter the weather so having the right clothing is important to me. Last week the north had a big snowstorm and being able to be outside taking pictures in the middle of it definitely makes you feel alive."

"Another favourite photo spot of mine is to head south and shoot waterfalls in the snow. They completely transform in winter and look much more majestic when there’s white all around them."

"Another big passion of mine is ski touring. That’s the best way to get around in the snow and it’s a lot of fun. The Troll Peninsula is filled with great mountains and runs to go touring on.

One of my favorite areas is Ólafsfjörður that has plenty of fantastic mountains more or less outside the doorstep. If I’m at home in Reykjavik and want a day trip I usually drive up towards Snæfellsnes that has plenty of options to tour."

"Ski touring does require a bit of local knowledge and of course avalanche safety is super important. It’s a proper workout on the way up, usually it takes 3-4 hours to reach the peak."

"I always wear Gore-Tex and wool layers to keep dry and warm with an extra warm jacket in the backpack to put on at the top in case it’s windy. Once up you get an amazing view over the fjords and then hopefully the snow is great and the run down is fun.

I do of course stop along the way to take pictures. On a clear day, the views are just incredible, skiing all the way down to the fjord and then heading back to a cozy cabin. To me, that’s really quality of life."