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Blizzards are not uncommon in Iceland and will drown out any visibility in a New York minute. PIC Chris Campbell

Blizzards are not uncommon in Iceland and will drown out any visibility in a New York minute. PIC Chris Campbell

T eam Total Iceland would be rich beyond our dreams if we had a nickel for every time a foreign visitor gets into trouble for depending on all kinds of fancy gadgetry. Some apps in particular should not be used here at all.

A strong message from the Search and rescue HQ in Iceland explicitly states that apps designed to aid in case of avalanches DO NOT WORK and should not be relied upon at all. Apps like iSis Intelligant Rescue System, Snog Avalanche Buddy and SnoWhere should not be used in Iceland.

But these specialized apps are not the only ones you should be vary of using. Again and again people using only online maps have gotten into trouble here. Especially foreign ones do not depict highlands roads or services very clearly if at all. A number of people have had to be rescued after getting stuck somewhere south of Kirgistan after following foreign maps in Iceland.

Now, we are not big followers of maps as the very best travels are usually done without but this does not apply to winter travel here in Iceland. This is a place where weather is a constantly changing and trust us when we say that changing weather here is most likely not what you call changing weather in your own country.