Building and maintaining hiking trails in the Icelandic Western Fjords

  Iceland

Reykjavik

Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: May 24 - June 7

Description: Volunteers will be working on few different projects, mainly building and maintaining hiking trails and pathways in the area of Langibotn. Additional tasks may include putting up signs and descriptive information charts for the trails, clearing old oil tanks from the abandoned farm lands in Geirþjófsfjörður and depending on the advance of the jobs, volunteers may start removing a stranded boat and take down its engine to be sent to a museum.

Leisure time: Excursions in the area as boat trips and hikes will be arranged for volunteers.

There is an extra fee of 120 Euro that goes to support the local host of the project.

Highlights: Bíldudalur is a small fishing town, at Arnarfjörður and one of the communities of Vesturbyggð, where the main trades are/were fishing and fish processing. However, during the last years and due to the introduction of the quota system in the Icelandic fishing sector, the town lost its share in the fishing amounts to be caught and this has strongly hit the economy and living situation in the area, which will be one of the issues addressed during the project. In the past years the emphasis on alternative industries has been more visible, similar to other fishing villages in Iceland. Bíldudalur is a small sea-side village in the southern part of the Icelandic Western fjords, famed for its beautiful landscape and good weather. The summers are often very warm and sunny with gentle breezes, conditions which are hospitable for fishing, swimming, hiking and a variety of other activities.

Langibotn in Geirþjófsfjörður is one of the places where the story of Gísli Súrsson took place, which is one of the most famous Icelandic sagas. Although the saga is only preserved whole in later manuscripts, it was most likely written down in the early 13th century with action occurring between 940-980 A.D. Gisli Sursson's Saga is a classic outlaw saga that is centered on the internal struggles of Gisli, the saga's protagonist, a 10th century settler who ends up outlawed - that is, being declared a person who could be legally killed by anyone finding him - after he avenges the death of his blood brother. Differing from the typical Icelandic Saga, it uses the common theme of vengeance to divide loyalties within the family instead of strengthening familial bonds.

From Langibotn, you can walk up to the cliff Einhamar, where Gísli was killed. The vicinity offers a variety of interesting places to explore and hiking and mountain climbing are popular. The sheer beauty of the region attracts people and tourism has started to play an increasing role recently. The distance from Reykjavik is 475 km (7 hours drive) by the Whale Bay tunnel but only 300 km via Stykkisholmur and by the ferry to Brjanslaekur. It is perhaps one of Iceland's most remote areas.

Bíldudalur and Langibotn are located in the Icelandic Western Fjords, which are too often missed by visitors due to its distance (real and perceived) from Route 1, the circle road, and from other population centers. The West Fjords are a mass of fjords, mountains and isolated villages on spits of lands surrounded by water and mountains. The area includes its own glacier, the magnificent, remote Hornstrandir and Europe's westernmost point of land at Látrabjarg. There, millions of birds nest in the cliffs, making it a must for bird watchers.

Cost in US$: $290 US

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Motivated to work voluntarily within an international team, tolerant, open-minded and cooperative person with adventurous spirit.

Age Range: 18 and over

This Program is open to American and Canadian Participants.

Participants Travel to Iceland Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups

CADIP - Canadian Alliance for Development Initiatives and Projects's Mission Statement: CADIP promotes peace, cooperation, tolerance and understanding in international, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural surroundings. The organization also promotes patterns and examples of civil activities focused on serving others, on building social ties and strengthening communities, on supporting civil society development. Aims and general objectives: * To promote volunteering as an expression of civic contribution * To strengthen the international contacts among young people * To build tolerance and understanding in multicultural and multi-ethnic surroundings *To promote multiunderstanding among youth all over the world * To facilitate the individual growth of the volunteers through the acquisition of work, life and learning skills * To work for the recognition and promotion of non-formal learning * To support the community initiatives and assist in community development.