Raised ISK 5.2 million – Exceeding all expectations

While walking around the Westfjords, 31-year-old hiking enthusiast Kristján Atli Sævarsson from Sólheimar raised 5.2 million ISK for the purchase of a new pottery kiln at Sólheimar—far surpassing his original fundraising goal.

Kristján Atli was warmly welcomed at his final destination, and now begins a two-week rest.

Returned home after a 14-day trek

Kristján Atli completed his 14-day trek around the Westfjords at around 1 p.m. yesterday, having walked a 600-kilometer route. He had trained for the journey for over two years.
"I didn’t originally plan to go to the Westfjords; I first wanted to walk the same route as my hero, Reyn­ir Pét­ur," he said.

Completing the loop

Kristján Atli met Reyn­ir Pét­ur Steinunnarson in the summer of 2013, at which time Reyn­ir gave him a DVD about his 1985 walk around Iceland’s Ring Road—except for the Westfjords.
"I initially wanted to walk the Ring Road, but then my mother suggested walking around the Westfjords, since Reyn­ir Pét­ur hadn’t done that part," Kristján explained.

In this way, Kristján Atli could be said to be completing the loop Reyn­ir Pét­ur started 40 years ago.

Reyn­ir Pétur himself once said he had walked the body of the country, and now Kristján is walking the head.

Surpassed all expectations

Kristján Atli undertook the hike to raise funds for a new pottery kiln at Sólheimar, where he lives. Such a kiln at the Handverkhúsið workshop costs around 3.7 million ISK.

His mother, who accompanied him by car around the Westfjords, said the campaign—reaching 5.2 million ISK—exceeded their highest hopes.

Kristján Atli said he’s excited to return to work in the pottery studio after summer and create more “Doppur,” clay sculptures of ptarmigans that he crafts entirely by hand.