Iceland revisited for unfinished business.

[Timolgra]

Passing by Godafoss

You know how it is, the weather forecast for the foreseeable future is shite but somehow you try to believe it's wrong.

We've spent a bit of time around this area on a previous trip, the intention this time was base ourselves at Myvatn then take a ride down to Askja and back before riding right across Iceland via the Sprengisandur/F26.

It's about 25 miles of miserable, cold, wet, nothingness on the main road before we pick up the F88 and head south towards Askja.

Now it's miserable cold, wet, black nothingness but the riding's fun.

Although I'm not sure Ange thought it fun

A big wheel police 4x4 coming the other flags us down and tells us the river will be to high to cross on bikes.
Just as he's telling us, the only other vehicle we'd seen came flying past, another $x$ with flat trailer.
Turns out he was off to rescue a drowned HP2.

There was little disappointment as I spun the bike round to begin the cold, wet slog back to the camp site.

Just before the main road we ride through deep water and into an extinct volcano in an attempt to get out of the wind and dry our fingers enough to roll a smoke.

Ok, so we didn't get to where we wanted but conditions were just too miserable.
The main thing for me though was for Ange to have a taste of the nothingness I love.

Back at the camp I met Peter Belcher, a S African on a 5 month bike trip who wasn't sure where to head after Iceland although Mongolia was favourite.
I think he was pissed off with being cold and wet in Iceland plus he'd dropped his bike in the swollen river, so was heading to Seydisfjordur for the ferry back to Denmark.

Straight into the cafe at the camp site and eat a whole 'Biggest Pizza you have please' mmmmm

K'inell, then discover the slightest play in a front wheel bearing.

I change it with a rock, tent peg and stove. Sorted

 

[Blackal]

"Seydisfjordur"

That's a place-name that has always appealed to me.

Always thought if I had a house with a name, rather than a number...............

Al

 

[Timolgra]

"Seydisfjordur"

That's a place-name that has always appealed to me.

Always thought if I had a house with a name, rather than a number...............

Al

Seydisfjordur is beautiful.
When I get around to finishing the RR from our first Iceland trip I'll put some more pics up there.
Meanwhile......

If I remember, many of these houses were built by Norwegians.

You may know this already.

If you do a bit of research you'll find it has an interesting history ...

 

[Grim Reaper]

I used to be involved with the CANTAT 3 telecomms cable that ran from Redcar to Canada (amongst other places) The Icelandic section came ashore at Vestmannaeyjar to the south.
I've always wanted to visit all the places it came ashore.

 

[Timolgra]

I'm not totally giving up on riding across the Sprengisandur just yet so we double back 50 miles or so to Godafoss where it's starts.

Low mist and drizzle with a long, long way to go. Hmmmm, I'm not prepared to take Ange across, it would be no fun at all.

I'd asked Mark by text, who's group had crossed here a day or so earlier what conditions were like.
Basically shite was the answer and they were deteriorating.

The camp site here was a wet field with little in the way of facilities.

Much to my secret delight, Ange suggests we see if there's a room in the guest house. Eventually there is!

It's only midday and we gratefully turn the heating up in our room and dry all our clothes.

Happy wife

Nice view from the dining room but you can see the cloud is low even here.

The following morning it's even worse.

We watch a camping group try to get their bus off the campsite.

Then the moment every Landrover owner dreams of for years, the chance to save the day using their winches.

Over breakfast I try my best to convince Ange we should give it a try.
You probably don't need to have met her to know what this look meant.

I double check the weather for an alternative plan and convince her we should head west again, be back in good weather and promise tonight the tent will go up in the sunshine once more.

So head back via Akureyri.
On the way I take a slight 'short cut' over the F882 and will meet Ange at a garage.

It was a great track cutting over the top.

She was already there, waiting

 

[Timolgra]

Still retracing our steps from a few days earlier we leave Akureyri where the main road takes us through the valley of Öxnadalur, probably the most beautiful part of the main ring road in the north.

Stopping at Varmahlíð for an excellent feed.

The provisional idea was we could camp near here if the weather was still bad but although not sunny, it was now slightly warmer.

So plan B

We decided we'd camp at Hveravllir on the F35, commonly known as the Kjölur route.
The norther section is fairly bland by comparison but I'd been given a much better route by a local dirt bike rider we met in Akureyri.
Go south and pick up the F756

It was stunning even in poorish weather.
Ange was delighted and revelling in the easy flowing track.

I was delighted that she was delighted, because had we crossed via the Sprengisandur she may have divorced me

It's sometimes hard to tell sometimes but this is her looking delighted.

And you may notice that as promised the sun's coming out

 

[Timolgra]

The Kjolur route is easy peasy but takes you through some stunning scenery.

At Hveravellir we pitch right next to a hot water stream.

Which runs down from the hot pool.

But the pool is packed!!
We give it a miss.

Back at the tent.

Well I told her this morning we'd put the tent up in sunshine.
Although smug, surely I'm 'on a promise' tonight.......

 

[crumbles]

Stunning photo,s through out,
great ride report aswell,lucky ppl ☺

 

[Dogbytes]

Great write-up. I've wanted to visit Iceland since I was about 13 years old and first read Desmond Bagley's 'Running Blind'.

 

[Timolgra]

Great write-up. I've wanted to visit Iceland since I was about 13 years old and first read Desmond Bagley's 'Running Blind'.

Yes, I thought it best not to take any mysterious parcels with me

 

[Timolgra]

Today's cunning plan has an ulterior motive

We'll camp somewhere warm and be able to take a day trip out to the beautiful area around Landmannalauger.

The ulterior motive is.......... if Ange wants a day off the bike, I'd be perfectly poised to head back up the Sprengisandur in better weather, cross the big river and back again in one big day...... we'll have to wait and see

Meanwhile we head south on the Kjolur/F26 route.

Stopping at the Gullfoss visitor centre for hot soup we're horrified at the number of tourists here.

Four years ago we spent a couple of hours enjoying the waterfalls all to ourselves, today there were several hundred or more people milling around from a packed car park full of tour buses.

We cut across some lovely tracks stopping at a campsite around Storinpur on F32 road.....this is the road which leads up to the Sprengisandur

If we push on any further it'll become cold again, so pitch the tent near a lovely river and relax a while.

The area to the north looked to be perfect riding country but there's a garage and cafe by the side of the road where we can watch the world go by in brilliant sunshine.
Here I chatted to a local fisherman who showed me many places I should visit by pointing out his favourite spots on my map and showing me photos on his camera.

Looks like we're going to Landmannalaugar next morning.

I had wanted to continue south from there on the F208 to the coast but the route is still closed.
I was playing with my GPS and very rarely made a route for the day.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Great stuff

 

[Timolgra]

The fisherman I'd been talking to said if I was going to Landmannalaugar to take the F225 and not the F208 saying it would be much better on the bikes.
He was right of course!

In great weather we ride up the road about 20 miles and cut back down the F26 a short distance to the junction.

The volcano Hekla was nearby.

Ange takes note in case it erupts

While I longingly read an information sign about the Sprengisandur....

The trail was fantastic and I thanked the fisherman in my head!!

Not much to say yet, other than it was fantastic...... oh have I already said that?

My beloved looks to me for support.
"Follow my line" I say .... hopefully.

She's fine, it's not too deep
Cautious at first..

Time for another go

We have a break in the sunshine and I chat with a Belgian lad who's hired a 4x4 but has been here on his Africa Twin, he tells me that at noon today the F208 will be open to the coast which was one of my plans but of course we don't have the flippin tents

It occurred to me to do this all again tomorrow and continue as I'd hoped but thought I'd pick a better time before mentioning it ...... now she was happy ...

 

[Timolgra]

Carrying on through wonderful country.

Just before Landmannalaugar, there's a busy car park THIS side of the two rivers and a couple of 950 KTMs parked up.

Well there's no way I'm parking up and taking the foot bridge, that's for sure

Hmmm, back to that old routine ay?

The photographers wait in hope but I find an easier line.

Easy enough.

You can see how busy this place is.

It's a really popular hiking destination.

Because it's so beautiful.

I make us a brew to go with a pack of biscuits and Ange is up for the first river crossing back

Then we're ready to head back.

We ... or rather I, decided to head back by going north on the F208 to the F26.

This was a mistake, we should have gone back the way we came.
Our route was windy, rocky and less inspiring.

Ange was having real trouble on the rocky corrugations and needed to stop just 50m from the tarmac, poor girl, she was 'done in'.

We rest a while and I take one last look to the North East and the Sprengisandur proper, a cold hard wind was blowing from a leaden black cloud.

Soon, I reassured Ange, that wind would be on our backs as we head all the way back to the campsite.

Ah yes, our peaceful warm campsite.
What!?? It's packed with locals. Noisy kids, wedding parties in full swing.

So wandered up to the cafe at the garage and indulged.

Then sat by the peaceful river....

To reflect on a fantastic day.

Time to hit the single malt.

 

[Lee Frost]

Awesome RR Tim! I'm heading to Iceland again late September, but sadly not on a bike!

 

[Timolgra]

Awesome RR Tim! I'm heading to Iceland again late September, but sadly not on a bike!

That's a shame Lee

I was told by an Icelandic trail riding enthusiast that apart from less daylight, that time of year's great for riding the smaller and less accessible trails as the rivers tend to be much lower due to less thawing

 

[wideparting]

fantastic rr tim,i think youve done more for the icelandic tourist industry than millions of pounds worth of adverts.may pick your brain next time i see you. is iceland the new morocco. j

 

[ButtonMoon]

Brilliant Tim. I've read it twice so far!!!


Sent from Space

 

[Timolgra]

Brilliant Tim. I've read it twice so far!!!


Sent from Space

Thank you and all the others for your comments.

It's nearly finished, phew there's quite an interesting bit to come involving motorcycles and the only two Icelanders who've been Knighted

 

[Timolgra]

We take an interesting route back to Reykjavik where we'll spend the next 3 nights with our friends.

Parking the bikes up along with Throstur's and Silla's and Ange breaths a sigh of relief.

Luxury, no more tents at last.

The following morning Throstur, or Sir Þröstur to give him his rightful title, wants me to meet a good friend of his, Sir Hilmar Luthersson who lives about 50 miles away in Selfoss.

Silla kindly lends me her lovely FJ1200, it has a tiny dent in the tank which will never be repaired as it had previously been owned by Sir Hilmar and fell over in his garage during an earthquake.

We needed to wait for the strong winds to abate a little before we could set off, even then it made for an interesting ride!

The silky smoth power of the 4 cylinder was a welcome contrast from nearly 3 weeks on a single.

Hilmar's a lovely character, in his eighties and speaks no English he's spent his life restoring British motorcycles and some cars.
I'm told he's died 3 times from heart problems, once in his garage. By chance someone called to see him and found him collapsed but Hilmar bounced back

Hilmar's wife brought us a plateful of fresh pancakes and coffee while I slowly looked through his photo albums which recorded an incredible life with interesting bikes and cars.

He was knighted not by a sword but with a con rod in the motorcycle club for services to the British Motorcycle Industry

Sir Throstur had also been knighted for his many restorations and love of British motorcycles.

I felt truly humbled to be in such company but Sir Hilmar gave me the honour of naming me The Duke of Whales, at once I felt more at ease.

Hilmar had perhaps been gently weighing me up, obviously delighted at my enthusiasm I was invited into his palace, the garage or Man Cave as Throstur calls it ............