Herdisarvik

Herdisarvik is one of Iceland's most dramatic ridge-soaring sites, a cliff line that runs for at least 15 km along the coast southwest of Reykjavik. The launch looks intimidating from below, but the ridge lift itself is smooth and consistent, and pilots who fly it describe it as an easier site than it first appears. Takeoff is a bumpy, roughly 50-m-wide grass patch in a gap in the rock band, reached by parking opposite the summerhouse and walking east along the foot of the slope on a line of small yellow marker poles for about 700 m, then turning straight up the slope below a broad gully. The site sits under controlled airspace with a 3,000 ft / 914 m height restriction, and commercial traffic approaches nearby Keflavik along the coast in northerly winds, so pilots stay aware of that overhead traffic. A southerly wind can drag in low cloud and rain. Landing options run the length of the ridge and next to the parking area, but the lava underneath can be far rougher than it looks from the air.

Launch & conditions

Launch is a bumpy grass patch about 50 m across, in a gap in the rock band. Park opposite the summerhouse and walk east along the foot of the slope, following a line of small yellow marker poles for about 700 m, then turn straight up the slope below a broad gully.

Getting there & local rules

From the west, go past Krýsuvík. From Reykjavik, it's faster to head east toward Selfoss, then take road 39, then 427.

Local rules & hazards

The site sits under controlled airspace with a 3,000 ft / 914 m height restriction, and commercial flights approach nearby Keflavik along the coast in northerly winds. A southerly wind can bring in low cloudbase and rain.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Herdisarvik, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Herdisarvik with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.