Today I had the conditions that I had imagined from the beginning for Iceland: cold, wind, fog, altitude and only one place to rest. But I mastered them.
I believe in realizing in the morning, still half asleep, how it will go. To bet on the early bird that catches the worm is often the first step in the wrong direction.
I was looking for my Nutella jar, looking for others, had wet cycling shoes (a rider had put her boots on them with water dripping out of them), I had to backtrack because I had left my water bottles standing, I had to ride extremely carefully on the gravel because I still didn’t have more air on the tires. And so on.
There the shaggy yard dog was a real joy. He likes me and I like him. But I had to go. Up to Blönduos it dragged enormously, I had 19 km in my head but it was 29 up to the gas station. Then it got better, because I met Bob and Tom.
I had seen them on day 3, but only waved.
They were coming down counterclockwise from the north. I was still surprised to see them again now, but they had skipped a few stages by bus. Bicycle rides work if you give the driver a good talking to.
I had talked to others about them because they were carrying some sort of cooler boxes. Now I met them in the flesh! Both are over 70, are from Maryland (near Washington DC), I asked Bob who was outside tinkering with his bike what valves he had and if he had such an adapter for the compressor. He did and handed me his paw in greeting. A guy like a tree, just like Tom who sat inside and ate. We exchanged ideas about routes and equipment. The containers are Catlitter boxes so for cat litter. They stand out and are sturdy and roomy. The cars therefore give them a wide berth. Is also a strategy. Bob gave me the adapter as a gift, which is absolutely generous. A penny item that saved me here. I had turned my luggage upside down in the morning, but didn’t find this adapter again either.
We patted each other on the back, because I still had 60 km. They stayed here at the campsite. The tires now finally had the right pressure after two days. Stephan from Hamburg had researched: Not up to max 3.5 bar, as I thought, but up to 5 bar I may inflate, and then there are no punctures even on gravel, which led to the double-sided plate, the so-called Snakebites. I had simply misinterpreted the writing on the tires without glasses. Ultimately, my flat tire three days ago was the result of my own stupidity. Now at the gas station in Blönduos: the adjustable black hose had a totally ausgegnaddelten head, so nothing could be inflated. The green hose was somehow connected to the device, but not controllable. So I just pumped up and then the tire was properly tight. Hopefully not too strong, but then he would have burst. You can still push it minimally with all your strength. So not rock hard as at 8 bar, but much tighter than before. Good so. It also rolled easier. I would still need this feature today!
At the exit of this valley it went forever up a ramp. Actually a pity, because after quite a headwind on the first 30 km I was now gently uphill with little wind. The came across above the peaks.
The ramp dragged and above it became uncomfortable. The wind whistled over the ridge and I was now stuck in the fog that had already enveloped the heights all day. It was raining and cold. From Blöndous it was 50 km to Varmalid, of which I now had twenty more in these conditions.
Already in the valley I had turned on front and rear lights because of the continuous rain, but now in the fog it was totally important! Still, some cars were overtaking very dangerously. I had mentioned the drivers also with Bob and Tom , which found the behavior also underground, but the two are just the peace itself. If I consider that I wanted to take because of the Dauerhelligkekt only no light …
I stepped and stepped in the dense fog and it went up and up. Somehow I thought, above is end, but if one always sees only 100 meters, where is then above? It was getting colder and for the first time I was really freezing . This was the weather I had imagined. Hard, but manageable. Before my fingers died completely, I checked the altitude: already over 400 meters. At home we also live at just under 400 m, but in the sunshine.
Here it was like the Brockenlauf back then: icy! Hier war es wie beim Brockenlauf damals: eisig!
Actually, it was cool that I was able to do this. But I should have been through long ago, because after a plateau it slowly went down again. But the cologne and the fog and the wind stayed, so it didn’t roll half as nice as usual into the valley.
The fog hung almost down to Varmalid, where there was finally the longed for gas station and something to warm up. Afterwards you feel like a warrior. Done, although after shopping, eating and drinking coffee still 9 km was to drive to the accommodation.
There will be more difficult ramps!
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Iceland ringroad No.1 