Excellent write up, thanks Tim.
ICELAND Reset - 2022
- Thread starter Timolgra
- Start date
Glad you're enjoying, I'll get around to finishing it soon as I have chance.
Crikey. I'm now glad i didn't buy that smaller bike to experience a bit more of the smaller trails, looks fantastic though, and Harold you're a star for keeping going, though I see you're still finding alternative routes through the river crossings
Great write up as always Tim. keep it coming
.
Did I mention I hate sand.......
Great write up as always Tim. keep it coming
. Did I mention I hate sand.......
Tim, are you running tubes or mousse’s?
I always strongly advise using Heavy Duty tubes for trips and keep mousses for local trail riding.
Whilst some may not have a problem on a longer trip using mousses if they do then it may impact everyone else.
Some of those HD tubes are harder to fit than Mousses !
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Yes Ultra Heavy Duty tubes can be a fiddle to fit with a stiff walled 80/80 front tyre but spare tubes carried are normally rubber tubes so easy to fit ...also rubber tubes accept a patch more easily.
So bottom line is, use normal HD tubes, carry standard rubber tubes as spare (because theyre lighter) plus repair kit to fix your tube that evening. It's fail safe.
Thanks Tim, was contemplating fitting mousses to my 525.
Fit UHD tube same way you'd fit a mousse ie. semi inflated in the tyre, then offer up to the rim. Piece of piss 
Anyway, time to press on, head further north and find somewhere to camp.
This will do nicely.
Baz and I always pitch away from the snorers, tonight we'll just hear the birds and sea.
Dinner on before a tidy up!
After a great night's sleep Liz packing up
A new friend for Terry
Time to head off again, first south...
Old stoves outside an abandoned fish factory.
I've let the others go on ahead, we'll meet for fuel this gives me time to have have a final look back in the distance to where we spent the previous night.
This will do nicely.
Baz and I always pitch away from the snorers, tonight we'll just hear the birds and sea.
Dinner on before a tidy up!
After a great night's sleep Liz packing up
A new friend for Terry
Time to head off again, first south...
Old stoves outside an abandoned fish factory.
I've let the others go on ahead, we'll meet for fuel this gives me time to have have a final look back in the distance to where we spent the previous night.
We meet up with a well rested John again.
This is not him btw and the face only only a Mother could love.
Taking the old road which some previous groups have named this part 'The Bridge of Doom' although surprisingly we've never had an incident here.
Arriving at our next stop over I see the familiar face of Jon who's run's this amazing hotel, campsite with the largest natural hot pool in Iceland.
He's a hugely strong guy and a keen adventurer with both 4x4s and bikes, we always talk about new routes that have become lost and some of mine handed on by him.
Jon looks up and smiles "Hi" offering me his huge hand, I take it knowing what's coming!
I shake my crushed hand asking "Jon, why do you always try to break my hand when we meet"?
He laughs and says "Ok next time I'll get my wife to shake your hand"
Great Icelandic humour
This is not him btw and the face only only a Mother could love.
Taking the old road which some previous groups have named this part 'The Bridge of Doom' although surprisingly we've never had an incident here.
Arriving at our next stop over I see the familiar face of Jon who's run's this amazing hotel, campsite with the largest natural hot pool in Iceland.
He's a hugely strong guy and a keen adventurer with both 4x4s and bikes, we always talk about new routes that have become lost and some of mine handed on by him.
Jon looks up and smiles "Hi" offering me his huge hand, I take it knowing what's coming!
I shake my crushed hand asking "Jon, why do you always try to break my hand when we meet"?
He laughs and says "Ok next time I'll get my wife to shake your hand"
Great Icelandic humour
I haven't mentioned cold yet.
Turns out to be the coldest summer year since records began.
After restocking in a big town we try our luck at the newly opened viewing flatform at Bolafjall, it was under cloud although did catch the occasional glimpse.
It's a blatant tourist attraction which personally I hate after being in the same place several times previously when it was a relatively natural view point.
We take the old road
We clear the rocks from our path along the narrow section ....just in case!
Luckily H takes a left dab and not a right!!!
Your's truly
John followed by Liz
This innocuous looking last mile or so of boulder field is used by no one except sheep these days and always catches someone out. I've been knocked off here twice on separate bikes so it was a great relief to make it through unscathed.
We head to a favourite cafe for apple pie and coffee
Friendly and familiar faces smile and tell me mine "is on the house"
Turns out to be the coldest summer year since records began.
After restocking in a big town we try our luck at the newly opened viewing flatform at Bolafjall, it was under cloud although did catch the occasional glimpse.
It's a blatant tourist attraction which personally I hate after being in the same place several times previously when it was a relatively natural view point.
We take the old road
We clear the rocks from our path along the narrow section ....just in case!
Luckily H takes a left dab and not a right!!!
Your's truly
John followed by Liz
This innocuous looking last mile or so of boulder field is used by no one except sheep these days and always catches someone out. I've been knocked off here twice on separate bikes so it was a great relief to make it through unscathed.
We head to a favourite cafe for apple pie and coffee
Friendly and familiar faces smile and tell me mine "is on the house"
Love the Bridge of Doom!
.....but you did it the wrong way
.....but you did it the wrong way
We press on to our next camp and quickly get the tents up only to be told we have to move them!
Joy.
I'm mindful this evening's weather is the last opportunity to ride what is one of my favourite trails anywhere in the world also as some will know we need to watch the tide.
Most are simply too tired for it which temporarily leave s four of us, Baz, Liz, JD and myself.......I say temporarily since John left his fancy lights on while getting ready and flattened his battery, I guess also being tired it was the final straw
The 3 of us head round at a good pace barely pausing
Late into the ride we pass a High Col and there should be a stunning view ahead and behinds us but we're met with a bank of thin cloud.
At first a little disappointing until we saw this!!!
Luckily Liz could remember what it was called, a rare "Brocken Spectre" just stunning.
We finish the ride off with a tricky climb into blinding sunlight for a late evening look.
A perfect evening
And the end of another long day
Joy.
I'm mindful this evening's weather is the last opportunity to ride what is one of my favourite trails anywhere in the world also as some will know we need to watch the tide.
Most are simply too tired for it which temporarily leave s four of us, Baz, Liz, JD and myself.......I say temporarily since John left his fancy lights on while getting ready and flattened his battery, I guess also being tired it was the final straw
The 3 of us head round at a good pace barely pausing
Late into the ride we pass a High Col and there should be a stunning view ahead and behinds us but we're met with a bank of thin cloud.
At first a little disappointing until we saw this!!!
Luckily Liz could remember what it was called, a rare "Brocken Spectre" just stunning.
We finish the ride off with a tricky climb into blinding sunlight for a late evening look.
A perfect evening
And the end of another long day
We continue around the Western Fjords, I've been so many times I've found myself not taking photos unless the lights special also seem to have lost some of the other's so just have a few.
First stop, magnificent Dynjandi
Terry walks up to take a little video
Out to the other end of my favourite fjord where Baz and Terry try to get the the 'very end' where the track disappears. They did very well and it looked difficult but seem to have lost their photos.
This was after Liz and I had started to become concerned for them after hearing nothing for over 30 minutes so headed out after them, pic is on the way back again.
Heading for our next campsite at the seaside which I checked out last year
I get my meal on
First stop, magnificent Dynjandi
Terry walks up to take a little video
Out to the other end of my favourite fjord where Baz and Terry try to get the the 'very end' where the track disappears. They did very well and it looked difficult but seem to have lost their photos.
This was after Liz and I had started to become concerned for them after hearing nothing for over 30 minutes so headed out after them, pic is on the way back again.
Heading for our next campsite at the seaside which I checked out last year
I get my meal on
Today we'll save a long grind of a ride by taking the ferry south out of the West Fjords.
Stopping for the obligatory along the way
Steve and Geoff will rejoin us once we're off the boat.
I'm sent a their destination waypoint
A momentary stop at the island of Flatey
John gets some shut eye
JD gets some shut eye
Off the boat and it's hugs and kisses with Steve and Geoff
We use the town's campsite, I cook a disastrous meal while the others go to a restaurant for food and beer.
Luckily not too much beer as it seems someone dobbed them into the police and they were all breathalysed on there way back, all just under the threshold of a cell for the night.
Getting a little tired myself now, just one more full days riding to go.
Stopping for the obligatory along the way
Steve and Geoff will rejoin us once we're off the boat.
I'm sent a their destination waypoint
A momentary stop at the island of Flatey
John gets some shut eye
JD gets some shut eye
Off the boat and it's hugs and kisses with Steve and Geoff
We use the town's campsite, I cook a disastrous meal while the others go to a restaurant for food and beer.
Luckily not too much beer as it seems someone dobbed them into the police and they were all breathalysed on there way back, all just under the threshold of a cell for the night.
Getting a little tired myself now, just one more full days riding to go.
Today we'll save a long grind of a ride by taking the ferry south out of the West Fjords.
Stopping for the obligatory along the way
Nice old wreck.
And what boat is that ?
Nice old wreck.
And what boat is that ?
Ha ha, the bike is a thousand times better than brand new, not bad for a 2004
The boat....
https://meanderingwild.com/gardar-ba-64-iceland/
Some of the guys had never been on a glacier and didn't know they were about to until coming over a rise 100m from it, they were delighted!
It always has to be tried of course
Being on the lightest bike still didn't help Baz, the melting snow offered no grip at all
Getting ready to leave a blizzard hits us, it's freezing cold and a strong wind driving sleet on our backs.
There's nowhere to stop in shelter until here, miraculously although the wind's still hard the sun comes out and warms us.
From here we have a choice of direction, everyone's up for my preference
Geoff taking it all in, he's been here before
Soon we're not alone
The Quads were ahead of us and fast, of course that was like a red rag to a bull and we pick them off one by one on the sweeping trail that has everything from deep sand to twisting lava fields.
Once past them a few of us keep this fast pace for the next 25 miles or so where we're going to turn onto a smaller trail
We need to wait quite a while to regroup
John takes a rest
It always has to be tried of course
Being on the lightest bike still didn't help Baz, the melting snow offered no grip at all
Getting ready to leave a blizzard hits us, it's freezing cold and a strong wind driving sleet on our backs.
There's nowhere to stop in shelter until here, miraculously although the wind's still hard the sun comes out and warms us.
From here we have a choice of direction, everyone's up for my preference
Geoff taking it all in, he's been here before
Soon we're not alone
The Quads were ahead of us and fast, of course that was like a red rag to a bull and we pick them off one by one on the sweeping trail that has everything from deep sand to twisting lava fields.
Once past them a few of us keep this fast pace for the next 25 miles or so where we're going to turn onto a smaller trail
We need to wait quite a while to regroup
John takes a rest
Lots of sand and lava field. later we stop for a breather and to regroup
I could feel the soft sand sucking power from my 525 with the luggage on making it difficult to keep on top even when riding flat out.
Liz
Geoff
Steve
And John
I could feel the soft sand sucking power from my 525 with the luggage on making it difficult to keep on top even when riding flat out.
Liz
Geoff
Steve
And John
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