Cleaning caves and renovating hiking trails
Fljótsdalshérað July 1 - July 15, 2020
Volunteer project: The volunteers will work again in the municipality of Fljótsdalshérað in various environmental projects around the region. The group will help:
- Rebuilding an old rock wall and garden, collecting large stones and adding to the wall.
- Cleaning caves and maintaining walking paths at Magnahellir and Dimmugljúfur which is a beautiful canyon with hiking trails.
- Cleaning the area around Laugavellir which is an impressive geothermal area with a natural pool.
- Maintaining different trails in one of the best hiking areas in Iceland.
In this project, volunteers will be mostly doing construction, working with stones, repairing or marking of hiking trails and walking paths in the East of Iceland. Some of the trails or paths are located in an isolated area of mountains and fjords. The working area of Hjarðarhagi, Magnahellir and Laugavellir is within driving distance from Egilsstaðir which is the largest town in the East of the country.
Well maintained paths enable people to visit these amazing areas without damaging them and this important work also helps to improve safety for visitors. Additional tasks may be cleaning or beautifying the area, like hand-picking garbage or collecting trash blown by the wind or brought by some visitors.
The working day normally runs from 9:00 to 17:00 with breaks for lunch and coffee. No previous experience is necessary but the work is demanding and might require a good physical condition. As it is outdoors work, volunteers shall be ready to adapt and be flexible with the working and free-time schedule, as depending on the weather, we may not be able to perform some of the tasks or activities planned.
Language: English
Leisure time: Some free time activities, for instance hikes or walks in the surroundings, will be provided during the project and the volunteers will get the opportunity to bathe in the natural hot springs at Laugarvalladalur.
Accommodation: The volunteers will be hosted in a local mountain hut in the municipality, away from the town. They will sleep on mattresses in shared rooms. Please bring your own sleeping bag. The house is equipped with a kitchen.
Location: The project is in the municipality of Fljótsdalshérað, East of Iceland, in a beautiful area surrounded by magnificent mountains, picturesque fjords and the sea. There are innumerable walking trails through the magnificent landscape of this area, whether over mountain passes, through valleys, or along the seashore.
Terminal: Closest International Airport: Keflavík/Reykjavík (KEF).
A minibus trip will be offered from Reykjavik to the project site and back. The minibus will travel one way along the Northern part of the country and the other along the South coast. This way, we will travel the whole ring road and stop at magnificent natural sights, including waterfalls, glaciers, volcano craters, hot springs, iceberg lagoons, black sand beaches, etc.
Age range: 18 and over
Extra fee: 350 Euro
The extra fee is intended to support the local host of the project and is payable upon arrival.