The resort, located at the edge of a remote mountain range in the Asgardur Valley around a three-and-a-half hour drive from Reykjavik, is being launched by the Blue Lagoon Family, a collection of sustainable destinations, resorts, spas and skincare lines.
Slated to open on 1 July this year, the property will feature the Highland Base Hotel, with rooms, suites and luxury lodges; a series of huts designed for private or shared accommodations; the Highland Base Camp, a summer-only, riverside campsite; and the Highland Base Restaurant and Lounge.
By October 2023, it expects it to be operating at full capacity with the additional opening of geothermal baths onsite.
The Kerlingarfjoll mountain range covers 150 square kilometres and was formed 10,000 years ago by a series of subglacial volcanic eruptions. Unexplored for centuries, it remained an untamed wilderness until the 1930s when pioneering naturalist Gudmundur Einarsson set up a mountaineering school.
The Iceland Touring Association then launched hiking tours of the region, constructing a cabin in 1937, and in 1961, with the advent of summer skiing at Kerlingarfjoll, the area became a prime holiday destination. The cabin accommodations grew to include a dormitory and a dining facility for ski students but at the turn of the millennium, faced with the reality of global warming and receding snowfields, the ski school ceased operations.
Back to life
The ageing accommodations were renovated and expanded, becoming the Kerlingarfjoll Mountain Resort comprising a hotel, cabins, campgrounds and restaurant. In 2022, the resort was reborn in the form of Highland Base, a project jointly conceived and realised by the Blue Lagoon, Basalt Architects and Design Group Italia.
“We salvaged what we could of the original buildings, which was more than half, and also built new structures in accordance with the standards developed by BREEAM – the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for building,” said Magnus Orri Marinarson Schram, managing director, Highland Base – Kerlingarfjoll.
“The resort will be powered via geothermal energy, which will provide electricity, heating, and hot water. At Highland Base Restaurant, we’ll create dishes with in-season ingredients including produce from organic farms and geothermal greenhouses, while we’ll also work to minimise all food waste, just as we do at Blue Lagoon.”
The six standalone lodges at the resort provide high-end accommodation, featuring a sunken lounge area and picture windows revealing stunning views of Kerlingarfjoll, while the Highland Base Suites located on the top floor of the new hotel boast a terrace with a hot tub and stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
Schram explained a range of outdoor activities would be available at Highland Base. “Guests can enjoy a selection of seasonal activities such as hiking the network of trails from one kilometre to 50 kilometres; access to a fleet of electric mountain bikes to traverse the mountainscape; backcountry and cross-country skiing; and snowmobile treks.
“We’ll provide both guided tours for these activities as well as hiking maps for those that want to explore the destination on their own. Guest safety will also be our number one priority, and our staff will be trained to ensure everyone has the best and safest stay possible.”
He added visitors could consider combining Highland Base with a stay at Blue Lagoon, as well as a Reykjavik city break. “However, it is a destination in its own right, and there is something to keep everyone entertained in this extreme paradise of geothermal valleys, glacial rivers and snow. Even the journey to our remote mountain range is part of the adventure, and this is not a destination to skip past in a hurry.”
Highland Base is open for bookings at highlandbase.is and for the trade via email at sales@highlandbase.is
• Read how Simon got on when he tried a gourmet break at sister Blue Lagoon hotel – The Retreat.
