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Leifur Örn | Icelandic Mountain Guides
Take a Walk on the Ice Side
Walk through Ice and Fire
Glacier Walk and Northern Lights
South Shore, Glacier Walk and Ice Climbing
Glacier Walk and Secret Lagoon
Sólheimajökull Glacier Walk and Ice Climbing
Glacier Walk and the Glacier Lagoon
Golden Circle and Magical Nights
Volcanic Wonders of the Reykjanes Peninsula
Iceland Northern Lights and Lobster Jeep Tour
Hot Springs and Lava Cave
Northern Lights and Ice Cave Adventure
Golden Circle and Glacier Getaway
Kingdom of Volcanoes and Glaciers
The Saga of Volcanoes and Fjords
The Crossing of Fire and Water
Kingdom of Glaciers and Northern Lights
The Laugavegur with a Backpack
Laugavegur - Light and Fast
The Ultimate Iceland - Greenland Trek
Hiking at the End of the World
In the Shadow of Vatnajökull
Trails of the East
The Wilderness of Glaciers
The Complete East Iceland Trek
Explorer’s Peak to the Canyon of Fire
The Wilderness of Strútur Trail
The Backroad to Landmannalaugar
Trek of the Trolls
The Complete Volcanic Trek
The Rivers and Glaciers of Vatnajökull
Backpacking along Vatnajökull Combination
Coast to Coast - The Iceland Traverse
The Three Peaks Challenge
On bike from Laki to Landmannalaugar
Iceland’s Best Single Tracks
Knitting and Hiking between Fire and Ice
Icelandic Spring Knitting & Hiking Holiday
Knitting and Hiking under the Midnight Sun
Hiking and knitting with the Elves
Authentic Iceland Knitting & Hiking
Mountains and Fjords of the North
The Peaks of Siglufjörður
Skiing between the Fjords
Westfjords Ski to the Sea tour
Oceans, Valleys and Peaks
Hiking at the End of the World
Laugavegur Trail Self Guided
South Coast Self Drive
Tour of the Icelandic Highlands
Mt Gunnbjörn, the Highest Peak in Greenland
The Peaks of Greenland
East Greenland Winter Expedition
The North Pole – Skiing the Last Degree
South Pole - All the way
South Pole – Skiing the last degree
Ski Touring – Beginner Course
Ice Climbing I Course
Ice Climbing II Course
Other Tours & Services
Ice Climbing Day Tour
Semi-Guided Ice Climbing Trip
4WD Tours in Summer
4WD Tours in Winter
Alpine Mountaineering - Day Tours
Backpacking Tours in Greenland
Backpacking Tours in Iceland
Cross Country Skiing Tours - mountain huts
Cross Country Skiing Tours - winter camping
Cross Country Skiing Tours in Greenland
Ice-Climbing / Winter mountaineering
Ski Mountaineering / Alpine Touring
Ski Mountaineering / Alpine Touring in Greenland
Trekking Tours in Greenland
Hard Ice Guide Beginner Course
Level I Hard Ice Guide Exam
Level II Hard Ice Guide Exam
IMG Mountain Guide Exam
Crevasse Rescue for Super-Jeep Guides
Be a responsible traveller
Adventurer of the Week
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Hiking & trekking in Iceland & Greenland since 1994
Call us: +354 587 9999
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Leifur Örn Svavarsson founded Icelandic Mountain Guides (IMG) with his cousin Einar Torfi Finnsson and two other friends back in 1994. His extensive knowledge and experience gathered during his very active guiding life for three decades is invaluable to us.
Leifur has experience of guiding pretty much all the tours and expeditions that IMG is and has ever offered, in Iceland, Greenland and elsewhere. From Vatnajökull glacier traverses in full-on winter conditions, cross country ski expeditions, touring ski tours, winter mountain climbs and climbing courses to backpacking tours in very remote areas, hiking over glaciers and wild rivers in the summer. With his guiding experience dating back to 1985, he is probably the most experienced Mountain Guide in Iceland.
Few highlights of his career:
In May 2013 Leifur became the first Icelander to climb the worlds highest mountain Mt. Everest via the North Col route.
Leifur has been to both the North and South Pole and is currently finishing off the Explorers Grand Slam.
Leifur has been an expedition leader of many of IMG‘s successful expeditions to the continental summits like Mt. Elbrus – highest peak of Europe, Aconcagua – highest peak of S-America and Mt. Vinson- highest peak of Antarctica as well as first ascent missions elsewhere in Antarctica. He has guided groups to different mountain areas like several tours to the Atlas Mountains in N-Africa climbing the highest peak, Mt. Toupcal, and the European Alps climbing Mt. Blanc and several other 4000 m peaks.
Leifur climbed mountains like Peak Lenin (7.134m) in difficult conditions and Cho Oyu, the world‘s 6th highest peak, 8.202m and Denali/McKinley - highest peak of N-America.
He has lead several of IMG‘s expeditions across Greenland ice cap, been expedition leader in expeditions to Greenland’s highest summit, Mt. Gunnbjörn as well as even more remote peaks like Dome and Eijnar Mikkelsen Mountains on the East cost of Greenland. He has led first ascent expeditions in Greenland where unclimbed peaks were scaled for the first time.
Leifur did a 29 day ski expedition on the Greenland ice cap, training the Indian Army for the South Pole as well as a 18 day winter training for US military in Thule, Greenland's northern most settlement.
Many of Leifur‘s expeditions are unique like the Nanoq expedition to Mt. Forel in 2000. Then he and Guðjón Marteinsson went on dog sleds up to the Greenland ice cap, skied north the glacier to Mt. Forel where they climbed the summit before walking on skis, 150 km over difficult mountain terrain to the next village on the East cost of Greenland.
Leifur has great knowledge of Greenland. He has visited almost every inhabited area in the country and guided numerous trekking, backpacking, mountaineering, touring- and cross country skiing tours to different locations in Greenland. For a while Leifur did have an regular radio program at the Icelandic National radio about the exploration of Greenland and about polar explores.
Leifur has a university degree in geology, specialized in avalanches. He has finished Level II Avalanche program form Canadian Avalanche Association and worked as a director of the Avalanche Warning department of the Icelandic Meteorological Office from 2002-2010.
Leifur is an experienced lecturer speaking all over Iceland. Leifur worked as the principal instructor for the Icelandic Rescue teams (ICE-SAR) for 7 winters. There he was responsible for training other instructors of mountaineering, mountain rescue and avalanches as well as making text books and course manuals that are still in use. He teaches Level 1 avalanche courses regularly, as well as ice climbing and mountaineering courses for rescue team members and public. For the last 10 years Leifur has been involved in training trekking guides in the Guide School of Iceland.
Leifur was a team leader for the ICE-SAR first responders team at the Icelandic Air Ground Rescue teams for more than 10 years. He was incident commander in several larger rescue operations like the catastrophic avalanches in Flateyri where 20 persons where killed, technical rescues like the one from the 200 m deep Glymur gorge as well as many others.
Leifur has been in charge for mountaineering and glacier walking at the Icelandic Mountain Guides. There he has been manging the training of glaciers and mountain guides. He has guided tours to the highest peak of Iceland, Hvannadalshnúkur (2110m), countless times as well as other peaks in Iceland.
Leifur is an active climber and has climbed many new ice climbing and mountaineering routes the last decades. He has a successful background in ultra marathons and adventure races, winning several weekend races in Iceland and taking 4th place in Arctic Team Challenge in Greenland, professional category.
If you are lucky, you might be able to contact Leifur while he‘s at the IMG office, but most likely he will not be there since he much rather prefers to be out in the mountains with an ice axe in his hand or with skies on his feet.
Summary of education and qualifications:
ICE-SAR basic rescue team training
AIMG glacier and mountain guide
Level II hard-ice guide (NZMGA HIG standard)
Alpine Trekking guide (NZMGA standard)
CAA Avalanche operations Level 2 technician
Wilderness first responder (WFR)
BSc. degree in geology (University of Iceland)
Non work related interests and hobbies: Mountain biking with his friends, skiing and taking his family rock climbing to Thailand or Kalimnos.
Tel: +354 587 9999
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