Thorvaldur Thórsson, a prominent Icelandic mountaineer, has announced his intention to climb the top 100 peaks in Iceland this year. On June 19, Thórsson completed climbing five of the highest mountains in one day, making his total so far this year 47 peaks.
The five mountains conquered included: Káratindur, Thurídartindur, Mikill, Heljargnípa and Mávabyggdir, all of which are located on the Vatnajökull glacier. Clustered close together, the distance between all five peaks is only 50 kilometres.
“I had a good sleeping bag, an extra bag and a heating device, so if I’d gotten into trouble I could have stayed on the glacier”, said Thorsson. “I had enough food, but the backpack was heavy during the 50 km that I hiked.”
Safety on the glacier is of paramount importance to Thórsson as he hikes alone. Although he crosses the glacier in skis, which is safer than crossing on foot, he still runs the risk of falling into crevasses in the ice.
Thórsson claims he has already conquered the most challenging mountains on his list and he is optimistic that he will finish his quest in time for his 50th birthday in the autumn.
Next on his schedule are the peaks on the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, Hofsjökull glacier and Kverkfjöll mountains. He hopes to finish the quest with a climb to the top of the popular Hekla volcano and he urges others to come out for the climb and accompany him to the top.
Thórsson’s passion for climbing has earned him the nickname ‘Summit Chief’ but when he isn’t climbing icy mountains, he works as a computer scientist.