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Flagler Films Releases IAT Ireland Video

NewsJuly 23, 2012248Views
On June 16 at the IAT AGM in Reykjavik, Iceland, Flagler Films released its new IAT Ireland promotional video.  Fáilte Ireland and the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council contracted the company to produce a 6-minute video in 2011, on the newly established International Appalachian Trail in the Republic of Ireland. Flagler Films is well known for its filming of the Appalachians including its award-winning documentary about the world famous Appalachian Trail entitled ‘Appalachian Impressions’ and the production of short promotional videos on the IAT in Newfoundland & Labrador. Mark Flagler is a veteran hiker who has thru-hiked the entire 2,172-mile Appalachian Trail and has walked and filmed thousands of miles of long distance trails in the U.S., Canada, South America and Europe. On April 29, 2011 Mark became the first recorded hiker to walk the entire IAT in Ireland. Flagler Films’ latest video highlights the newly established IAT route in Ireland that travels 119km (73.9 miles) from the cliffs of west County Donegal to the Northern Ireland border at Kelly's Bridge.  The trail begins along the Atlantic coast at the towering cliffs of Slieve League. It continues on to the historic town of Gleann Cholm Cille, then up the glittering coast to the abandoned settlement of Port and along the Maghera Strand to Ardara.  From there the IAT follows paths with the well-known Bluestack Way along the Owenea River to the scenic market town of Glenties, up and over the rugged Bluestack Mountains and past the inspiring Lough Eske.  The IAT…

IAT Bridges the Divide at Mid Atlantic Ridge

NewsJuly 14, 2012393Views
On June 18, following the IAT AGM in Reykjavik, Iceland, representatives of the IAT from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean traveled to the Mid Atlantic Ridge in Thingvellir National Park, where ITA President and park warden Olafur Haraldsson – a renowned arctic explorer – gave a guided tour through the park.

Visiting an ITA Hut: Comfort in the Backcountry

NewsJuly 13, 2012270Views
On June 26, after the IAT AGM in Reykjavik, Iceland, Iceland Touring Association Manager Palli Gudmundsson took IAT Chair Paul Wylezol and IATNL Vice Chair Arne Helgeland on a day-long tour of Thorsmork (named after the Viking God of Thunder) and one of the ITA's most popular backcountry huts. The day began with a 2-hour drive from Reykjavik to the famous Seljalandsfoss waterfalls, at the off-road entrance to the valley and the ITA's  Laugavegur Trail, the most popular hiking trail in Iceland. Not far from the waterfalls, on a dirt road best-suited to Iceland's mega-wheeled SUVs on steroids, is the now dormant Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which in 2010 blew its top - and the back-end out of a one-time glacier-fed lake. The landscape here is other-worldly, a convoluted mix of grays and browns from rock and lava, to lush green hues of grasses and mosses; all bisected here and there with deep chasms of meltwater waterfalls. Before long driver Palli plunges his SUV into a fast moving and milky river, unable to see the holes and rocks on the bottom, but hopeful of making it to the other side.  This is repeated another 2 or 3 times, until the vehicle finally - and safely - crosses the Krossa River.  To the suprise of Paul and Arne, tour buses full of eager hikers follow the same route to the far side of the river, where the popular Thorsmork Hut is located. The hut is located on a gentle slope adjacent to the river, at the mouth of the Langidalur Valley.  The area is named Landmannalaugar, and is…

IAT Reaches Greenland’s Eastern Settlement

NewsJuly 12, 2012301Views
On June 19 after the IAT AGM in Reykjavik, Iceland, IAT Chairperson Paul Wylezol and IATNL Vice Chair Arne Helgeland traveled to south Greenland to meet with IAT partner Blue Ice Explorer and walk sections of the new IAT route near Eric the Red's historic settlement at Brattahlid. But even before touching down at the airport in Narsarsuaq, it was visible from the air that Greenland is a sparsely populated land of rock and ice.   Still, in the historic Eastern Settlement region of the south, the outer valleys are remarkably green, and often dotted with sheep on the treeless grassy slopes. A view of Qassiarsuk (Brattahlid), opposite the airport settlement of Narsarsuaq   The first order of business after touching down was to stop by Blue Ice Explorer headquarters, just a few minutes walk from the airport.  There Paul and Arne met IAT rep Birgitte Pedersen who briefed them on their 4-day walking and boating itinerary, and the new IAT Greenland route. Left to right: IATNL Vice Chair Arne Helgeland, IAT Chairperson Paul Wylezol, Blue Ice Explorer co-owner Jacky Simoud, Blue Ice Explorer guide, and Blue Ice Explorer planner and IAT rep Birgitte Pedersen   From there the two were ferried across Eriksfjord to Qassiarsuk - Eric the Red's Brattahlid - to a Blue Ice Explorer cottage for the night, before setting out at 6:00am on a 7-hour return trek to Tasiusaq.   The hike began with a stop at Leif Erikson's bronze statue overlooking Brattahlid, followed by a…

IAT Bridges the Divide at Mid Atlantic Ridge

NewsJuly 11, 2012281Views
On June 18, following the IAT AGM in Reykjavik, Iceland, representatives of the International Appalachian Trail from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean traveled to the Mid Atlantic Ridge in Thingvellir National Park, and bridged the geological divide between North America and Europe. Monday's full-day of touring began with a one-hour bus drive from Reykjavik to Thingvellir, where ITA President and park warden Ólafur Örn Haraldsson - a renowned arctic explorer - gave a guided tour through the park, from the ridge (aka Mid Atlantic Rift) to the historic Althing outdoor assembly, held on the plains of Þingvellir beginning in 930 AD. The visit provided a great photo opportunity at one of earth's most significant geological features, which caused both the North American, Eurasian and Africa continental plates to separate, and the Appalachian, Caledonian, and Atlas Mountains to diverge from their colliding birthplace on the super-continent Pangea, more than 200 million years ago. IAT Founder Richard "Dick" Anderson at the Mid Atlantic Rift (Will Richard photo) Will Richard Photo At the Althing, a banner of a Mid Atlantic Pledge was unveiled to mark the occasion, which British Geological Survey Team Leader and IAT Scotland representative Hugh Barron aptly described as the IAT uniting what the Mid Atlantic Ridge divided. Left to right:  IAT Europe Geologist Hugh Barron; IAT Europe Vice Chair Magne Haugseng; IAT North America Geologist Walter Anderson; IAT Maine President Don Hudson; ITA President and Thingvellir Warden Ólafur Örn Haraldsson; IAT Founder Richard "Dick" Anderson; IAT Chairperson Paul Wylezol; and IAT Recording Secretary Caroline Swan …

U. S. Ambassador to Iceland Hosts Reception

NewsJuly 10, 2012308Views
On June 15, Mr. Louis Arreaga, United States Ambassador to Iceland, hosted a reception for all attendees of the International Appalachian Trail (IAT) Annual General Meeting in Reykjavik on June 16.  The event was held at the Ambassador’s embassy residence in downtown Reykjavik, and was attended by approximately forty guests, including Canadian Ambassador Alan Bones and Norwegian Ambassador Dag Werno Holter. An informal social gathering in the garden was followed by a formal welcome and congratulatory presentation by Mr. Arreaga, and additional greetings by Ambassador Bones, Ambassador Holter, former Appalachian Trail Conservancy Executive Director David Startzell, IAT Chairperson Paul Wylezol, and IAT Founder Dick Anderson. Left to Right: Ólafur Örn Haraldsson, President of Iceland Touring Association (ITA); Dave Startzell, Retiring Executive Director of Appalachian Trail Conservancy; Richard "Dick" Anderson, Founder IAT; Mr. Louis E. Arreaga, United States Ambassador to Iceland; Mr. Alan Bones, Canadian Ambassador to Iceland; Leifur Thorsteinsson, ITA; Magne Haugseng, IAT Europe Vice Chair; Mr. Dag Werno Holter, Norwegian Ambassador to Iceland; and Paul Wylezol, IAT Chairperson The reception provided an excellent opportunity for attendees from both sides of the Atlantic to meet each other face to face (in many cases for the first time) and to discuss the International Appalachian Trail.  Dick used the opportunity to present U.S. Ambassador Arreaga with a framed map of the Appalachian-Caledonian terranes on both side of the North Atlantic, divided in two by Iceland's Mid Atlantic Ridge. It was a terrific way to kick off the first IAT AGM outside North America, and we thanked Mr. Arreaga for…

First IAT AGM Held Outside North America

UncategorizedJuly 9, 2012288Views
The Annual General Meeting of the International Appalachian Trail (IAT) was held on Saturday, June 16 in Reykjavik, Iceland.  Since the establishment of chapters in Greenland and Scotland in the spring of 2010, this was the first combined meeting of representatives from Europe and North America.  The European contingent included participants from the host chapter of Iceland, as well as from Norway, Denmark, the Faröes, England, Scotland and Ireland.  The North American group included participants from Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Maine.  The Spainish and Quebec Chapters shared reports in advance of the meeting.   Iceland Touring Association Headquarters   At the Meeting Ferdefélag Íslands – the Iceland Touring Association (ITA - http://www.fi.is/en/home/) hosted the meeting at their headquarters in Reykjavik.  Following a welcome and introduction by IAT Chair Paul Wylezol of the Newfoundland Labrador Chapter, the ITA's Leifur Thorsteinsson introduced his organization and its effort to identify an IAT route in Iceland.  The ITA has 7,000 members for whom it provides programs and organized hikes throughout the year.  The ITA manages 15 huts throughout Iceland, and Leifur reported that they had selected a spectacular route for the IAT from Hvitarnes to Hveravellir along a centuries old horse and footpath from the south to the north of the island.  The route can be covered in 4 days, with stops in three of the organization’s huts.   Special guest, David Startzell, the recently retired Executive Director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC - http://www.appalachiantrail.org/) then addressed the group.  Dave reviewed the history…

First IAT AGM Held Outside North America

NewsJune 25, 2012258Views
The Annual General Meeting of the International Appalachian Trail was held on Saturday, June 16 in Reykjavik, Iceland. Since the establishment of chapters in Greenland and Scotland in the spring of 2010, this was the first combined meeting of representatives from Europe and North America.

First Art & Adventure Festival a Success

NewsJune 24, 2012312Views
From June 8-10, the first Art & Adventure Festival in Gros Morne National Park went ahead with good weather and participation. Organized by Parks Canada, the IATNL, and Ocean Quest Adventures, the weekend included a rug hooking and art exhibit, art workshop, hiking, zodiac tours and shuttles, and nightly entertainment in Woody Point and Trout River.

IAT – Parks Canada Art & Adventure Festival

UncategorizedJune 22, 2012202Views
From June 8-10, the first Art & Adventure Festival in Gros Morne National Park went ahead with good weather and participation. Organized by Parks Canada, the IATNL, and Ocean Quest Adventures, the weekend event included a rug hooking and art exhibit, art workshop, Overfalls Trail hike, boat tours and shuttles on Trout River Pond, and nightly entertainment in Woody Point and Trout River.   For more on the first IAT Art & Adventure Festival, go to the IATNL website.  

IAT To Hold General Meeting In Iceland

UncategorizedJune 21, 2012218Views
On June 15 - 17, the IAT will hold its first General Meeting outside of North America in Reykjavik, Iceland.  The meeting will be hosted by IAT partner Icelandic Touring Association (http://www.fi.is/en), and be followed by tours in and round Reykjavik.     Plans include an official reception at the United States Embassy, participation in National Holiday celebrations, and a tour of Thingvellir National Park, where a section of the Mid Atlantic Ridge - which separates the North American and Eurasia continental plates and their "Appalachian" mountains and terrains - is visible on the surface of the earth.     This will be followed by scenic tours of an historic viking site, volcano, and hot spring.     Following the meetings and tours in Iceland, some of the participants will travel on to Greenland to visit sections of the IAT there, as well more historic viking and scenic sites.   Tasiusaq, Greenland    

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