Loved that write-up Tim. Thanks. Definitely in for the trip next year.
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ICELAND - A game of three halves
- Thread starter Timolgra
- Start date
ButtonMoon
Registered user
I'll start on the second half soon but I know some of you are waiting for the third and of course those cliff hanger questions:
Did the Moon get lost?
How was the Viking name of Toddy the Terrified earnt?
Did Spud stay dry?
Was Joe Narvey's packing list sufficient?
So many questions, so many answers
Before that though, there's two weeks with the missus to deal with......................
Did the Moon get lost?
How was the Viking name of Toddy the Terrified earnt?
Did Spud stay dry?
Was Joe Narvey's packing list sufficient?
So many questions, so many answers
Before that though, there's two weeks with the missus to deal with......................
Thanks Tim
Thoroughly enjoyable read
Thoroughly enjoyable read
Second Half
The weather was good and it was a brilliant place to wander around for a day, at least that's what I told Ange, I actually wanted a day off the bike
Ok, we had to give up the cabin but it wasn't all bad.
One of the great natural features here was the cave housing a wood burner, picnic tables and candlelit at night, this would have provided shelter for livestock and men back in the day.
We agreed on going back up the fabulous route the lads had come down a couple of days ago so headed back down to the coast first of all.
I'd almost wrecked a new Michelin Desert rear tyre in only a weeks riding but already had my eye on Ange rear (tyre
) since mine would be gone by the time the third half started.
The weather had deteriorated a bit now but didn't detract from the beauty of this trail.
Ange has a rude awakening, I hadn't mentioned the 20 or so rivers to cross on the way up
The weather was good and it was a brilliant place to wander around for a day, at least that's what I told Ange, I actually wanted a day off the bike
Ok, we had to give up the cabin but it wasn't all bad.
One of the great natural features here was the cave housing a wood burner, picnic tables and candlelit at night, this would have provided shelter for livestock and men back in the day.
We agreed on going back up the fabulous route the lads had come down a couple of days ago so headed back down to the coast first of all.
I'd almost wrecked a new Michelin Desert rear tyre in only a weeks riding but already had my eye on Ange rear (tyre
) since mine would be gone by the time the third half started.
The weather had deteriorated a bit now but didn't detract from the beauty of this trail.
Ange has a rude awakening, I hadn't mentioned the 20 or so rivers to cross on the way up
Much further on and we're near the same volcano again so whizz up........ and it started, the tea making that is.
I now need to keep the makings of tea readily to hand as they could be called upon at the most inopportune moments
We take a detour loop I'd been looking at in a beautiful and remotely quiet valley at Landmannahellir, this is another of those places where a cave would have provided shelter for around 70 horses and the men.
It had a campsite but as Ange pointed out, it also has a few wooden cabins.
I've learnt over the years what 'pointing it out' means
I ask a young couple and yes we can stay there quite cheaply.
I have to tinker with my bike but there's worse places to be doing that
I now need to keep the makings of tea readily to hand as they could be called upon at the most inopportune moments
We take a detour loop I'd been looking at in a beautiful and remotely quiet valley at Landmannahellir, this is another of those places where a cave would have provided shelter for around 70 horses and the men.
It had a campsite but as Ange pointed out, it also has a few wooden cabins.
I've learnt over the years what 'pointing it out' means
I ask a young couple and yes we can stay there quite cheaply.
I have to tinker with my bike but there's worse places to be doing that
Wow, Tim, those pics are just awesome. Ride on.
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Redmurty
Registered user
some great "character" shots there mate, seriously tempted to go again next year 
cheers Spud
cheers Spud
Great photographs Tim 
LX or the Fuji?
If the Fuji what lens d'ya have on it?
LX or the Fuji?
If the Fuji what lens d'ya have on it?
T
XT1 with XF 18-135 lens.
Agonised over which camera to take, Xt won in the end mainly because I could transfer pics to my phone and I'd have a toy to play with
I did get several 'soft' shots in AF which was disappointing as the LX7 focus is generally pin sharp but that was probably down to being careless.
I would have preferred a slightly wider lens at the cost of less zoom on occasions but hey ho
Great photographs Tim
LX or the Fuji?
If the Fuji what lens d'ya have on it?
XT1 with XF 18-135 lens.
Agonised over which camera to take, Xt won in the end mainly because I could transfer pics to my phone and I'd have a toy to play with
I did get several 'soft' shots in AF which was disappointing as the LX7 focus is generally pin sharp but that was probably down to being careless.
I would have preferred a slightly wider lens at the cost of less zoom on occasions but hey ho
ZzRi
I'm making the route up as we go along with no destination for the day, then I hit on the idea of visiting our friends who are staying in their cabin in the south.
This would mean riding all the way around the volcano, Hekla and beyond ...... hmmm maybe be can ride over the near edge of Hekla and find the track on the other side.
Riding roads past fantastic scenary oohing and aahing is one thing, riding on minor tracks through it is quite another
Twice we're twarted, first time by snow on a steep descent which would have made any retreat 'interesting', then by a landslide and more snow.
The lack of any other tyre tracks was a clue
Ange waits while I try another way but round the corner was impassable.
It's no good, we'll have to go round but it was interesting having a bash.
So drop down through some lovely trails picking up a mix of gravel and sealed roads.
I'm making the route up as we go along with no destination for the day, then I hit on the idea of visiting our friends who are staying in their cabin in the south.
This would mean riding all the way around the volcano, Hekla and beyond ...... hmmm maybe be can ride over the near edge of Hekla and find the track on the other side.
Riding roads past fantastic scenary oohing and aahing is one thing, riding on minor tracks through it is quite another
Twice we're twarted, first time by snow on a steep descent which would have made any retreat 'interesting', then by a landslide and more snow.
The lack of any other tyre tracks was a clue
Ange waits while I try another way but round the corner was impassable.
It's no good, we'll have to go round but it was interesting having a bash.
So drop down through some lovely trails picking up a mix of gravel and sealed roads.
What a fantastic read, well done you, and those images ....... simply perfect
MilkMaid
Registered user
What Scottish Clarky said above. A real inspiration for next year's trip.
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Sent from my iPhone using a Monkey's Arsehole
Love the photos Tim.
You and Ange having a proper Adventure together
You and Ange having a proper Adventure together
That evening we enjoy the hospitality of our friends Throstur and his lovely wife Silla
Silla gets the barby on while the men do serious talk (bikes and Iceland).
Throstur's very knowledgeable on all things Icelandic, I love it more than he could know when he tells me stories from times gone by.
I have a light introduction to the 'Sagas of Icelanders', clearly there's much reading for me to do when I find copies in English.
Later we all go for a drive, Throstur shows us how fast he can go on gravel roads, it go's quiet in the back.
His car can go no further, it's now 4x4 territory so we stop and look across to the Ejujafe... Eyjafael.... Eyjafalajik
Eyjafjallajökull!!! volcano ( the one with the big ash cloud in 2010).
We share the same sense of humour much to the despair of Ange and Silla
Silla gets the barby on while the men do serious talk (bikes and Iceland).
Throstur's very knowledgeable on all things Icelandic, I love it more than he could know when he tells me stories from times gone by.
I have a light introduction to the 'Sagas of Icelanders', clearly there's much reading for me to do when I find copies in English.
Later we all go for a drive, Throstur shows us how fast he can go on gravel roads, it go's quiet in the back.
His car can go no further, it's now 4x4 territory so we stop and look across to the Ejujafe... Eyjafael.... Eyjafalajik
Eyjafjallajökull!!! volcano ( the one with the big ash cloud in 2010).
We share the same sense of humour much to the despair of Ange and Silla
The whole thing looks bloody amazing !
We need to head north, where to?
I'm unsure and have a vague plan of revisiting the Westfjords as there's still 'unfinished business' there but that takes time.
North means working our way across country toward the F35/Kjölur route again and take it from there.
Now I have a cunning plan and Throstur suggests I take a small track north from near his cabin and past the "mountain with three horns" where we'll find some ancient dwellings.
Heading off on a lonely track we pass through some of the National forest, find an old dwelling but I don't think this one's a thousand years old!
These look more like it.
Ange gets the shock of her life as it's inhabitants make a quick exit
I get an even bigger shock because I assume it's empty now!
Great weather
My cunning plan is a small track which no one seems to know anything about, it should cut a long ride round out and take us to Geysir at the start of the F35.
At the start we stop for a brew and check out whether we can camp here after the Sprengisandur for part three (turns out we didn't).
A dog pisses on Ange's back wheel but it gives me chance to check the wear rate on her tyre which I still have my eye on for later
Up the track we stop at the impressive waterfall Háifoss, hmmm this is the river we need to cross soon to achieve my cunning plan.......
We come to the river, there's no tyre tracks and I assume it's used to service the electricity pylons the route seems to be following.
Time to check it out.
I search up and down looking for a possibility but ...nope.
Big rocks and deep holes mean this is for serious 4x4s only, certainly not a crossing to be taking your beloved through.
So, retrace our steps taking a mix of gravel and tarmac to our camp gives me time to plot in my head, the route to the F35 will need revising, perhaps I'll tell Ange about it in the morning
I'm unsure and have a vague plan of revisiting the Westfjords as there's still 'unfinished business' there but that takes time.
North means working our way across country toward the F35/Kjölur route again and take it from there.
Now I have a cunning plan and Throstur suggests I take a small track north from near his cabin and past the "mountain with three horns" where we'll find some ancient dwellings.
Heading off on a lonely track we pass through some of the National forest, find an old dwelling but I don't think this one's a thousand years old!
These look more like it.
Ange gets the shock of her life as it's inhabitants make a quick exit
I get an even bigger shock because I assume it's empty now!
Great weather
My cunning plan is a small track which no one seems to know anything about, it should cut a long ride round out and take us to Geysir at the start of the F35.
At the start we stop for a brew and check out whether we can camp here after the Sprengisandur for part three (turns out we didn't).
A dog pisses on Ange's back wheel but it gives me chance to check the wear rate on her tyre which I still have my eye on for later
Up the track we stop at the impressive waterfall Háifoss, hmmm this is the river we need to cross soon to achieve my cunning plan.......
We come to the river, there's no tyre tracks and I assume it's used to service the electricity pylons the route seems to be following.
Time to check it out.
I search up and down looking for a possibility but ...nope.
Big rocks and deep holes mean this is for serious 4x4s only, certainly not a crossing to be taking your beloved through.
So, retrace our steps taking a mix of gravel and tarmac to our camp gives me time to plot in my head, the route to the F35 will need revising, perhaps I'll tell Ange about it in the morning
Ten mins from camp and we've got some height.
"There's our trail running through the valley, according to my (erm) plan we should head east just before the glacier in the background eventually crossing a couple of rivers and hey presto, we'll be on the F35 ready to head north."
She likes it when I eventually have a plan
Stunning and the trails not bad either
"There's our trail running through the valley, according to my (erm) plan we should head east just before the glacier in the background eventually crossing a couple of rivers and hey presto, we'll be on the F35 ready to head north."
She likes it when I eventually have a plan
Stunning and the trails not bad either
Then comes a 2 miles stretch of the finest sand I've seen here, it's almost like fech fech in places but that's created through eroded clay/limestone and there's none of that in Iceland.
I'd been considering using this route for the 'third half' so Ange was my guinea pig she actually managed it ok but the thought of whinging GS'ers on their 1st or 2nd day was enough to revise their route
There's two ways to ride in sand, I urge Ange to use the second way after a 'mishap' on her encounter with it last year.
Not bad for a 50yrs + woman, relatively new to riding
I'd been considering using this route for the 'third half' so Ange was my guinea pig
she actually managed it ok but the thought of whinging GS'ers on their 1st or 2nd day was enough to revise their route
There's two ways to ride in sand, I urge Ange to use the second way after a 'mishap' on her encounter with it last year.
Not bad for a 50yrs + woman, relatively new to riding
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