Cycling Kiwis, Black Eagles and Bulldogs

Cycling Kiwis, Black Eagles and Bulldogs

I was eager to get a good look of Skógafoss before the busloads of tourists arrived, so I strolled off the 100 meters or so from my tent and was woken up properly by the mistiness of the spray caused by the 60m tall waterfall. Next to the waterfall is a set of stairs that leads to the top of the waterfall and beyond to a popular hiking trail along the river Skógará between the two glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull to Þórsmörk beyond. Halfway up is an incredible vantage point where you feel like you´re inside the waterfall, although it was a bit treacherous standing there on the the slippery cliff. I got to the top and was tempted to keep hiking but knew I had to turn back soon. Once down I ran into none other than Dan! The Englishman I met at Mývatn who had told me about the secret campsite by Dettifoss. He had made his way down the Kjölur route and told stories of massive thunderstorms he had to avoid there which are very rare. Later, as I´d packed up my gear and was about to cycle off, I ran into my Austrian friends Andreas and Sabine again! They had obviously gotten an earlier start than I and had caught up. We talked for a bit and were told off by an impatient Icelandic father to move further off the road but we just felt sorry for him stuck in a metal box on wheels like he was! As I cycled off I had a great tailwind and was flying along again, but stopped not far away to see Selja

landsfoss, another famous waterfall in the area, this one where you can easily walk around the back of it. After the obligatory tour around, I chatted with another cycling couple that had stopped there. It was Franz and Susan from New Zealand, two Kiwis that work 6 months of the year, and then spend the other half traveling by bike! Last year they were in Japan six months, and have previously gone on trips from Finland to Portugal and the like! They were great fun and extremely friendly, leaving me with their address on the south island for whenever I end up in New Zealand. Continuing on the cycling was smooth and easy until I got to Hvolsvöllur where suddenly the wind from the North grew much stronger. I stopped a bit further on near Hella and lay in the grass reading for two hours waiting for the wind to die down, before continuing east. It was obvious that I was getting closer to the big towns as traffic was getting heavier despite the late hour, but drivers were courteous and I got in to a great clean campsite in Selfoss by 9:30pm. Had a quick dinner of sandwiches and soup before heading to my last night in a tent in Iceland.

The awesome overlook halfway up Skógafoss

My new buds Andreas and Sabine

Behind the magnificent Seljalandsfoss

The Ring is complete!

I woke up early by 8am but was not too eager to head out on the road so I lay around reading for a long time before breakfast and finally packing up my gear for the last time. I was not feeling ready to be done with the tour, and was not enjoying the cycling along the busy road towards Reykjavik. The climb from Hveragerði up over Hellisheiði was one I had expected and dreaded for a while but it wash´t too bad actually and there was a wide enough shoulder to be comfortable next to all the trucks and buses going up the hill. Once across I passed Hellisheiðarvirkjun, one of the largest geothermal power plants in the world. I wish I could say that the rest of the ride was more enjoyable, but traffic was heavy with everyone preparing for the Verslunarmannahelgi holiday weekend coming up so I had to concentrate on staying within the 50 cm shoulder I was afforded and not being blown onto the road by the strong northerly wind. I was relieved when I made it into town and got on the cycling paths, where there were many locals commuting home from work. I found quickly recognised where I was and easily found my way back towards Kópavogur. I rolled into the driveway of my Aunt´s house while she was sitting on the porch enjoying the gorgeous sunshine, thus completing my three week long tour of the land of fire and ice!

Making sure the camera is on!

Holding the line along the narrow shoulder

Arrived in Reykjavík!

What´s next?

The next few days I will be in Kópavogur, visiting family and just relaxing. Sunday night I fly to Stockholm and the plan is to cycle down from there to our home in Småland, not far from Nässjö. Hopefully I'll be writing from there as well!

And finally...

Some stats from the trip:

Number of days cycling: 19

Total distance: 2029km / 1260 miles

Average per day: 107km/day 66 miles/day

Total ascent: about 22,000 meters! 

Number of flats: 0 !

Number of breakdowns: 0 !

Weight lost: about 4kg (still haven't shaved the beard though)