RSF Iceland Crossing

[Chew]

Just picked up my RSF book and flicking through the pages until I came to the journal about the Iceland crossing.

I need to do a lot more digging about, about the route, logistics, etc..., but if anyone else is interested in doing something like this, or has any advice let me know.

Initially thinking about a 2 week trip sometime in Aug/Sept

[ton]

been looking at Iceland for a road based tour.
me and the wife had a good look at a few posts on CGOAB. it don't inspire me to be honest.
hopefully a offroad jaunt will be better. I could possibly wangle a week in September. I will let you know.

[summittoppler]

Its a beautifully stunning place. The terrain is so different and alien like.
A few pics, words & video (although some may have seen it before) from when me and John Climber went a couple of years back.
https://fat-bike.com/2017/08/fat-bike-iceland/

I'd love to go back but I need to start saving

[Bearbonesnorm]

Chew, just park up at the Star and ride round the old mine workings for a week or so. No one'll ever know.

[RIP]

not far wrong there Stu. But best not be tempted to bivi in that adit, the Llechwedd Ddu shaft in front of it used to be 750' deep which'd be quite a long climb back up next morning.

[RIP]

One doesn't want to generalise, but this is a bit of a sad, but predictable, state of affairs:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-48703462

"10 million images on Instagram.. Iceland.... now locals say the island has an issue with inconsiderate influencers... drinking and driving, sitting on glaciers, walking on moss, crossing tourist perimeters at popular sites and flying drones over horses... everything is about Instagram and the perfect Instagram shot... I have never seen so much stupid and irresponsible behaviour in different countries compared to Iceland..."

""So I always ask myself, is it about likes and themselves or do they really care about the planet and nature?"

Same everywhere I suppose, but am glad I went 30 years ago.

[Alpinum]

Just picked up my RSF book and flicking through the pages until I came to the journal about the Iceland crossing.

I need to do a lot more digging about, about the route, logistics, etc..., but if anyone else is interested in doing something like this, or has any advice let me know.

Initially thinking about a 2 week trip sometime in Aug/Sept

Have been 3x, one traverse of the interior from the SE to the SW on foot (650 km) in '13, some more touristy trips on a winter holiday in '15 and a double traverse (horseshoe) of the interior by bike (1200 km) in '16.
Going again this Aug/Sept.
I've said it many times before, early autumn is the best time to visit.













Hmm... can't remember seeing a lot of people...

They all stick around the waterfalls, craters and geysirs, mostly in the SW, a day's trip from Reykjavik. Then a few touristy spots in the north, but the interior is quite empty. I spent 6 days hiking at 42 km/d average without seeing a single soul (yet, I didn't use any tracks/paths). When riding and sticking to var. types of tracks I had a few days with 100+ km where I didn't see anybody for up to 24 h.

Places like Landmannalaugar - touristy for a good reason are crammed with folks in July and August. End of August the place suddenly is drained from all the Laugarvegur hikers and many day tourists.


Iceland immensely pushed and forced their tourism with extensive advertising in mainland Europe and stop-overs for trans con flights.
Beginning of 2015 the most important economy (fishing) was seconded by tourism, helping them to decrease the depths

"Relative to the size of its economy, Iceland's systemic banking collapse was the largest experienced by any country in economic history"
Iceland's infrastructures weren't capable and the regions refused to work together causing a right mess in '15 and especially '16 onwards. I think by now they should/may have found ways to do something against their home-made mess.

Seems rather hypocritical what Mrs. Okreglicka cries about on the linked BBC article. Icelandic tour operators advert "ecological trips" on which you simply get in a super jeep, drive up a glacier, have lunch and drive back to town.
A bit lame to blame foreign instagrammers...

I've seen superbly stupid behaviour in every country I visited, Iceland Special in that regard, just that its public toilets are where Italy's were some 30 years ago. If the Italians can fix the problem, Icelanders should be able too...

[Alpinum]

Just picked up my RSF book and flicking through the pages until I came to the journal about the Iceland crossing.

I need to do a lot more digging about, about the route, logistics, etc..., but if anyone else is interested in doing something like this, or has any advice let me know.

Initially thinking about a 2 week trip sometime in Aug/Sept

Back in Reykjavik just now after another double crossing of the interior/highlands of Iceland.
That makes a total of 5 traverses of the highlands I've now realised, 1 x on foot, 4 by ssp bike.

Drop any question you like, there's much chance I can answer it.

[ripio]

I cycled across the interior (Sprengisandur route) 30 years ago, great place, amazing scenery.
Also cycled the ring road from Hofn back to Reykjavik, it was nearly all still gravel back then.

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[ripio]

Only seem to be able to put one photo in a post, so here's another.

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[Bearlegged]

Nice.

[RIP]

Excellent! My compliments to you. By some strange quirk one of my trips was also exactly 30 years ago this month, went by sea that time which was a bit bonkers. Also went through Hofn, brewing up at the campsite in my Lichfield tent on that lethal Optimus stove . Blimey, I remember those old cord trousers! And I've still got that rack in the loft. Sigh!



Just east of Hofn followed this guy. Wasn't you was it?!



TLS it was not, in those days



R