鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to get to?鈥澛燱hen searching for a聽downside to , the newest heli-skiing and fishing lodge from the 颅Crested Butte, Colorado, luxury brand Eleven, that鈥檚 the best I can do. The lodge sits on an old sheep farm tucked into Iceland鈥檚 rugged Troll Peninsula, but once 颅inside you鈥檙e surrounded by unexpected features intended to inspire rec颅reational indulgence,聽not rural drudgery: two bars (wipe away the jet lag with a shot of , the country鈥檚 signature 颅spirit), a massive game room with pool and Ping-Pong, locally sourced three-course meals made by a live-in chef, a 3,700-square-foot glass-walled spa with an indoor-颅outdoor pool and water piped in from a nearby hot spring, and 13 rooms worthy of Architectural Digest.听
But you鈥檙e here for the skiing and fishing. In the spring, Deplar Farm鈥檚 ski guides, who have been scouting the area for several years, have easy access to the hundreds of unnamed, 3,000-foot peaks that stretch in every direction. On clear days, they choose your lines by following the sun, accessing precipitous landing sites for the six-seat chopper and finding mellow, wide-open pitches slathered in perfectly baked corn. On our last day, we skied nearly 40,000 vertical feet. In summer and fall, the property converts to a full-time fishing operation, with exclusive heli access to runs聽on the H枚lkn谩 River.
Access: flies from Reykjav铆c to Aku颅reyri, where Deplar will pick you up in a strapping Sprinter van with leather seats. Flights from $70 one-way
Temps: April and May are your best bets for skiing, when cold fronts still bring the possibility of fresh snow and warm days mean perfect corn.
Detour: Chopper grounded? Visit the in nearby Siglufj枚rdhur. Don鈥檛 scoff鈥攖he surpri颅singly fascinating exhibits helped it earn a prestigious 颅Euro颅pean Museum Award in 2004.
Indulge: No trip to Iceland is complete without trying the traditional dish kaestur h谩karl鈥攆ermented shark that smells and tastes like ammonia. Wash it down with a Czech-style lager like Kaldi Dark.