Skál: A Toast to Iceland
In 2020, the year of plans that never came to fruition; I booked my bucket-list vacation: Iceland. Captivated by the unique landmasses of volcanoes, geysers, waterfalls, and geothermal pools; as well as its unique position in the world (not quite European, but nowhere near our North American landmass), I had long been eager to visit and get a first-hand view of this ‘otherworldly’ place.
As you can imagine, big hopes were quickly extinguished along with any hope of travel outside the home as we all had to settle with the uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic brought forth. Fast-forward another year; I am vaccinated, stir-crazy, and finally re-booking the trip of a lifetime to coincide with the BJJ Globetrotters Iceland Camp.
After having a blast at my first BJJ Globetrotters Camp in Maine just a month prior, it’s not like it would have taken much convincing to get me back at another grappling extravaganza, but especially combined with that dream destination… I was sold before tickets even could be purchased. But that’s enough foreplay; how did it all go?
Getting Settled
With such a unique opportunity to visit a country with countless features to explore; I booked extra days before and after camp to get the absolute most from my experience. All-in-all, I stayed 11 nights, 6 of them being dedicated to participating in the Globetrotters Camp. This made sure I didn’t have to sacrifice any part of camp activities for my own side-adventures.
The Iceland Camp is a bit of a unique one in comparison to other Globetrotters camps; in that many camps are in more remote settings where campers share some form of accommodations together (like at the Maine camp, where we shared actual summer camp cabins!). But for this Iceland Camp, our training sessions & workshops were hosted at the premier MMA facility in Reykjavík, Mjölnir MMA.
As campers, we had to book our own accommodations for the duration of camp–and some got super creative with their options. Given that room & board isn’t included in the cost of camp registration, this makes the ticket price for the Iceland camp lower than other BJJ Globetrotters camps you may be looking at… but worth keeping in mind; Iceland can be quite expensive coming from the American perspective.
My boyfriend and I came upon a stroke of luck–when mentioning this trip to a close friend of mine, she happened to have a friend living in Reykjavík willing to rent out his apartment to us at an amazing rate–and it just so happened to be only a 10-minute walk from the MMA school where we would be each day. As for other campers; many opted for a trendy downtown hostel named KEX, others shared Airbnbs throughout the city. We even met a fellow Globetrotter who was on our flight from Boston (recognizable by the cauliflower ear) who actually had rented out a camper van for both sleeping & touring the country.
Though Iceland time was just a 4-hour ahead adjustment; you’ll be interested to find out that during Iceland’s summer months, it is practically daytime all-the-time. The sunset came around 11PM and sunrise at 3AM so… just a little disorienting.
Mjölnir, an MMA School for the Gods
Maybe this camp is just an elaborate ruse to convince us all to go home and remodel our BJJ schools.
If training under noted BJJ coaches from around the world wasn’t enough of a draw, maybe an MMA school with 3 separate mat rooms, strength & conditioning area, sauna, ice bath & hot tub, in-house massage therapist, and Viking bar with beer on tap (seriously, you guys?) may be enough to pique your interest.
Mjölnir is home to UFC’s Gunnar Nelson, who taught an MMA lesson for the camp. Though not confirmed, Mjölnir may also be home to Thor, God of Thunder.
Study Hours
There are way more classes available than you could possibly attend; so you have to pick & choose from the massive menu of defensive styles, guard-passing, wrestling, sweeps & subs.
One class I really loved was on using the high knee shield & attacking from bottom–I learned a ton of tips that I could already begin incorporating into my rolls during open mats. I even had the rare opportunity to be uke for demonstrations (which is guaranteed to make anyone feel like a special little class star).
You absolutely won’t run out of time to try new things; you are far more likely to dive in with too much excitement & risk feeling wiped out far too early in the week. If you are not used to training for 8 hours a day, you might feel better hitting the showers early, or trying out one of the workshops, like “Thai Massage for Recovery” where we not only learned ways to use massage for healing ourselves, but in the process practiced the massage techniques with our partners for a very relaxing post-BJJ treat.
The Gentle Art of Travel
We were among the first set of attendees for the premiere of ‘The Gentle Art of Travel’, a documentary following BJJ Globetrotters behind-the-scenes for training camps across the world; from boating the the Caribbean to rolling at luxurious European castles.
The film is guaranteed to make you add a BJJ Globetrotters camp to your wish list as well as stoke your imagination for how to live life outside the confines of rules & routine and in favor of unforgettable experiences.
Tissues recommended.
Glima
Unique to the Iceland Globetrotters Camp was the study of Glima, the traditional wrestling style of Iceland derived from Viking combat.
I saw in on a presentation on the history of Glima, a little-known sport that aims to throw the opponent to the ground for the win.
Each person wears a belt/harness contraption, and the partners grip each other by the belt to begin the match. Without taking a low, hunched wrestling stance (the foundation of Glima is tall, proud, beautiful postures), you aim to throw your partner to the ground and if their shoulders touch the ground, you’ve secured the win.
In many ways, the style felt much like Judo as we learned different methods of throwing and tripping one another.
Camp culminates with the Tourist vs. Vikings Glima competition, where we invaders attempt mostly unsuccessfully to conquer the Icelandic team… and it should be noted that although the Vikings won 31-7 against the tourists, they had a stacked roster with the foremost Glima competitors of the world.
Team Bonding
I hope you didn’t get the wrong idea that BJJ camps are about hard work. While you can take up to 8 or so classes per day & hit up every open mat to sharpen your skills (and that’s where the aforementioned ice bath & hot tub really save the day), keep in mind that the beauty of Globetrotters Camps is connecting with other grapplers and enjoying a one-of-a-kind experience traveling & training together.
Even if you’re an introvert coming into camp without knowing anyone at all; it would be a huge challenge to come away without making a dozen or so new friends over the course of the week.
You’ll meet a new face as your drilling partner during class, sit next to someone new while out to dinner, and maybe even find your best friend while chugging a beer out of a handcrafted ox horn.
The camp schedule has a planned Monday evening bar crawl, which is a cunning plot to keep class sizes manageable throughout the remainder of the week as everyone progresses through their hangover recovery at their own pace. And for the rest of the nights, you can reserve a spot for one of the dinner outings to Reykjavík’s must-try restaurants, like Hlemmur Mathöll, a food court with various options of bakeries, pizzas, traditional Icelandic dishes, and gelato for dessert.
Cuisine
So, speaking of food… here’s what you need to know.
Quick + Easy
Mjölnir had meal prep boxes available for purchase at their front desk (with various chicken, veggie, and pasta options), as well as absolutely amazing protein smoothies; making for super convenient fuel between training sessions. Oh, you mean to tell me your home gym doesn’t have a smoothie bar? That green one pictured in my hand is named Thor.
Caffeine
Reykjavik Roasters has a special place in my heart for reviving me for that first morning of exploring the city. They have 3 different cafe locations.
Joe & The Juice is a coffee & juice shop out of Denmark, which you can compare to your Starbucks or Jamba Juice. You’ll find locations in Reykjavík and the surrounding area, as well as the Keflavík airport when you arrive.
Collab is an energy drink with fish collagen you can find at just about any convenience store.
Phalluses
I suppose this would be worth a section all of its own; Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur ‘The Best Hot Dog in Town’ is a hot dog cart in downtown Reykjavík near the shore. The way to order your dogs is with all the sauces they have; including remolaði, mayonnaise & sweet relish sauce. The verdict? Pretty damn good, and one of the less-expensive meals you can find in Iceland.
Just a block away & right on theme is The Icelandic Phallological Museum (the largest of its kind). If nothing else, you’ll want to stop in and head to the gift shop and buy a souvenir for that special someone.
Meat Soup
You will hear all this talk about Iceland’s traditional dish of meat soup; and all you need to know is this: it is made with lamb meat, carrots, potato, and other veggies.
If you want the best meat soup in Iceland, look no further than Café Loki. You can get a giant bread bowl soup at the cozy Svarta Kaffið as well, but Loki truly was the favorite pick of the trip.
Pub Grub
Le KocK for burgers & messy appetizers. Get your deep-fried, cheese-covered groove on.
BrewDog for craft beer and their lambstrami sandwich.
Comfort Food
Hi Noodle serves the global fan-favorite of ramen, spicy as hell, exactly what you crave when hiking all day on the Icelandic coast. Yeah, it may not seem like you’re soaking up the “traditional culture”, but it’s a top-rated pick for tourists & locals alike.
Sweet Tooth
You will order the tastiest-looking donut from Le KocK to take home as a snack “for later”. But you will finish it before you get back to your apartment.
Gaeta Gelato, available at their shop in the city centre or at Hlemmur Mathöll. Be sure to get 2 scoops, a cone, and a dish for it all so that it doesn’t get out of hand. The ‘Gaeta’ scoop is a vanilla pistachio, and I paired with a raspberry cheesecake scoop.
Café Loki has this absolutely heavenly rye bread ice cream that I am still dreaming about. You won’t be disappointed.
Beer
I favor sour tastes, so my favorites included Borg Brugghús Helga (raspberry sour), and BÖL Brewing Bombito (fruited gose).
The Greatest Hits
Cocktails at Mat Bar 
Mediterranean-style plates 
Skál’s Beef Skirt Steak 
Baked Arctic Char
Mat Bar is guaranteed to impress with a Mediterranean-style take on traditional Icelandic ingredients. We narrowly managed to dine in without a reservation (pro-tip: if you have a restaurant on your eye, definitely wise to make a reservation if possible, many of the restaurants are tucked away in intimate little houses), and enjoyed finely-dressed cocktails before a meal of lamb kaboudeh and fish kabob.
Hlemmur Mathöll features Skál! which happens to be the only Icelandic phrase I learned during my whole vacation; English for ‘cheers!’. I can’t recommend enough finding a dining partner you can share meals with, because I wanted to swap bites with my boyfriend at every single restaurant we went to. We split the beef skirt steak and baked arctic char, and I struggled greatly to pick a favorite (but had zero problems cleaning off my plate).
Sightseeing in Iceland
Onto the tourism section! Iceland was such an incredibly enriching experience; if it is on your list I really urge you to go, regardless of season or grappling event. As far as booking those 4 extra days on my trip, I was so glad that I did, because we really left no stone unturned by the time we departed for home.
The Capital
Reykjavík has plenty beauty of its own, which can see from a bird’s-eye view from the tower of Hallgrímskirkja, a national monument and Iceland’s largest church. Another architectural artwork is Harpa, a concert hall home to Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera.
The Blue Lagoon
The most tourist-y, and absolutely WORTHWHILE experience you can have in Iceland is visiting the Blue Lagoon, and it felt especially indulgent to take a spa day to repair & heal after training with Vikings for 6 days straight.
You will definitely want to book your spa reservation ahead of time; and since the lagoon is closer to the airport than the capital city of Reykjavík, many make it their first stop of the vacation or their last. You can even book a bus ticket as an add-on for your spa reservation. The Blue Lagoon is located atop a lava field pooled with geothermal seawater, established by the earth and now managed through wells that that regulate the water temperature at a deeply calming 100 degrees F. Silica, algae, and minerals from the water contribute to the lagoon’s rejuvenating power for the skin.
We booked the premium tickets, a step above the comfort ticket (the spa’s lowest-price option). With the premium ticket, you not only gain entrance to the lagoon, but you’ll get a 3-step face mask routine at one of the in-pool mask bars; the first a black lava scrub that exfoliates the top layer of skin, then a silica mud mask that serves as a deep-cleanser and repairs skin breakage, and lastly, a green algae mask that stimulates collagen and brings forth a youthful glow. Since the pool itself contains these very ingredients in multitudes, you are sure to notice your skin revitalized when you step out of the water.
Your ticket comes in the form of a color-coded bracelet you wear for the duration of your stay, and with it you can add drinks to your tab from another in-pool bar. You can find pressed juices, wine, and beer to sip on as you find your favorite space to tuck into. We found an unexpected “storytelling” corner, where a guide shared the history and of course, some folklore behind the lagoon. To sum it up; an agreement with some elves was involved.
If you plan to dine at the Lava Restaurant, I highly recommend you arrive before 3PM, as you can dine in your bathrobes and nothing feels more like the celebrity lifestyle than clinking glasses of champagne in a bathrobe. We had the absolute best-tasting meal of my lifetime here; a lambfillet that truly left me speechless.
Overall, we spent 3 hours in the lagoon itself and 2 hours dining before purchasing some skincare treats as souvenirs at the gift shop. The Blue Lagoon boasts a full skincare line of masks, oils, creams, and serums and is also available for purchase at the Keflavík airport.
The Golden Circle
The BJJ Globetrotters Camp offered tickets for a Golden Circle sightseeing bus tour; a half-day trip that served as a perfect mid-week rest for the body while taking us to Iceland’s most popular attractions.
The tour was through a bus company called Reykjavík Excursions and took us first to Gullfoss ‘Golden Falls’, a nature reserve surrounding the waterfalls that plunge into a deep gorge. Next up, we explored the geothermal area of Geysir and Strokkur, hot springs that erupt boiling water into the air. You can witness several eruptions per hour of about 50-60ft high. And the last attraction, Þingvellir National Park, the original site of Iceland’s annual parliament from years 930 to 1798. What makes this site so notable aside from its cultural significance; is its placement in a rift valley that resides between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. You can see visual depictions of the continental drift between the plates in the form of fault lines along the region.
Hiking Fagradalsfjall
Climbing an active volcano may be something you didn’t know was on your bucket list, but since the eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano in March of 2021, it has been flowing lava steadily from its crater into the valley below, allowing hikers to climb the mountains alongside to observe the ongoing activity.
We joined a hiking tour through Troll Expeditions to travel to the volcano site and after our trek were able to hand-pick plenty of free souvenirs from the lava field below.
South Coast
For the final leg of the Iceland dream tour, we booked a trip with Gray Line Iceland to view the most incredible natural features we witnessed during our entire stay.
Skógafoss, one of Iceland’s largest waterfalls, creates breathtaking rainbows from its powerful spray, perfectly complementing the sunny day of our visit.
A really great part about booking the tours, even though it is entirely possible to do a self-guided trip along the coast, is the amount of history and folklore you can get from the guides. For example, we learned the legend of a treasure buried behind Skógafoss, though efforts to retrieve it have not been successful.
Eyjafjallajökull, a volcano covered entirely by an ice cap, last erupted in 2010 causing a halt in air travel and evacuations in the area, fearing flooding from the glacier.
It neighbors active Katla, overdue for eruption and subject of a Netflix thriller series.
While visiting the Sólheimajökull glacier between Eyjafjallajökull and Katla, we witnessed a giant chunk of glacier break off and reveal the inner bright-blue layer within the drifting ice block. At this outlet it was quite shocking to witness climate change in action as the feature melts away.
A must-see stop is the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and the adjacent town of Vík, Iceland’s southernmost village. The roaring waves have a way of catching you by surprise, drifting far into the shoreline. The beach boasts a reputation for dramatic tide shifts and strong rip currents offshore, so this is not the kind of beach you bathe in. The volcanic basalt creates eye-catching columns of rock stacked upon one another, and the dramatic rocky formations out beyond the coast are said to be trolls who lurked out to capture a seaship, frozen into stone at daybreak. Though, that could just be a folktale.
Seljalandsfoss was the last of the falls we visited, and quite distinctive with the way the cavern within the cliffs allows people to walk entirely behind the falls and capture its beauty from each and every angle, while inevitably getting plenty of mist meanwhile.
Heading Home
They say all good things must come to an end, and my checking account agreed. Adventuring through Iceland & my BJJ Globetrotters Camp experience in Reykjavík was truly the most memorable trip of my lifetime, and I left craving more of these extraordinary moments rather than putting these dreams on hold due to budget and routine. Lately, I feel very much gratitude for being able to travel in the midst of global uncertainty and I feel eagerness for my next camp and next lesson from the world.
