Greetings from Iceland

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ruggedpeak
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Greetings from Iceland

Post by ruggedpeak » Sun Jul 22, 2012 9:56 am

Hi everyone

UPDATED 27/07 - pics added to post on page 3, with costings. Overview of trip below.

Those who were at Durler this year will be aware that we were off to Iceland for a 7 day tour in an Arctic Defender, rented from a company called Isak ( http://www.isak.is" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ). By coincidence we met Jón, owner of Isak, at Durler.

Well it is day 6 of the tour. The past 5 days can only be described as epic! I can't post any photos at the moment as the laptop won't accept wifi for some reason :( but we have been driving across the most incredible landscapes, through rivers, climbed volcanoes, swum in natural hot springs, stood by steaming geysers, seen huge waterfalls, and that was just yesterday!

Our vehicle is a Puma engined 110 that has been lifted to accept 38" tyres, and it has taken a pounding on the tracks ;) . We have seen a number of D3/4's, and kept passing a Dutch D3 that was completely standard.

The trip is in effect a complete overland package in that Isak provide the vehicle, detailed route details, pre-programmed GPS and arrange the accommodation for a 7 day circuit of Iceland taking in key sights. A brief overview size far:

Day 1: pick up Defender at Isak's HQ, drive east along route 1, then turn northeast into interior. Gravel tracks and serious river crossings. We act as lead car for a family in a Lexus 4x4, but after several hours and a river crossing that's up to our side steps they decide to turn around (when you see the pics you'll see they are quite high!). First out door hot spring experience. Stay overnight on edge of highlands.

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Lowering tyres to12psi for gravel tracks

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Overnight stop

Day 2: fuel car and jerrycans as no fuel for 2.5days. Head into highlands - this is entering Hell literally and metaphorically! A long, long day driving. An ever changing landscape of lava fields, open plains of rock and ash, and volcanoes. Hours of crawling through landscapes from Lord of the Rings. It seems like we are in Mordor, and there is a road sign that points to somewhere that loosely reads as 'Mordorland'. If you want to know what the end of the world looks like, this is it! After a lunch stop by a river crossing we help 2 mountain bikers across the river, they sit in the front and hold their bikes outside the car! Finished with a flat out run across a huge flat plain of volcanic ash following tyre tracks and markers. For most of the day we see no other vehicles. Stay at mountain refuge at Drekagil. Tiring but epic drive.

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River under bridge

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Helping mountain bikers across! Hi to Runer, that's the guy with the bike.

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The endless lava fields....

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F910 - the road to Mordor or just hell? a long and tough piece of road


Day 3: activity day, drive to Kverkfjoll, see ice caves, walk on glacier, then back to huge volcanic crater above Drekagil. Stunning views, decide not to climb down 100' muddy slope to try hot lake! Ice caves and glacier are amazing.

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TBC- off for quick swim and hot tub. Before today's mountain drive :)

Day 4

Drive the Jokulsa a Fjollum river valley and see Dettifoss, Europe's biggest waterfall, onto Asbrygi (amazing geological area), and onto Myvatn.
Dettifoss is enormous, you can get right up to it and the sheer volume of water is immense. Overnight guesthouse at campsite, with amazing little pizza restuarant on site :thumbright:

Day 5

Up and away before 9am, a lot to see around Myvatn. Climb big volcanic crater, then to Dimmuborgir lava formations, quick coffee then off to geothermal area with fumaroles, steam vents, bubbling mud etc (stank of hydrogen sulphide!) then drive up Kafla volcano, back down to lunch in cow shed bistro with real cows....then drive to Laguafell for hot nature bath and mix of tarmac, moorland tracks and gravel roads to another guesthouse in Iceland's river rafting area

Day 6

Shorter driving day, drive to Kerlingafjoll mountain resort via Hveravellir geothermal area and a lovely hot nature bath. However at about 3000' asl and strong winds, getting changed after swim in open air bracing! Have lovely and cosy hut to ourselves, with restuarant and bar on site. IN evening try to get to nature baths, but we are right up in mountains and big storm is coming in so have to abort as we may get blown off mountain! Found sheltered snowbank and had fun sliding down it before returning to cosy bar.

Day 7

Last day :( 2 options, one serious mountain track, other gravel track. Take option 2 as we want to see all the sights today, such as Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir geyser, Pingvellir National Park. Includes some good off road routes, and a couple of serious river crossings, after heavy rain for last few days. One in particualr is pushing Defender downstream as we cross.

Sun comes out as we leave the mountains. Good day, sad to leave the wilderness and drive back into a sunny Reykjavik. Stay in hotel in centre of Reyk, have meal, then following morning do some shopping before taking car back to Isak. From there go to Blue Lagoon, before staying overnight at Keflavik and flying home early next morning.

The trip was a proper overland adventure, and we were all tired at the end but we all agreed it was EPIC!! Mountains, big waterfalls, volcanoes, lava fields, fissures, glaciers, ice caves, hot spring pools, snow fields, ash deserts, hiking, driving, monster trucks etc etc :thumbright:

More pics on page 3 :thumbright:

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There is a car park at the top of the hill above the Jeep, to view the glacial lake behind. However you need a serious 4x4 to get up there, which is why the Jeep is parked and its occupants walked up we have just driven down from there!
Tony
Last edited by ruggedpeak on Fri Jul 27, 2012 12:19 pm, edited 4 times in total.


Tony
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Devonchilliman
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Re: Greetings from Iceland

Post by Devonchilliman » Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:01 am

Sounds great :thumbright: ,look forward to the photos


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Re: Greetings from Iceland

Post by DSL » Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:01 am

Nice for some, not at all jealous, much. Woud love to take the D3 there some day. :mrgreen:


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Re: Greetings from Iceland

Post by anglefire » Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:03 am

Sounds absolutely fantastic - Photos eagerly anticipated :thumbright:


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Re: Greetings from Iceland

Post by Jason » Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:17 am

I don't do cold, looking forward to the pictures as I imagine they're gonna be epic.


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Re: Greetings from Iceland

Post by benp » Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:51 am

see now I prefer cold to too hot as I can always put anover coat on where as once I am in my shreadys.......... ;)


looking forward to the piccys 8-)


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Re: Greetings from Iceland

Post by CDS » Sun Jul 22, 2012 11:06 am

Sounds fantastic, their website makes it look 8-)
Just shown it to SWMBO who replied with "What you'd go on holiday somewhere COLD????"
Guess that's out for next years hols then :lol:


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Re: Greetings from Iceland

Post by DSL » Sun Jul 22, 2012 11:18 am

Just tell her it's nice and warm in Iceland, thanks to all the volcanoes. Swimming in the hot springs is awesome, as is the whole place. :)


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Re: Greetings from Iceland

Post by brummiedeano » Sun Jul 22, 2012 11:19 am

yep, it certainly is an amazing place ... spent 3 weeks out there mostly in the interior in my old D2 ... the river crossings can get interesting :mrgreen:


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Re: Greetings from Iceland

Post by DSL » Sun Jul 22, 2012 11:23 am

We did 3 weeks in 2003 in a 90, great trip especially the interior bits that weren't the well worn tracks. D3s would be fab there, it's just the time taken (an extra week) to get it there for the trip. Not as expensive as i thought on the crossing as D3s are under the high height tarrifs if no roofrack. :)


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