ÖSKJUHLÍÐ - The Snow Forest

 ÖSKJUHLÍÐ - MIÐBORG

Öskjuhlíð is an urban park in Iceland located not far from downtown Reykjavik, east of the airport and north of the Fossvogur, a small bay. At its centre is Perlan, former geothermal water reservoirs converted into a tourist and cultural site. Just to the south is Strókur, an artificial geyser.

 

this is where the sound has been recorded.

A snow day is always a good day.

It's the signal for me to put on my warmest clothes and go on an adventure, in search of a place that will reveal its sonic secrets.

I had already done some scouting in Öskjuhlíð before this snowy day. By day but also by night. It must be said that the presence of trees in Iceland never goes unnoticed, so when they are numerous enough to form what could look like a forest, it's definitely a tourist attraction.

Covering a hill, Öskjuhlíð is criss-crossed by several small paths whose mysterious and sometimes even eerie appearance varies depending on when you walk through them (at night, it's a whole other world).

What is most exhilarating is to realise that you are walking on immaculate snow and that your footprints will be the first to disturb this harmony. Your only competitors are the birds and a few rabbits brave enough to leave the den in this weather.

It is by venturing off the beaten track that I finally found places that satisfied me. Here the wind seems to struggle to make itself sound threatening as it travels between the tree trunks. And the snowflakes, more like miniature hailstones, bring a crackling sound when they hit an obstacle.

And ironically, it's easy to feel lost among the trees and imagine yourself in the middle of a Scandinavian taiga, but the few steps that were enough to lose you are enough to get you back to civilisation.

The configuration of this forest means that few areas are protected from snow. I therefore had to clean a stone to be able to put my recorder on it. This one has suffered from this northern weather.

Accessibility:	★☆☆☆☆
No real difficulty in finding an interesting place. You just have to dare to venture off the paths, but this forest is very accommodating.
Recording:	★★★☆☆
The hardest thing is to find a place sheltered enough from the snow and wind, as there are few sheltered spots.
Overall rarity:	★★☆☆☆
The real rarity of these sounds comes mainly from the fact that few people have really had the desire to venture into these places to place a recorder.

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