Iceland Photos At Last!!

[Farmer Palmer]

Some photos of our first trip to Iceland in May 2005

Ride up to Aberdeen and catch the overnight Norlink ferry to Shetland!

Hang around Shetland and wait for the Smyril Line MV Norrona to arrive at 1.30am next morning and sail to the Faroe Islands overnight!

Time to Explore Torshavn in the Faroes before sailing overnight to Seydisfjordur in East Iceland! When we arrive it seems like winter.

Arriving in Iceland our first stop is an old house where Helge Pedersen left spare tyres on his trip in 2001(the tyres had gone)

After leaving Seydisfjordur we head norh over a high pass with the Heradfloi beach in the distance!

We head anticlockwise around the ringroad across a frozen desert towards the Dettifoss waterfall which is up a long gravel road!

After leaving the awesome Dettifoss we head west towards Lake Myrvatn in search of fuel and a campsite a long and exciting day in the saddle leaves us weary and blown away by the Icelandic scenery!!

Around Myrvatn we have time to look at the 'Fumeroles' at Namafjall as well as a 'hot' river below the Krafla powerstation!
More photos to follow

 

[Aidan1150]

Amazing looking place. Great pics. Keep them coming.

 

[forry]

There's more of Chris's photos here if you'd like a look
http://forry.smugmug.com/gallery/1737747
I'll get the rest of the report sorted soon
Chris can ride a bike to Iceland but can't post his photos

 

[Scottch]

Absolutely stunning!!!

Just out of curiosity - what did the ferry skin you for?

 

[Trippy]

Great photos. Does it cost much to get there?

 

[DavidHale]

Awwww no! Those pics just confirm that Iceland is ANOTHER place I definately want to go to! Great stuff! More please...

 

[RadioActive]

Thanks for posting those great photos. I wonder how long you went for and did you try going right across the central road?

Chris

 

[Farmer Palmer]

Ísland 2005 og 2006

We had only six days there the first time with the bike in 2005 and nine days in late May/June 2006 visiting the Faroes for a days riding on the way there! When we got to Iceland we rode the ringroad the opposite way(anticlockwise) this time and visited the Westmann Islands(Heimay) as well as the Westfjords! Not nearly long enough!!

The weather this time was much worse with roads being closed this time that we used last year!(later snow)

The two main interior roads we would love to use being closed into late June or July this year and even roads like Kaldidalur near Husafell were closed to us!( its against the law to ride on a closed road and illegal to ride offroad in Iceland)

It was much cheaper this year for the ferry because of the earlier sailing, 850GBP for the return trip for the bike and two passengers with a cabin!
Last year it was 1050GBP for the same cabin accom!

 

[Timolgra]

Awwww no! Those pics just confirm that Iceland is ANOTHER place I definately want to go to! Great stuff! More please...

I agree David, somewhere I've been meaning to go for years. Must make the effort

 

[Alte Wolf]

Flew over it twice in the last 2 weeks, fascinating shots

Show us more

 

[Gav]

Looks like a great trip.

"850GBP for the return trip for the bike and two passengers with a cabin!
Last year it was 1050GBP for the same cabin accom!"

Not sure- is that the total from Aberdeen?
How much time would you recommend to make it worthwhile?

 

[GS TRV]

Great fotos but much too cold for my liking

Not my idea of a holiday if you have to shiver for 2 weeks bike or no bike

 

[Alte Wolf]

Enjoyed the pics immensely.

Silly Question time

Is there a ferry in the direction of Greenland from Iceland? ... and on to Baffin Island or NE Canada ... or are we stuck with air freight.

Cheers, in advance

 

[Mzokk]

Enjoyed the pics immensely.

Silly Question time

Is there a ferry in the direction of Greenland from Iceland? ... and on to Baffin Island or NE Canada ... or are we stuck with air freight.

Cheers, in advance

Dunno about that but shipping to Halifax NS was about £350 from Southampton the last time I looked.

 

[Mzokk]

Cracking photos BTW I'd love a trip to Iceland. I don't mind colder places for Hols myself I rekon its easier to prepare for the cold to keep yourself warm rather than trying to stay cool when its too hot!!

 

[camel_landy]

Iceland is an AMAZING country . I was there back in '99 and it just blew me away. On the way back we spent 3 days on the Faroes which was also a facinating place. To make the trip worth while, I think you need to be there at least 2 weeks, preferably 3.

I'm hoping to get back there next year...

AFAIK the only services west of Iceland are either via air or sea freight... However... IIRC there's a USAF base in Reykjavik so shipping things west is not uncommon.

HTH

Great photos BTW - The ones of the waterfall are almost idetical to mine. One thing the photos can't portray is just how noisy it can be next to the vents, waterfalls, etc....

Mark.

 

[Alte Wolf]

Dunno about that but shipping to Halifax NS was about £350 from Southampton the last time I looked.

Mmmm ... now how many 'brownie points' have I got at the minute

Sounds interesting though

 

[Alte Wolf]

...

AFAIK the only services west of Iceland are either via air or sea freight... However... IIRC there's a USAF base in Reykjavik so shipping things west is not uncommon.

HTH

Mark.

Thanks Mark great info

 

[camel_landy]

BTW - A little tip if you're doing a route that's going to require a lot of river crossings...

As quite a few of the rivers there are made from glacial melt water, they are usually a lot shallower first thing in the morning (the height variation through the day can be quite considerable).

HTH

Mark.

 

[Farmer Palmer]

Ísland Motórhjoltourin!

High folks, late finish harvesting!! The price is from Aberdeen return! But, there is a major problem, it looks like Smyril Line may stop sailing to Shetland in 2007!! Just have to wait and see what developes in the next few months as it's a long haul to Bergen!! I met a German GSer last year who was freighting his bike to Canada from Rekjavik working his passage on a ship!(Eimskip?) The time I spent in Iceland is just not long enough, three weeks would be much better but I have to go late May when it's still very cold at times, July is better but my Gemans not too great!! I might take a Landrover next time as I feel a heater and somewhere dry would make a change!