Expedition Report
The proposal was to cycle the perimeter of Iceland solo by using the standard road networks and by attempting to be as self-supported as possible. The student undertook the route, the main Iceland ring road, (1,400km), over 18 days from mid-September to early October 2017, commencing and finishing the journey in Reykjavik. As the main road out of Reykjavik experiences much heavy traffic, the journey started by navigating the network of walking and cycling paths in the suburbs of the capital to reach the main highway at a quieter point.
On the second day the rain started followed by wind, and this became a recurring theme for the weather during the expedition. On third day the student’s tent was damaged due to it being caught by the wind, and although two poles were seriously bent, the tent could still be pitched. The wind also caused the student to suffer wind chill, especially in the elevated sections of the route, and on occasion the winds were so strong that the student had to resort to walking.
Further difficulties were the steep climbs, the fine black sand which seemed to cover everything, flooded rivers and fields, and having to endure a truck which blazed past the campsite one night with its horn blaring. Also, the student found out from passing tourists that parts of the ring road had been closed due the excessive rain which had damaged some bridges. However, it later transpired that these bridges were eventually opened to walking traffic, thus allowing the cyclist to proceed on foot at these points.
Amongst the stops made were at Akureyri, which afforded a night in a hostel. Eglisstadir, Hofn, Vik, Skogafoss, and Hella. Despite the difficulties the journey provided views of spectacular and beautiful scenery, glacial valleys, volcanic deserts, stunning fiords and sunsets, large icebergs at Jokaulsarlon, amazing rock formations, and the Aurora Borealis.
