Chapter 14: Our private Cod War

Continued from Chapter 13

We quickly befriended the other long-term lodge residents - a mother and son from Lake Constanz on the German/Swiss/Austrian border. C and F had been coming to Hesteyri for many years and knew Birna's family and the area very well. We couldn't have asked for better companions during our stay. We immediately hit it off with C who is a theater Production Manager, so she and I kept ourselves entertained by singing songs from musicals. Her son F was 2 years older than our oldest, but F spoke German (as well as English) so that was ok as far as our boys were concerned! Over the course of the next few days, we would go on many adventures with C and F around the fjörd, but today we were going fishing!

Hrólfur had a small red Zodiac inflatable on which he was taking us out. C chose to stay onshore, so F accompanied J, myself, our 2 boys and Hrólfur. It was a juggle to get all of us on the Zodiac but we were determined to manage. Life jackets were compulsory because if any of us went over the side into the cold water, we were going to struggle to keep alive. Hrólfur sobered us all up by saying that our life expectancy in the freezing water could be no more than 15 minutes if we were lucky.

I should note that during our stay, Hesteyri was experiencing unusually settled weather with little wind and clear skies. This was not the norm as Iceland's weather was more like Melbourne's and New Zealand's, and it can often be Four Seasons in One Day. In neighbouring fjörds however, it had rained constantly. At the same time as we were fishing, J's friend and her sons were completing a 3 day hike a couple of fjörds away, and they had rain the entire time.

On a calm Hesteyrarfjörður, we sped off from the jetty with the cold air forcing its way into every gap in our clothing, chilling our skin and making our eyes tear up.

Click on the images to enlarge

It doesn't get better than this!

It was a relief when the boat stopped and Hrólfur readied the 2 rods. We were jigging with plastic lures that looked like worms. Apparently Icelandic Cod love them.

F gets into the action

The first strike went to me, but the fish was too small to keep, so back over the side it went. The next one was better, and soon we had keepers to take home. We took turns at the rods, changing over as we each caught a fish.

Another cod for the bucket

We started joking about having our own Cod War, except that it was humans against the fish instead of Icelanders vs. English fisherman as it had been in previous Cod Wars!

M has a turn

Soon, A was on the rod

The boys were into the fishing and us girls were having a hard time getting turns on the rods. In the excitement, they seemed to forget that there were others who wanted a go! We fished at 3 different locations and after about 90 mins, when we had enough fish onboard for dinner, we returned to Hesteyri.

Just enough for a feed

A and M were keen to pose with their fish. It's true - most boys are happy fishing and it showed in their faces - particularly in the older one's case.

Proud Anglers

The bucket of fish went into the stream to chill until the evening when Hrólfur would fillet them. He had already gutted the fish as we had brought them onboard. It saved having to deal with the smelly innards once we were back on land, and the seagulls loved them!


The boys gathered around to watch Hrólfur at work. I've gutted and filleted many fish in my time, but sometimes it just pays to keep quiet about those skills and let someone else do the dirty work!

Filleting gets underway

By the way, if you ever come to this part of the world, call into your outdoor shop and buy a headnet like the one that F has on in the below image. The tiny midges and flies are a constant nuisance, and buzz around the moist areas (eyes, mouths and noses) of people's faces. They are very annoying!

On the right, F models the latest headwear to keep the flies out of his face

Soon we had some beautiful fresh cod fillets waiting to be cooked.

Yummy - they looked so good even when raw

While Birna egged and floured the fillets, I was cooking them on a medium heat until the outsides turned golden brown. The fish was falling apart, it was so tender. J and C cooked rice and prepared a salad, and then we sat down with Birna to enjoy the food. It was delicious. We were all so full, but couldn't resist eating more than we should have. We had a few pieces of cod left over which we shared with some other campers who were very appreciative - after having been on 3 day hikes with no fresh food in that time!

The boys tuck in

Next Chapter: The Hesteyrarfjörður flora

Chapter 13: Our First Hike

Continued from Chapter 12

J chatted with Hrólfur about the best hikes that we could do with the 2 kids. He suggested climbing the small mountain immediately behind Hesteyri which gave great views over the settlement and the fjörds. If we were lucky and it wasn't covered in clouds, we might also see the Drangajökull (glacier) which was the only one in the West Fjörds and the most northern glacier in Iceland.

Click on the images to enlarge them

The small mountain that we were about to climb. We ascended on the back left of it.

"It takes about 4 hours there and back," said Hrólfur. We should have known to check the twinkle in his eyes!

After packing up our supplies for the trip and psyching up the kids, we set off. Climbing up the first ascent is made easier by a track which was started by the Norwegian whalers before 1915 and winds its way up the Hesteyri valley. The builders really took the time to do it right as small, low bricked bridges over some of the streams still stand. The track was never completed because the station closed down.

The Norwegian Whalers' track. The mountain that we climbed is on the left.

As we climbed, we kept stopping to look at the scenery - it was superb. Everywhere we looked was another postcard image. It almost hurts to look at beautiful scenery like we were experiencing.

The main Hesteyri stream tumbles down the mountainside

The boys were excited to refill their drink bottles from the pure mountain streams. The water tasted so good and at 3°C was refreshingly cold. The streams up the mountain kept our water in good supply - and the kids were kept busy looking for the next water stop!

Re-filling water bottles

We saw so many different flowers and plants that I'll have to do a separate post about them. It took me about 15mins to crawl up one steep 30m slope because I had to keep stopping to take photos of the flora! We also saw some beautiful vistas with streams and flowers.

White and yellow flowers, green lichen and clear water

Finally getting to the top of the valley from Hesteyri, we had to leave the track to head up the mountain. It was heavy going because in every direction there was wet, marshy land caused by the snow melt. Making it to the base of the first rock climb, we paused for lunch and gazed out at the scenery. We were looking at the other side of the Hornstrandir, northwest into the Aðalvik fjörd.

Looking out to Aðalvik

The flat topped peak is called Mt. Skorar or Mt. Straumnesfjall depending on who you talk to. Between 1954-56, NATO built a radar station at the top of the mountain and it was in service for 10 years. Hrólfur's brother-in-law Roland and some friends climbed up to the station while we were in Hesteyri, and they reported that it was very spooky. Even the concrete was different to anything that they had seen being used in Iceland! There is a steep road up the side of the mountain and the station was serviced by an airstrip built on a sand spit in Aðalvik Cove.

Mt. Straumnesfjall a.k.a. Mt. Skorar

Before we continued, the boys took time to play on a nearby snowfield.

Anything but an angel is this kid!

High altitude snow and wet pants!

We continued on, climbing up beside a stream falling down a 30m cliff. It was hands, knees and feet time. Getting to the top and we were faced with another challenge of which way to go. The grassy way on the left looked tempting and J and the kids headed that way. One advantage of being a photographer is that I linger at places a lot longer than most. When the trio got caught in the middle of a swamp, I went to the right across the rocks. It took them about 10 minutes longer to get back to where I was!

Circumnavigating the swamp land

We paused by a lake created by the snow melting. Now we knew where all the water in the valley was coming from!

A lake created by snow melt

The climb began to get harder now, and the last 200m was done on rocks as in the below image. In reality, we must have done a further 500m to get to the summit as we had to travel along some of the ridges as well as ascend.

Loose rock and 200m to climb - AAAARGH!

It was no fun. The rocks were loose and we had to balance on top of them before progressing with the next step. It was all too easy to move the rocks and slip off them. This part of the climb took the longest, but finally, we could see the rock cairn which indicated the top of the mountain. Yay - we had made it!

At the summit

The view was heavenly. Elated, we stood and stared at the wonderful sight. The weather chose to clear up at just the right time, and we saw everything at its best. We looked down on Hesteyri and out over the Hesteyrarfjörður and Jökulfirðir (fjörds).

Where the fjords meet - Hesteyrarfjörður (left) and Jökulfirðir (middle)

Looking down on Hesteyri

The main Hesteyri stream can be clearly seen.

Looking back over our shoulders, we could see the next mountain range and the patches of snow further up which fed the main stream into Hesteyri.

Looking towards the northeast

There's a lot of swamp land down there with all that water

The weather gods were smiling at us and even allowed us to glimpse the glacier Drangajökull, peeking out of the clouds in the next fjörd.

The snout of the Drangajökull can be seen in the upper center of the image

So much for 4 hours here and back - it had taken us about 4 hours to get to the top. Icelanders must travel faster with no stops and no photographs! Coming back down the rocky part was almost as bad as coming up, but this time we could see an easier way to go. It was longer but flatter. With relief we reached the 30m cliff again and crawled down it onto flatter land. We still had swamps to negotiate, but they were better than the loose rock.

Coming down into the Hesteyri Valley

Upon reaching the top of the Hesteyri Valley, we were again on the Whalers' Track, and everything became easier - except that my knees were killing me. It appears that I have inherited my father's knees. He has always told me that going up was fine in comparison to the pain going downwards. Now I knew what he meant!

The telephone poles carried the phone line between Hesteyri and Aðalvik

By now it was about 5pm and the light in the valley got very vivid. Brilliant blues and greens could be seen everywhere and it was like looking through polarised sunglasses.

Reflected sky

Just out of sight around the left headland is the Drangajökull glacier

An hour later, and we were on the home stretch with the Doctor's House not too far away.

Not long to go now

The below map shows the 2 outlooks that we viewed while on the hike. Blue is the direction we looked out to Aðalvik fjörd and Red is where we looked out to the Hesteyrarfjörður and Jökulfirðir (fjörds) and Drangajökull (glacier).


Next Chapter: Going Fishing

Chapter 12: Hesteyri History

Continued from Chapter 11

Click images to enlarge

Guarded by high mountains, Hesteyri settlement sits on a gentle slope by the Hesteyrarfjörður (Hesteyri fjörd)

So, here we were in Hesteyri, in one of the most isolated parts of Iceland - the West Fjörds. We would never have known about this place if it hadn't been for J's friend who had married an Icelander whose family had always lived in Bolungarvik. Hrólfur is a renown jazz accordionist and we were lucky enough to be treated to his playing on a couple of occasions during our stay. This man can play!

Hornstrandir is marked by the blue circle and Hesteyri is marked in red lettering.

Internet research for Hesteyri proved that it's an isolated place that no one, except for keen hikers, naturalists and Icelanders, knows to visit. Information was sparse and a lot of it only in Icelandic. Little wonder when you see the place - it's so beautiful that I'd want to keep it to myself too!

Looking down on the settlement of Hesteyri. The headland in the distant left is where Jökulfirðir meets the bigger Ísafjarðardjúp fjörd.

In the 1890s, Norwegians set up a whaling station in Hesteyrarfjörður which is a sub-fjörd of Jökulfirðir. The station was at Stekkeyri which from Hesteyri is an easy >30 minute walk along the fjörd. (More on the whaling station in a future post.)

In 1915, the station closed when Iceland imposed a 10 year ban on whaling in Icelandic waters.

In 1920, Hesteyri was established with private dwellings, a school, shop, church, post office with telephone communication and a resident doctor.

In 1927, a Reykjavik company bought the whaling station from the Norwegians and converted it into a herring factory. In its busiest times, up to 80 people lived in Hesteyri to work in the factory and its support services. It continued to operate until 1940 when the herring stocks began to dwindle due to over-fishing in the area by Iceland and other countries such as Russia and Norway.The factory closure devastated Hesteyri and people were forced to move away to find employment elsewhere.

By 1952, Hesteyri was abandoned, as was the whole Hornstrandir Peninsula.

Today, about 10 houses remain and are maintained and lived in over the Summer by the old inhabitants and their families. No one is allowed to purchase housing or land - the existing dwellings are passed onto family members.

Hesteyri is a popular starting or finishing place for hikes across the mountain ranges, and the ferry service Sjóferðir from Ísafjörður runs regular services to drop off and pick up hikers from various points around the Hornstrandir. Owned by the affable Hafsteins and his wife Kiddý, they are walking encyclopedias when it comes to the history, and their knowledge, of the West Fjörds.

A Sjóferðir ferry boat tied up at Hesteyri

A stone memorial now marks where a wooden church used to sit. The church was a gift from the Norwegian whalers to the village. When Hesteyri was abandoned, the church was transported to Sudavik where it was restored - much to the chagrin of the former Hesteyri inhabitants who feel that the church should have stayed where it was built.

The memorial marking the site where a church once sat

The memorial is recessed to hold the old church bell and a map showing the locations of the graves in the surrounding cemetery and the names of the people buried there.

A list of the people buried in the cemetery

The cemetery surrounds the old church site.


The settlement gets its water from the many streams which flow down from the snowline. Most of the houses run pipes from the streams for personal use.

The main river flowing beside some of the houses

The main stream has some beautiful waterfalls on it.

Upper falls on the main Hesteyri river

Lower falls on the main Hesteyri river

The school house remains and has been restored. It is sometimes used for accommodation on the upper level while the downstairs is still set up as a classroom.

The old Hesteyri school house

We were staying in the main lodging house in Hesteyri. It's formally known as the Doctor's House, as in Hesteyri's heyday this is where the physician lived and had his clinic set up.

The Doctor's House - our room was on the top left

Nowadays, Birna and her family run it as sleeping bag accommodation in bunkrooms. As well, there are coffee cruises from Ísafjörður which come over to Hesteyri, and the passengers are given an historical tour of the area by Kiddý from the ferry company before coming to the Doctor's House for coffee, pancakes and some traditional Icelandic treats made by Birna.

The Doctor's House - accommodation and afternoon teas

All travellers staying overnight in Hesteyri or going hiking on the Hornstrandir must bring their own food. If staying at the Doctor's House, food can be cooked in the communal kitchen in the house. The mattresses in the bunkrooms are very comfortable and they even have pillows to lend out. The whole place is heated and toasty warm. As well as the inside accommodation, and for a small fee, campers are also welcome to pitch their tents outside the house or in the camping grounds closer to the school house.

The Doctor's House situated right next to the main stream in Hesteyri

Now that we had the general lie of the land, we were ready to explore further afield - and those hills looked inviting!

Next Chapter: The 1st hike