ICELAND - A game of three halves

[ButtonMoon]

I head to the supermarket and realise the reason I feel so pissed is that I haven't eaten very much all day, I fill up with bread, cheese spicy sausages and hot dogs and make my way back to camp. I get back drop my purchases into my tent and go for a wander to see the other boys. I get as far as Joe's tent, he's cooking fillet steak with onions and fried mushrooms and garlic, my god it smells fantastic, he even gives me a slice of the steak and says not to worry it's Andy steak !

 

[ButtonMoon]

Next morning it's 25th July and day 5. We all pack our gear and it's apparent that we are about to loose three riders, everyone is a bit low as we've all gelled together very well.

The thing that first attracted me to travelling with Mark & Tim was that it's clear from the outset what you are embarking on, these are adventure trips and you are free to do what you want, that said on any group trip you have a responsibility to yourself and the other riders to make sure that you are fit enough for the trip, your bike is fit enough for the trip and that you can and are prepared to help others on the trip. If you want to stay in one place all trip as an individual you can, if you want to go home you can, if you want to explore on your own you can, if you are looking for a regimented fully planned and "yes Sir, we'll but your tent up and wipe your arse" trip then go to Touratosh.

We are about to leave and my bike won't start again, while we were chatting I'd plugged my phone into charge and knocked the high beam on with the ignition on but the bike not running! Out comes Joe's jump leads yet again (I'm going to miss him). Goodbye said off we go, I've not got a lot of pictures from this point onwards as the riding much better and I was too busy dealing with the adrenalin rush to think about taking pics, but here's a few similar to Tims.

This is the first big river crossing, wide but not very deep, it looked much harder than it was, that's Mark H:

 

[ButtonMoon]

Mark H again, coming out the same crossing:

 

[ButtonMoon]

This crossing was at Skutustaoahreppur (easy for me to say).
Toddy, Lee then Spud.

 

[ButtonMoon]

This was the big river crossing, you can just see Simon's support truck on the other side. What we didn't know and Tim & Mark didn't say was that we'd have to cross this again the next day

 

[Lee Frost]

Brings back great memories Mark! Are you doing the Wales reunion this weekend? Sadly, I can't make it as I'm off to Iceland again (not on a bike this time).

 

[ButtonMoon]

Brings back great memories Mark! Are you doing the Wales reunion this weekend? Sadly, I can't make it as I'm off to Iceland again (not on a bike this time).

Hi Lee, I can't make I'm out of the country from tomorrow morning.

 

[APW]

I head to the supermarket and realise the reason I feel so pissed is that I haven't eaten very much all day, I fill up with bread, cheese spicy sausages and hot dogs and make my way back to camp. I get back drop my purchases into my tent and go for a wander to see the other boys. I get as far as Joe's tent, he's cooking fillet steak with onions and fried mushrooms and garlic, my god it smells fantastic, he even gives me a slice of the steak and says not to worry it's Andy steak !

And very nice it was to
John

 

[Cymru-Dave]

My god this looks good, and a perfect opportunity to put knobblies on my GS, if I can make the time off from work ill be on the next one!

 

[ButtonMoon]

My god this looks good, and a perfect opportunity to put knobblies on my GS, if I can make the time off from work ill be on the next one!

There's another trip next year, message Mark. It was that good I'm going again next year.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/431964-Iceland-adventure-2017

 

[ButtonMoon]

After this river crossing there were a number of others, each one different in there own way but towards the end of the day everyone seems more confident with water. The next day we have to cross the "big one" again and as each of us go across you can see the change in riding from the very first river crossing we did, only a couple of days ago.

Mark H, Tim G and I blast off, the weather has been a bit on and off, the tracks are very slippery in places making it a bit of hard work for Tim F on the big GS, as usual Tim has full control of the big bike and I for one am impressed, The three of us move away from the others at a fast rate, I'm struggling to keep up with Mark and Tim but I think I do ok, the terrain is a bit more challenging and just what I'm look for, although the others are behind there's nothing to worry about as know one can get lost as it's the only track. We get to a junction and finally stop and wait for the others. There's a ranger there and she's very nice reminding us that we are in a national park and not to leave the track.

 

[ButtonMoon]

We wait for the others, after a long while know one appears, we though Tim F would have been only 3 or 4 minutes behind, so something is up. I say I'll go back partly to make sure everything is ok partly to do the ride again
Turns out that Simon had problems with his (mates) bike and had to perform side of the road repairs. We all get to the junction and the rain has finally stopped. We all set off together on a new track, the start of which is very slippery, it would have been sand a couple of days a go but now it's worse than mud, there are a couple of offs but nothing bad, at the speeds we were reduced to it was more like stepping off than falling off. Further up the track Tim F has a couple of falls, picking up that big bike two or three times straight away sucks a lot of energy, I decide to hang back with Tim F just in case. As it does in Iceland the terrain just changes and we are back on solid tracks again, Tim F has his energy back and he's away up the track like a man possessed, I decide I need a P. All done. this puts me right at the back and on my own (love it), the rest of the guys are off in the distance but again there's only one way to go, I open the bike and start to play catch up. As I come round a bend I can see a raging river looming ahead, shit I think how are we going to cross that, as I get closer relief sets in as I see there a bridge.

 

[ButtonMoon]

I finally catch up and we have a stop. Weather is looking grim again.

 

[ButtonMoon]

After this stop I didn't take any more photos until we got to camp. We did a couple of more stops and three or four more river crossings, the riding was really good and not too much of a problem. We get to camp site at Fljotdalsherad around 20:15 pitch the tents, A couple of us have a few beers and a bite to eat at the site restaurant I had Cured Goose that they make themselves on site, don't know what it had before they cured it but it tasted nice if not expensive. Early night for me as today has been long hard and fun!

Tent is up & I have happy feet

 

[ButtonMoon]

Couple of beers I think and a bit of grub!! Food tasted better than it looked, after the goose starter I had a steak.

 

[ButtonMoon]

As you can see, it's peak season and the camp site is empty almost.

 

[ButtonMoon]

it's in very beautiful surroundings, I bet it's marvellous when to sun is shinning!!

 

[ButtonMoon]

We all wake around 7:30 to 8:00 next morning, it's 26th July day 6. I make tea and have biscuits and spicy sausage for breakfast, A couple of guys have breakfast in the restaurant. A couple of things I notice Mark H is wandering around in his pants again (it's funny have the scary quickly becomes the norm), there's been no snoring! We are all packed up and ready to go around 9 ish, Today we loose Simon, he's willing and able but the bike is just not up for the job, he decides he'd be better on tarmac rather than off road, I think he's made the right decision, we say our goodbyes and we head back the way we came. Today's not such a long day and we make good time. Some pics.

We are now down to 7. "The Malevolent Seven", "The Motley Seven", "The Nefarious Seven" You pick !!

 

[ButtonMoon]

not sure what Spud is doing in this picture but I think it's his finger !

 

[ahebron]

I came across this little fella, I think it's Coprinus comatus also known as Shaggy ink cap, apparently it's edible and popular in China, I'm sure someone will confirm or not as the case maybe.

All mushrooms are edible.
Some only once.

Adrian