by Katrin Rieger
On Saturday evening, you will meet your fellow riders at the meeting point in Reykjavik (BSI Bus Station or other pick-up placs). Your guide will also either meet you here, in the bus or at your destination. The transfer bus will take you to Stóri-Kálfalækur on the southeastern edge of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, where Siggi and Ólöf are waiting to welcome you to their farm.
You will be accommodated in shared bedrooms with 2 to 4 beds. After settling into your room you will get to enjoy the welcome dinner, which has been lovingly prepared by Ólöf. You can spend the evening getting to know the group in the common room, which is furnished with couches and tables. Alternatively, you can use the patio area in front of the house or enjoy a relaxing bath in the hot tub.
Your guide will speak to every rider individually before the start of the first riding day to find out about your riding ability. Every care will be taken by Siggi and his staff in matching horses and riders.
The morning of your first riding day starts with a hearty breakfast. Don’t forget to prepare your lunch pack from the breakfast buffet. Every rider will also be given a water bottle, rain gear, a riding hat and a saddle bag. Your best option is to always keep your rain gear in the saddle bag – we are in Iceland after all! Your guide will lead you to the paddock, where the herd is already waiting. In the stable, you will be able to pick a saddle with a noseband, both of which you will keep for the duration of the tour, and which the saddle bag can be attached to. A suitable horse will be carefully chosen by Siggi and his staff for all riders and your guide will show you how to tack up and mount your horse the Icelandic way.
Our first riding day will take us through plains, lead us up and around a mountain and finish at Grímsstaðir farm. There will be plenty of breaks along the way to give horses and riders a well-deserved rest. The horses will stay at Grímsstaðir, while the riders will be taken back to Stóri-Kálfalækur by minibus for yet another delicious dinner.
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