Rob Estivill
The spark of adventure
We had decided to go to Iceland in September 2023 with one simple objective: paddle as many rivers as possible during our stay.
But every adventure has a beginning. Sometimes it is hard to pinpoint precisely when that first spark came to life, when the first daydream suddenly broke out from the realm of maybe into that of the possible. For me it was perhaps a river crossing during my first trip to the island almost ten years earlier. I had never even heard of packrafting, and hitchhiking and hiking across the rough landscape was already an amazing journey for a rather unexperienced trekker. Over the course of our trip we had to navigate multiple hazards such as snowstorms and tent-crushing wind but one feature that marked us was the need to ford several of the many rivers that cut across the landscape, making things a little bit more interesting that your average alpine ramble. Pulling off socks and holding gear on our head, we would wade and slip across freezing streams and wider rivers, trying to stay as dry as possible. Not always easy when it’s pouring at the same time.
It was maybe that moment, or maybe not, but some years later, when I started reading about ultralight inflatable boats something clicked; rather than f avoiding river crossings, why not let the water do the work? In short, a packrafter had been born, in my mind at least. Over the next few years I returned to Iceland for a first paddling experience in cold weather, as well as other adventures in both the Alps and further afield. It was only logic to join Olivier soon after Mekong was born and actually start building our own boats, making them exactly like I would have wanted all those years before.
Since then, I’ve not stopped paddling, gradually packrafting harder rivers anywhere and anytime possible. I had met Lou at a packrafting event and we had since paddled together on many occasions. At some point I must have mentioned my dream of returning to Iceland and doing all those rivers I could only look upon in awe at the start of my paddling journey. The project of going back to the initial source stayed with me, and that’s probably how we ended up on a cold September afernoon pulling on our gear, ready for our first whitewater.
This short film is about how we got there and highlights some of the incredible runs that we were able to discover. We hope you enjoy it!
La saga continues...
But the quest wasn’t over! Our trip in 2023 was but the first chapter in our Icelandic saga, and as I write these words we have just returned from a much more ambitious project. It will take some time to sort through all the shots and pictures, but please be patient, chapter 2 is on its way! We will be publishing the first packrafting guide to Iceland in the coming months as well as more content, so stay tuned!
This trip can be paddled in these packrafts
Discover other adventures...
Packraft Paradise – Mission: Explore Iceland’s Wildest Rivers
It was a typical Icelandic September afternoon; the sun was poking through the grey clouds and some raindrops spattered down on our equipment. The wind soon whipped them off and we were left feeling cold and excited. After a late-night flight, sleeping in the airport lounge and early morning car rental we had sped across some incredible landscapes to find ourselves at the start of our first river. It was the start of a two-week trip to discover some of the most beautiful rivers in Iceland and the first chapter of a bigger project to put this incredible place on the packrafting map. The was only one rule: paddle. every.single.day.
Arktouros – Yukon and Northern Territories
From the ancient Greek ἄρκτος (bear) and οὖρος (guardian), Arcturos or Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern Boötes constellation and one of the brightest in the northern hemisphere. A bright star with a red-gold/orange hue, it owes its name to its proximity and mythological connection with the constellations of the Great Bear (Ursa Major) and the Little Bear (Ursa Minor). The Arktouros Project is all about venturing into the heart of the distant and inaccessible lands of Alaska, observing exceptional fauna and flora, raising awareness among as many people as possible about the importance of its preservation, but also reconnecting with ourselves and the world around us.
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