MoscowJohn wrote:Great trip and what a different landscape. Not many trees in sight. How dark were the nights there?
In the summers it's light all night, while in winters there's not much sunlight at all. As I went in September which is between those extremes, night and day were no different to here. Icelanders say to foreigners who visit their country that if you get lost in an Icelandic forest - just stand up! Indeed, the majority of trees I did see (for there are not many at all) were under about 5ft tall - more like shrubs.
Part 3
#32 Not long into the day I meet these Icelandic chopper dudes. "These are the most useless bikes in Iceland!" says one of them proudly. I couldn't fault him there - only good for tarmac!
#33 More extraordinary landscape...
#34 The sun actually came out...
#35 Tonight I camp in Laugarvatn. Today was pretty chilled out, which was good really because I was in for a long day the next day.
#36 Today I decide to tackle a more remote mountain trail which happened to go past Mt. Hekla which is classed as one of Iceland's most active volcanoes (although it last erupted in 2000). These trails are marked on maps as 4x4 only. Here are a series of shots:
Up until now I was having the time of my life. I had a pretty good 1:400,000 road map which showed a lot of mountain trails. There had also been a few forks that I'd come across that the map did not appear to show, and so I always took the more worn trails which seemed to correspond to the map. By now the weather was closing in and it was about 2pm. Soon it was raining and the wind had risen to the point where it had turned the rain into flying needles, gusts buffetting me around. Around this time I was pretty sure I was lost and not where I thought I was - I was also running low on fuel (had I gone the way I planned I'd be in a town by now...)
I came across a river which wasn't on the map. I forded it without too much trouble and carried on. I then came to another river which was a bit deeper and faster, but on the other side in the distance were wooden huts with 4x4s and people walking around. I walked the river first, found the best place, and attempted a crossing. The rear wheel gets bogged down in shingle halfway through and I stall it. Not having an electric start and the bike being half buried meant I couldn't kick it to start it again. After a little while some Polish guys come by in a 4x4 and help me out by pushing and pulling. I couldn't thank them enough. I ride to where the huts are to find that it is an information/camping centre. I ask the girl at reception for directions and she gets out a decent OS map and says that I need to go
back the way I came and take another turning at a fork I passed. F**k I thought.
I go back - this time aiming for a deeper part of the river - but one with a more substantial bed - and get across ok. By now the rain is coming down hard and my visor is fogged and I'm getting damp. I take the turning I was meant to and check my map. The next petrol station is about 50 km away - but still closer than going all the way back to where I started. I crack on but soon realise that this route has many river crossings according to the map. My map proves to be accurate in this respect and my heart sinks as I struggle through river after river. 20 km and 2 hours later it's beginning to get dark. I check the tank (I switched to reserve long ago) and see there's probably not more than a pint's worth in there. The rain, rivers, steep ascents/descents keep coming, but I get the feeling I'm going more downhill than up. I see a remote farmhouse which is a good sign as it means I'm coming slowly back into civilisation. A few more farmsteads go by when suddenly I hit tarmac! I would've gotten off and kissed it had I not been so wet and fed up. I manage to turn on to the 1 and turn left to head towards the nearest town. Within 50 metres of the junction I run out of fuel.
I coast off of the road down the bank and park up. I'll have to hitch-hike. It is now dusk and I wait 10 minutes for the next car to pass. Apparently hitch-hiking is quite good in Iceland and they actually stop for me. We drive 20 km to the town I was headed for and they drop me off at the petrol station, which luckily is a large one (meaning it is manned, they sell coffee and have a grill). Bought and emptied the contents of a 1.5l bottle of coke and filled with fuel. Asked around and someone gave me a lift back to the bike. Fuelled up and set off. About halfway there I run out of fuel again!!!
So I hitch-hike again. This time it is pitch black in the middle of nowhere, yet somebody stops and picks me up again. This time I buy a 2l bottle of Sprite and fill that with fuel. Again asking around, somebody takes me back to my bike. I fuel up and this time make it to the petrol station! The guy working there makes me a chicken burger and fries and a hot chocolate and won't take any money for it - I must have looked a state. He directs me to the nearest hotel/guesthouse - tonight was definitely the night to break the always-camping rule...
Part 4 on the way soon...
