Ich bin Abenteurer und Autor - Blogs:
https://abenteuerbaltikum.com
https://transkaukasien.com
https://ringstrasseisland.wordpress.com
Die Büchern dazu gibt's in meinem Verlag AmpelPublishing - https://ampelpublishing.de
30.000 km lief ich in den letzten 12 Jahren, 20.000 km Rad fuhr ich in den letzten 4 Jahren.
3 größere Abenteuer haben mich so beeindruckt, daß ich Bücher dazu gemacht habe:
Abenteuer Atlantik - 4.000 km entlang der Westküste Europas: Portugal, Spanien, Frankreich, Belgien,. Niederlande.
Abenteuer Transkaukasien - unterwegs im Osten Osteuropas: Russland, Aserbaidschan, Georgien, Ukraine, Österreich zurück nach Deutschland
Abenteuer Baltikum - Mein Lauf 2000 km entlang der Ostsee von Stralsund nach Tallinn / Helsinki
I‘m a runner and I could tell some short stories about running.
30,000 k I ran in the last twelve years. Two blogs I wrote:
2019 https://transkaukasien.com : Run and travel in Russia, Azerbaidshan, Georgia, Ucraine, Austria and back to Germany.
2017 https://abenteuerbaltikum.com : 2000 km along the Baltic Sea coast - Germany, Poland, Russia, Lituania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland.
Today I was just happy. Short stage and close the circle that I had started 20 days ago.
Jökulsa a Brú
During breakfast I talked to the family that had greeted me so nicely yesterday after my 154 km: Mathias, Birgit and Susann from Lusatia. They are doing a three-week round trip and are resigned to not being able to “do it all”. Yes, it’s better that way, because they are on vacation, too.
I dealt again with the river Jökulsa. There are at least three of them, one actually flows north and at Asbyrgi into the Axadjördur, a second – this one – comes further east also from the Vatnajökull glacier and flows past the accommodation into the Heradsflöi and a third even further east. So not quite true what I wrote yesterday that this is all one and the same river. I drove there again to the bridge and took plenty of pictures – also with the wide angle lens. On the ferry the day after tomorrow, I’ll have plenty of time to export to my second phone and see how the pictures turned out.
„Baltic Adventure – My 2,000 km run from Stralsund to Tallin“ is also availeble und english as eBook and audiobook. Pic up at every platform as Spotify or Amazon or Arno small publishing house Ampelpublishing
Speaking of pictures. John from Utah, whom I met at Thingvellir and who spontaneously took pictures of me, is back home and sent me three shots. I had mentioned him in the post at the time.
That’s about how I felt today: not invincible but strong enough for the world. I had only 28 km left to close the ring. Because today I come to Egilsstadir, where I left 20 days and 1800 km ago.
Short form the city I met Alessa from Rendsburg. The high school graduate made an 8-week round trip around Iceland and also had her last real stage today. Also she goes on Thursday on the ferry. Because she was looking for something special at the end, she started already in the Vorsbend and made 166 km at a stretch, until I met her. Wow! She starts in August in Finland a two-year professional training as a professional outdoor guide. Now that’s a dream job! See you around, Alessa.
What an arrival. Back at my hostel where I will stay for two more days.
If I go on like this, I’ll become an Icelander yet.
I already knew the town, shopped around and got on the phone with the car rental agency at the airport. Yes, they have a car for tomorrow. Then I will still visit the Myvatn (lake and warm springs for bathing) and the Studlagil gorge. The I had seen from afar when I cycled along it. From a certain parking lot it should be only 5 km walk to the bottom of the Canyon.
I will take real pictures of that
Myvatn and Studlagil were already highly recommended to me, because most visitors don’t make it here from Reykjavik to the east.
This could be the men’s boutique that once Erwin Lottemann, or Lindemann wanted to open in Iceland (this story is loaned from a german comedian of the last century „Loriot“).
I am happy and bask in my passed adventure Iceland. And tomorrow comes the bonus track.
Short route, but altitude meters!All my adventures as book, eBook and audio book in every bookstore and at ampelpublishing.de ampelpublishing.de
How to prepare for a long tour, how to deal with the knowledge that it will be far, with many meters of altitude and windy? As with any exam, a job interview or other important appointment: keep calm, go to bed an hour earlier and then try it with the early bird.
At 0:30 I had to take a picture of the midnight sun again.Deutsch -> abenteuerbaltikum.com
This Happy Cove Guesthouse in Bakkafjördur was cozy and I reported already about the comfort, if outside the wind whistles. I put that in the night and I should leave earlier if I didn’t want to get caught in the midday peak while still on the plateau.
Racks to dry fish
After 2 km of worst gravel came the place. They gave up drying fish here a while ago, but the racks are still there.
They do not like me very much
The birds got upset and this time there were many. They did not need to come to me with the argument to protect their nests – in the middle of the place! They just had a tit!
So one imagines Iceland, and so it is also
After the place I wanted to step freshly strengthened and one hour earlier than usual into the pedals and pass the plateau with slowly freshening up wind briskly. But unfortunately one of the two food bags, which were fixed to the fork, was missing. So again slowly back. Already 200 m after the start it had shaken in such a way, the belts did not hold out. There the bag lay with scratches and holes in the dust. I made them tight and then drove the way for the third time. Now the lead from the wind was not too big anymore.
It went up and then the expected wind came. Not as strong as yesterday. Now patient pedaling in small gear against the wind was required. After a good ride with 40 km I reached Vopnafjördur, which lies deep inside the fjord of the same name. There it gave coffee and my purchases, which I had to drag along over 120 km. That was it for today with supermarket and gas station. There would be nothing more until my destination.
Two ways to get to the destination
At the place was also to decide how I drove. Since a few days I thought about it. Either left around 73 km over hill and dale with many altitude meters and no prospect of help, if I would lie there or right around 107 km asphalted road through a valley protected from the wind maybe past a gas station. I decided for the 34 km detour. It helped nothing, it had to be.
In the wind shelter
The 45 km of the valley of Vöpnafjördur were actually relatively easy to drive at the beginning. It went steadily further up to a good 400m, but the wind also came from behind. The further up I got, however, the less the mountains protected me from the tight southeast.
Great flowers by the wayside
Also here only patience helped. Hurry had only later collapses to the consequence. I know this from the marathons. Last weekend was the Challenge Roth again. A Ironman and women Race near Nuremberg. My friend Tim rode along with the tandem. They had managed the 178 km in 4:29 h. Congratulations, you guys! I would need twice as long today, no false ambition helped.
Parallel to the road 85 meanders this river which flows into the Vöpnafjördur.
There was not much to see and I was glad to finally turn onto Ring Road No1 at the intersection. But why actually, because now the wind came directly from the front. Probably I just wanted to have reached an intermediate destination.
Traffic control, your driver’s license please!
The wind came sometimes from the right in front, sometimes from the left in front or even directly from the front. That would not change now the next 40 km also. There was little to see, because I had arrived on a saddle point between the different mountain ranges. So I was glad to have some change, even if it was only to wave to the police.
I dismounted every 10 km and pushed the bike a few hundred meters to stretch my legs. Then I threw in the last dried fruit and drank something. That was my perseverance strategy. Break the course into small goals and don’t think about the big picture (insurmountable)! I also tried not to look at the map in between, because that doesn’t make it any shorter. This perseverance is part of the adventure. Because that’s what you remember when you’re sitting in the office and then you find it comfortable. There must also be uncomfortable moments in life.
At Rjukandafoss
Finally the road made the longed for long left turn coming down from the plateau into the valley of the Jökulsa. This river I had mentioned before at the rock gorge Asbyrgi. It comes from the Vatnajökull, flows long to the north and makes then a curve again to the south around then in the east in a fjord to flow. Asbyrgi.
Jökulsa Gorge
Finally there was a rapid descent to get me up from the stooped position and to escape the dead winds a bit.
On the left there were several waterfalls and at km 122 I even descended to take a. Small hiking trail to go up.
I now had more variety again and then even came a gas station: but it was only a single column, no coffee, let alone cake for over 100 km.
Also Jökulsa
Physically I was in good shape, I had managed well with the forces. But the ass, so the seat muscles burned and the skin was irritated for days by the eternal sweat and salt I had rubbed in. I also know this from other adventures. This is part of it. The clothes are just no longer fresh, even if no rodents or other mammals have nested yet.
Above the Jökulsa
Then the last big landmark: The bridge over the Jökulsa was reached, it should be only good 6 km. Now I managed that as well. It was a single house and I hoped it was standing where I had set my marker months ago. Yes, everything OK, I was right and I had survived the longest stage of my adventure well.
Active recreation in the hot tub in front of the door
Across the river on the other bank of the Jökulsa, I saw the narrow gravel road I would have otherwise come. Good that I took the detour.
You can see very nicely the mountains I had bypassed.
It was supposed to be an easy tour today and it was, but different.
Breakfast in the community hall of the Svalbardskoli
I already mentioned the multi-purpose character of the building. By the way, it is also a museum.
In 2010, this 138 kg youth swam to shore here on a larger block of ice, but they have to shoot em
I had slept little, because you could not pull down a blind.
1:00 – time of the lowest sun position.
But that should not stop me. I started the tour 18 full of Nutella, because it was clear: strong headwind.
This time for a photo I have
Until km 20 the wind came directly from the front and then in the curve after Thorshöfn diagonally from the side. It was so strong that I had to lie down more and more diagonally. I had already asked myself, why I needed the knobs at the side of the Reifwn actually, in the middle they were long since worn off. Now I needed them. Again and again there were gusts or even an air hole. The hole was the most dangerous, because I tried not to drift to the left in the hope that no one would come from behind. But if abruptly no wind came, I drove inevitably into the ditch. It is very deep everywhere. There is no shoulder on purpose. I hoped to drive just far enough around the bend so that the wind would come from behind for once, but somehow that didn’t work out until the end just before the town. The nearby mountains diverted the flow to my disadvantage. The 27 km were with the most strenuous so far on my bike trip.
Virgilsfur mit seinem Suzuki Samurai
Arrived there I bought first my standard repertoire: 2x light beer, two yogurt and bread – the minimal variant. I had to come up with something. Because next it went again exactly in wind direction on the plateau a gravel road up. It was still 44 km to Bakkafjördur. Before the supermarket two older men asked whether I really wanted to dare that to be on the way with the bicycle. There I would have to be however a strong man. OK, so that was not at all the fear of a pampered Central European anymore. And the wind continued to increase.
At the gas station I checked the weather app. Yes, there were gusts up to 55 km/h so far and further increasing values indicated. I listened around for a driver. But nobody had time or the car unfortunately full. Even the gas station and restaurant owners had no car, let alone a van. I talked to a couple of half-brats who were fighting their hangover from yesterday’s Bakkafjördur festival. They were open-minded because I had dug out my last 5,000 ISK bill. I let my need then first sacken. Possibly one or the other listened around because of me.
I ordered a soup of the day and spoke to the boss at the cashier. She said, if I wait a little, people come again and again and there will already be one who would have Bock. I asked if it could help to use this banknote. She said I could try it. Almost everything here in Iceland I had paid with the card. Good that I had withdrawn 25,000 ISK in cash at the beginning in Egilsstadir. In this case no credit card helps. The boss wanted to know sometime also, what I wanted concretely. She explained it to him and he could not do anything either. They still have a guesthouse, I saw now on his jacket. But then Virgilsfur came in the door with his red savior jacket. He had heard that he was needed and wanted to help.
Bicycle fits in on edge
So someone must have notified him. The tactic worked: Register the need, wait, don’t ask. I asked him if he wanted something in return. No, he would not. But he had heard I would pay 5,000 for it. I said pay was a big word, but support for the next tank of gas, I would like that. So I fumbled my way through and we loaded up.
I saw the road and was happy with my decision
After 10 km asphalt again and it went a nice stretch also along the sea. The small weak rusty Samurai struggled through the wind and Virgilsfur kept it on course.
Along the rugged coast
He told me something about each abandoned house we saw. One had its roof blown off two years ago. He was laughing his head off. I could barely understand him because of the pronunciation, as if he had potatoes in his mouth, but I tried to follow. He knew everything and everyone.
He said he bought the car like this and unfortunately it rusts badly like all Japanese.
OK, I thought. Beating out the mats would be a start. In Bakkafjördur the remains of the festival were cleaned up and the Dixi toilets were loaded. See you next year.
My room – once again at the end of the world
The landlady Johanna was surprised that I arrived already. Well, I was indeed early. But that was also good for another reason. Yesterday there was a draught at the baptism, and although I had already sat down in the last corner of the room, I could not quite keep away. Tonight my throat was scratchy and I resorted to my absolutely safe method: gargling highly concentrated warm saline until just before – er, vomiting. Tomorrow it would be another really long day if I didn’t get back into a car and a little rest would do me good. If you spend every day in wind and weather, the health resistance decreases a bit.
Rhubarb pie with cream!
Johanna shared with me her homemade warm rhubarb pie, she told me about her job as a travel guide, which she does every year in the cold season in Reykjavik until she moves to this house for three months in the summer. Then I just laid down in bed and took a nap. I really felt like I was at the end of the world today. Outside the wind was raging and hissing, I had the heater on 5 and was dry and safe. Everything was done right.
In the evening, the wind died down a bit (shortly before 10 pm).
Other View of my route , my sports watch charging cable stopped working.
In the dwelling mound of Öxarfjördur, where I started, only a weak wind blew and I wanted to make quickly a few kilometers. Because today it went again further than yesterday. Even the gas station at km 12 I left (or was it right). It was clearly too early for a coffee stop.
Part of the Asbyrgi gorge
But then, looking back, I saw this rock wall – the outlet of a gorge. Before I had seen a sign Vatnajokulsthjogadur National Park. But what should the far away Vatnajokull have to do here with the area. So I turned around and drove into the side road further and further into this horseshoe-shaped rock formation. It was quite impressive, especially when I recognized the horseshoe shape. In the middle I recognized the replica of the Elbphilharmonie – the grand opera house in Hamburg.
But wait, these stones are at least 5000 years old, I don’t think the Elphi existed then (was built und the 2010 years). So if anything, the replica of this rock has been placed on the Kaispeicher A in Hamburg (on a formely storehouse in the Hamburg habour.)
Was it not supernatural or divine? The entrepreneur and poet Einar Benediktsson entertained the myth that Asbyrgi’s characteristic horseshoe shape was created when Sleipnir, Odin’s flying horse, touched the ground with one of his eight hooves. Since the end of the 19th century, it has been assumed that runoff from the Vatnajokull glacier led up to here in the Jökulsá Gorge and that it was a combination of subsidence of the gorge and outwash.
Map of Iceland with all kinds of mythical creatures from the 16th century (From the book “Islenskur Sögu Atlas” IDUNN, Reykjavik 1991)
After I had spent soon one hour with walking and photographing, I went then nevertheless still for a coffee into the gas station and met there Matilda from Stockholm. She makes her first really big bicycle tour, started in Husavik, then at Raufarhöfn to the northernmost point of the mainland. She now wants to cycle across the inland, mainly on gravel roads, to the southernmost point in Vik. She is well equipped with her mountain bike, does without large rear panniers like me and has sewn her frame bag from air mattress material itself. I would not have thought it: This lanky person rode yesterday with the heavily packed bike 120 km and has previously made a few inland tours in Sweden. All respect! Unfortunately we forgot to take a picture.
Bridge over the Jökulsa
Then, however, it really went ahead, because with tail wind to the north I could make up for a lot.
There were now mountains again
I wanted to go to Kopasker to a small grocery store and today was Saturday. After that nothing more came up to my accommodation.
Until Kopasker there was little to see. On the left the sea and on the right the mountains. The climbs were not too bad, but the birds were annoying. From the density of droppings on the road I could estimate that it was only a matter of a short time until I got something. A paradise for nature lovers!
With it you can get further when the first flakes fall
I had little choice but there was ice cream and coffee. This is good fuel. Because I never succeed during the trip, I have now photographed a typical vehicle while standing – rather the mini version.
Unfortunately, the place was not at the junction but 4 km further back. That meant 8 km more, half of it headwind. Yes, you have to calculate.
Lava well visible
The 35 km cross connection to the other fjord offered first absolutely nothing. It was a barren flat plateau, where the crosswind could get good momentum. Matilda had raved about it, that was so great. OK, that is a matter of opinion.
Then it went south and I hoped for wind shadow
Lots of scenery and a headwind. It became a small eternity, until I had overcome the many chains of hills down to the sea and now it was as I had been told at the bike show in Bonn: I had to pedal downhill tightly, so as not to be pushed back up again. Times not to mention, if it went then also really high.
The sunshine is deceptive
On the last 45 km I could count all events on one hand: four cars, three houses, five bays and three radio masts. there was absolutely nothing. Amazing that the road existed at all. I then drove a bit too far because there wasn’t even a sign for the guesthouse. I drove diagonally on such a bad gravel road up to the destination that I lay down once almost and once correctly. Many sharp chunks and in between soft abysmal gravel. Then came four signs but on none was anything that could be associated with my accommodation. This was not my style.
The museum for special breeds of sheep is not overcrowded
I entered the more likely of the two buildings and looked out on an extended family that made a depressed impression. Had I walked into a funeral? I asked about the guesthouse. No, there was not here, I should ask in the other house, maybe the man there would know something. 95 km pedaling and then at the end no sign and no guesthouse, that could not be.
I went into the other building and a friendly gentleman said the Guesthouse was the other one. Yes, but they said it was this one. I had to control myself. He said, yes, but they don’t know that. It was there a baptism to celebrate but I could very well there my booked overnight stay. After all, a ray of hope. He led not only the accommodation but also a museum with sheep things.
My accomodation
We went over together and he talked to the people. It was some kind of community center, hall, former school, state training center and maybe gymnasium. Anyway, he shows me my room, I smiled sheepishly at the people and parked my bike in a junk room.
I had to go through the party room several times to shower and get my things. I saw a richly laid buffet and more casseroles and cakes were being worked on in the adjacent kitchen. What a hunger I had! I could live with the prospect of my dry mountaineering food that I had been lugging around for the lonely areas from the beginning, but maybe they would give me some? It wasn’t exactly a wedding atmosphere like the Balkans, but getting to know the locals and filling my belly was what was missing from my Iceland adventure.
I huddled around the kitchen for a while like I was trying to make myself a coffee, and they had some ancient leftover Nescafé in the cupboards too, but they weren’t biting. I asked for sugar and there was a block of brown that had solidified over several winters. The grandmother of the family knew some German from school. An ambitious teacher from the GDR had taught her. At least it was a communicative start. The men smoked outside and when I joined them, they ignored me.
That is perhaps the wrong interpretation. They left me alone, is more like it. Back in the kitchen, the dishes were already being put away and the leftovers scraped into a bucket. Now a very crucial point was reached. And finally, one of the women took pity on me and offered me a taste of the lamb. I sheepishly tried to agree and then ate two large plates of lamb, a cream sauce and potatoes like I always made (in one piece with pellet). Delicious. I squeezed into a chair in the corner of the room. A few nodded at me. This was the “hey, where did you come from, you old asswipe” in Icelandic. I was saved and retreated into the room. I tried to stop thinking about the cake and lay down for now. More socializing just wasn’t possible.
Harder than it looksTomorrow also again such a tour in the northwest
Few kilometers, little altitude difference, beautiful weather, tailwind. That could only be a pleasure tour today. It was, with a few obstacles.
Shortly before Husavik
I had 17 km before Husavik an accommodation in the hostel. Very simple like a small youth hostel in the province with few staff and manageable number of guests. Such I had already several times and that was then also favorable.
In whole Iceland bad weather except with me.
It was totally warm, so I took off my jacket and stopped already after 17 km in Husavik. The place is known for its whale tours. I do not think anything of it. But Jacob from Erfurt (from the hostel in Akureyri) also works as a walwatcher here somewhere in Husavik.
At the harbor there was a lot of activity. One of the ships just ran in and the Mens geb went obviously heavily impressed from board.
I took photos and then continued
It went often up and down, but first 30 km with a warm tailwind.
Here my accommodation – nope, kidding
All the way along the fjord there were the snow-covered mountains opposite and on our side many smaller gorges and also volcano-like craters. But these were probably eruptions of heated water vapor, how Stephan already told on the ferry.
Everything flows to the sea. The one in the middle is not a whale without flunks, but an island.
The birds were annoying again and screaming at me. I let it wash over me.
The birds complain to me
I kept looking out at the water, maybe I would spot a whale. But no, it’s not that easy. Jacob and his colleagues don’t go far out there so I can take a picture of a whale from the shore.
Once again a Lands End
From the top I turned to the right, clear, and then came first 10 km crosswind, warm crosswind. That went already completely differently into the legs.
I could use a coffee again and tried the museum trick, which I had succeeded yesterday in Ystafell.
Man konnte eine Speisekammer besichtigen, es gab aber nichts zu essen und kein Kaffee
The gourmet tour didn’t go that far, Adalgeir didn’t have any coffee.
Funny: An Icelandic Christmas tree
Receiving his whole life collected here, he said, and there came together quite a bit. Already the house itself was transported from Husavik with a low loader in one piece here. It’s probably built like the houses in America. That’s possible there, too. The Christmas tree used to be a wooden stand on which the ornaments hung, due to the lack of trees. You learn all kinds of things about the meager life in the old days. He himself was a farmer and has an enveloping and firm but warm handshake (cue shovel).
Also interesting: With the gloves of the fishermen and farmers chafedals first the thumb through. Then one rolled the broken thumb inward and rolled the other out and turned the glove. The rest was mostly good!
I tried it because of the coffee even further back on a campsite. Nothing doing. So I ate some of my dates and drank my water.
Adalgeir waving goodbye
The road now bent further around the point and the wind blew me to the center line more often. It had become difficult to stay on course. Only since 2004 it exists at all, in the museum there is a photo of the opening and the scissors with which the ribbon was ceremoniously cut at that time. They had to blast away the rock in many places and fill other sections with it. Now I can drive this way, although with obstacles.
My hut for 150€
My destination was in a wasteland in the middle of a flushing area of many rivers, all of which somehow have to get to the sea. Several small lakes with black beach I saw from the road. My cheap accommodation is explained by the fact that there is nothing else here. A hotel nearby had free rooms at that time, but just not on that Friday. It is the most expensive hostel of my trip and did not even have a water heater. I could then still swap with the neighboring hut, which has a small kitchen and then everything was fine. The food I had onreiben wheel of Husavik herbei created, also tomorrow I must look exactly where the only purchase possibility lies.
Slow ride – connoisseur tour without coffee and with head wind1500 km until day 16
It got a little late today after we had celebrated Midsummer Night in a merry circle.
Bye Bye Akureyri
But then with new energy to the other side of Eyjafjörður towards my first challenge.
Such a small waterfall would also be nice for our garden
Opposite were now the mountain ranges zusehen, under which I had driven yesterday. The wind now came directly from the front, but I knew that by now. That was not bad.
A small videoshow of my atlantic adventure „Abenteuer Atlantik“ The book and ebook are availeble on platforms and apps Am Eyjafjörður
The challenge was in the long climb of the route. There is a tunnel through this mountain range, but it is closed to cyclists (and even tolls).
Just before the route turned inland, a panoramic photo high above the fjord
The road wound into the mountains and because of the good weather, the sweat came out of the pores. we was also no more wind! It went up to over 300 m and then downhill in a wild ride, of which I shot a video.
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In the coasting I saw James coming. He can be seen at the end of the video. James from North Carolina, who I had already met on the southern route. We were high-fiving each other. It was clear that he was coming this way because he was going counterclockwise. There would have to be a few more that I met during the first week. He became slower and slower and rather looked more exactly at the Gehend. I can only endorse this. Because if you are a few weeks on the road, it is already an achievement to get back on the bike every day at all. I also ride shorter routes than the first week. I planned it that way to have some training effect and a buffer out the back in case something unpredictably seen happens.
I can enjoy nature for hours
Sometimes it’s not so far with the enjoyment, because there are these birds that apparently want to protect their brood and complain to every cyclist.
One of the annoying birdsA second – with extremely long beak and legs thin as matchsticks
Shortly after the plain I met three older but crunchy cyclists from Branbant. They also make tours across the inland and have appropriate tires and stable chassis. They said to the parting: “Look forward to 45 km tight headwind”. Very nice. I wanted to counter: “Look forward to a miserably long climb”. But that didn’t work out that way. Because they went already last week this way, but the steep gravel road directly over the mountains! So I could not scare them with that.
And then it came, the wind from the front. Actually not much, but we already talked about it – against it counts double.
Showpiece of the collection
9 km after turning onto road 85 I stopped at the oldtimer museum. I needed a coffee and there was nothing else on my 80 km route today. They had coffee and I also paid admission. Actually, I’m not a car nut, but this such an impressive collection had it all. Most of the cars came from the extended family circle or were donated. The refurbishment is something for Sysiphos. The Cadillac was purchased for the world’s first female head of state: Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. In 1986, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev drove in it to that very Höfdi house in Reykjavik for the talks mentioned in the article that thawed the cold war. He also has tractors, including two Deutz. Also VW campers and lots of American cars. There must be 200 vehicles in his halls, all great refurbished.
Fly fishermen at their hobby
The way dragged, because I came against the wind only in such a way on 15 km/h. At the end again 5 km gravel road up and down. There I have tomorrow again what of it. Good that I had bought in Akureyri. I still have of the Oitdoornahrung, but breakfast would have failed then.
A part of the 14th tour in my Iceland Adventure are the tunnels through the big mountains and then a beautiful fjord. In the evening we had a small midsummer party in the cosy „Akureyri Backpackers“
I wanted to at least pay tribute to the harbor of Siglufjördur, with all the colorful houses, it may not be so important not to have seen them up close.
Handsome marina in the very north of Iceland
Most of it is boats for deep sea fishing, a rather brutal hobby by the way. The fishing rods are not comparable to the equipment used at the village pond at home. To get the huge fish on board in the end, it only helps to hit a hook into the living hull. I have seen this on videos of “Fisch&Fang”. Especially men seem to like it.
As befits a fjord, it is framed by mountains that also have snowcaps.
In the valley the lupine is rampant
Spring is coming to Siglufjördur, I thought, when I saw the clearing weather. But I was dreading today’s stage. It’s only 80 km short, but there are insane meters of elevation accounted for. And yes – the mountains all around are high!
And it actually wasn’t that bad. The first two tunnels were two lanes, I flicked on my lights and then enjoyed the ride. I love tunnels,
Twenty attempts for one photo
There are many stories about tunnels. Recently I saw a US blockbuster, where the uncertainty in the Icelandic tubes was thematized. Outside meters of snow, inside burning cars, but of course everything will be fine.
Back to the light!
Another one was told by the friendly landlord of the book caf’e “Klara” in Olafsfjördur: There is a bike race through all four tunnels nearby. I didn’t find anything about it on the net. He said the total distance is 85 km and there are only two people who have ever done it under two hours. A great thing. I needed 46 minutes just for the two tunnels to Olafsfjördur (17 km). But I am not doing a bike race but a journey.
Kaffi Klara in Olafsfjördur – no idea if the german chancellor is vacationing here.
The place is between the two modern tunnels 3km and 6km long on one side and a narrow single lane tunnel south on the other side. There the cars have to wait when there is oncoming traffic. I had this yesterday already before Siglufjördur.
Museum + ship on the ground
This is not the german chancellor, this is a troll
The weather in the fjord got better the deeper I drove in and at the end is Akureyri.
Nice weather – nice photos
It went up and down to Dalvik and further to Akureyri, but it was not that bad.
The best pictures of my Atlantic Adventure „Abenteuer Atlantik“ are in my YouTube channel Again and again waterfalls
Where snow lies on the crests, abundant meltwater flows. In Dalvik I stopped also again briefly (km 34). But actually I looked only for something special in this place. There was a tool store and I tried my luck again to buy a bicycle tube. Because there would be the need for it. For sure.
Opposite a magnificent panorama
But he had none, now wants to order a common size and repair kits. I’ve encountered maybe 30 cyclists going around Iceland so far, so there could be about 100 people like that at any one time. In season, that makes maybe 800 bikers, most of whom will encounter a flat tire. This is the market.
At the harbor in Dalvik
From Dalvik, the ferry leaves for Grimsey, the Icelandic island in the Arctic Circle.
Florent, whom I met the day before, had photographed plenty of puffins there, the typical Icelandic birds. He sent me some:
Image: Florent Guimard
Merci bien, cher Florent.
Shortly before Akureyri Einige hundert Einwohner, die plötzlich dazu kommen
My first mission was the bicycle store. Because there is only one in Akureyri and maybe two in Reykjavik. That was it. They were very nice. I got two Michelins (I’m a big fan of Michelin) and they let me put some of their oil on my chain. Utisport here. Utisport.
Food is important
The downtown of Akureyri, a town of twenty thousand people, is also not smaller than Reykjavik. Many beautiful houses covered with wood. That’s what we tourists like!
The official Akureyry shooting
After dinner I returned to the hostel to have some company. Tomorrow at the latest, I’m on my own again.
Akureyri Backpackers
First there was Jacob from Erfurt and Paolo from Poland (first I thought he was from South America, but that was a fallacy. His name is also not Pavel – then he would be from Czech Republic – but something like that. He is a tour guide for hikers. Jacob, by the way, for skiing and whale watching. After the official closing time it became colorful: Claudia (Madeira), Tera (Texas), Mario (Guatemala), Noel, Jack and a third from Atlanta, Georgia and even more. It’s hard for me to keep track of it all, too.
Eine Genießertour, tausend Male schöner als direkt die Ringstraße No1.
My stage 13 was cold, windy, rainy and challenging. But I met so much good bikers, they made my day. At the end, ist was a nice trip to the northest point of my Iceland adventure.
I had put on one layer more, a thicker tube for the neck and under the cycling gloves of Stephan still finger gloves (odlo). That was a good combination. It was cold but I didn’t fall off the bike shock frozen.
It could be worse.
Today again Iceland weather. Better I got used to it than to think about anything. Driving and ready. Felt 2° is not much, true, no sunset in the next 7 days is also impressive. I can’t wait to get to just before the North Pole to hang out in a beach chair with a drink in the sunshine. It’s supposed to be warm in Europe, I’ve heard. I can’t imagine that at all.
My favourite pics from Spain in my Atlantic Adventure. The German Book or eBook are availeble everywhereHorses of a trail ride
My fingers and feet froze, so I run in winter and ride my bike in summer. After 20 km I jogged with the cycling shoes and the bike a few hundred meters to get warm at the extremities. That was really good. At km 30 came again abundant horses, which belonged to a hiking group.
Gate closed, then the horses are changed
I stood to the people and asked them: 120 horses, 20 riders, every two hours or 7-10 km horse change always in such a paddock, they are altogether 6 days on the way. Interesting but also costly. I suppose each horse has 1 horsepower. Haha. You should hand with something to warm up, said the Swedish organizers. “Do you like some whiskey?” “Oh no, Thank you!”. Warm up may have just been the code word for whiskey, who knows.
Km 40: Hofsos
Finally Hofsos. The feet resigned themselves to be cold and wet and also the fingers didn’t feel as bad as yesterday when I had been surprised by that cold fog in the mountains. But a break was good now. As always here in Iceland, the entrance to the village looks, let’s say, slightly messy.
It is quite nice here
But it is a comparatively nice place. There was only this one gas pump, but I still checked to see if there might be a coffee behind the forbidding facade.
What you don’t see, it’s almost a shoppers paradise with a pizzeria
It was totally good in there! There was coffee and you could pour flavored syrup in it as much as you wanted. I even grabbed a pizza margarita and bought a pack of dates.
With Runar
Runar intercepted me in the entrance area, he is from here and has been all over the world. He also sold the German Sparkassen pension fund from Iceland. I didn’t want to dampen the good mood, but noted that many an institution was in sympathy because of the Icelandic bank failure. He changed the subject and questioned me. Where from, where to, how long, which route clockwise or opposite direction. In Iceland, young people make this round trip, just as we had cycled to Prague as teenagers in the East and to Amsterdam to smoke pot in the West.
The sheep are horrified – a bicycle is coming!
I had to go on, best another 40 km. The cold wind was not strong, but if the with 10 km/h comes against and one drives only 20, it is already 30 km/h cold wind.
Immer weiter
I sank into a daydream, as I know it from running at home. One is wide awake, thinks first still what and however sometime nothing concrete more. I woke up when Loris and Jérôme from Toulon came towards me in black rain gear. They drive a slow big circle in over 50 days! Next up is the Westfjords once they get out of the north here. They’ve had rain for a few days, are staying in tents like almost all cyclists, but are in good spirits. They said the route north is not easy, but doable. I think so too. We laughed. Bonne voyage, bonne route and above all: bon courage!!!
There is no house on fire, it’s geothermal energy
I got more speed. The two said that in 8 km at the crossroads there would be a gas station with coffee. Another one of those shopping temples? Not quite, but there is coffee and everything necessary. Florent from Marseille is sitting behind the fogged-up window. He’s studying medicine in Brest, but his internships won’t start until November. He has been on the road for exactly 300 days. So slowly I can ask my encounters whether they have met this or that. Because we bikers are a family. No the two Yanks with the coolers he had not, Loris and Jérôme but yes….
Florent knows and loves Brest
Receiving already a large circle turned in Europe, also in Germany and wants further to Alaska, then over Canada to Oregon, there is at the beginning of October end.
From this bay it will be a challenge again
The last kilometers to the gas station with Florent I had spent in the slipstream, but then it went up a ramp and around the mountain. Still 25 km to Siglufjördur. The wind was now pushing again in the face and every few hundred meters there was a short section of gravel. Because. there moves so much that the road must always be reworked.
The road is built close to the mountainLeft the ocean, right the mountain
When you see the chunks weighing tons that came down there, you already have respect. In the pouring rain it was not so easy to avoid the potholes and stones with steamed up bike glasses, because I did not want to risk a flat tire now. In addition, I had to shift diligently, it went toutjour up and down. But then I was also through there and the one-lane tunnel came, or rather I came.
In sich a bay the opposite traffic have to wait, until I‘m passed
I just drove and then but one came from the front. But he waited dutifully, because I had turned on the light! Tomorrow I have three tunnels!
Siglufjördur
And then came my destination. Unfortunately it was too late to go shopping at the supermarket. I was left with the expensive restaurant of Hotel Siglunes.
Very nice place in a narrow fjord
I was allowed to park my bike in the delivery entrance with a view to the kitchen.
Here at the end of the world they cook Moroccan.The 13 stages as overview
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.
The sweet farm dog
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.
The rocks from yesterday in reverse order
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.
It did not stay dry for long
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 recognized them by the yellow boxes (facebook picture).
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.
Along the valley of the Blanda
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!
Valley of the Blanda with church
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.
First again horses in the nature photograph
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.
Limited visibility
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 …
Also for cars not harmless road!
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.
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 first sign in 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.
My Saeberg hostel was only sparsely visited, once a night someone lets himself look, who collects and certainly they also clean the rooms. But coziness is different. Good that I had stocked up at the gas station yesterday with a few large cookie cakes, plus nutella and two yogurts. Not perfect, but you also do not starve. It became today also only 64 km, there it came on a balanced and plentiful food not so.
View from the hostel, even in cloudy weather impressive
Nutella is not my great love, but you have to give this cream a few unbeatable properties: Dimensionally stable, consistent, temperature resistant , energizing and downright rot-proof. It can not be a food with these properties, but it is!
At the end of the village a hot spring
The quiet area here was not particularly exciting once you got used to cycling along Hrutafjördur and then Midfjördur. Just like that, in Iceland!
The Sheeps also satisfiedThe Horses are satisfied
Today I did not go far, but I had to see that I bought something. Because today is Sunday, I just remembered, and there gas stations and supermarkets open only briefly.
Unfortunately only gasoline at the only gas station on the way
There was only one gas station on the way, the other in Hvammstangi was 6 km off the route. There and back already 12. There should also be seals, but it had rained and I needed this short day without detours.
After all, a restaurant
Then, however, this restaurant that I was not allowed to leave out in any case. I ate fish and chips for 30€ and was quite happy with the portion. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything to take away like sometimes on such occasions. OK, then I expected that I was in time in Blöduos, there would be already what.
The cars are a bit annoying
The street was relatively full and I could not explain this at first. Most of them came towards me and it could only be weekenders who took the bad weather as an occasion to drive back to the capital earlier. Stupid only that they overtook despite oncoming traffic and ignored me completely. They do not love the cyclists, I already said. As a countermeasure, I turned on my lights in the back and front and it got a little better.
The next mountain range came ever more densely
I had paused for a long time and then wanted to ride in a ride under the rain the 40 km to Blöduos. But unfortunately I had looked only late again on my list and my map. Even then there was no more room and I am therefore 10 km outside accommodated. The 10 km I have to return tomorrow to the ring road and then only to Blönduos and further.
I wanted to avoid getting into such a tangle of gravel roads, but now had to take it that way – I planned it myself.
At least, the landscape became again as I knew it – high mountain ranges (left and right 900 m high) and I in the middle in the valley.
Shortly before the turnoff to the accommodation
Photographing and also cell phone is difficult with rain, becomes just everything wet. After all, wind only 5 km/h from the front, that’s nothing here.
Because we had none today: The waterfall of the day (starts at the top)
The side road was asphalted on the first kilometers and climbed steadily. That’s quite good, I would come back down there tomorrow.
The mountains, the clouds, the sheep!
I then witnessed a spectacle: A whole herd of horses, some with riders came towards me. Best I stopped first and got my phone out and also the camera. Hopefully it did not get too wet!
That was not even half of the herd.
The horses thought, I want to talk to them and made a big bow. I thought it was great to feel the horsepower because there were so many of them. One more beautiful than the other. After this first swing came two more, in total probably 150 animals. I had the camera out too late and snapped wildly. It was great how they came partly close by, partly dodged to the extreme. Some ate on the way, some dawdled, others trotted briskly. Sooo many! At first I thought it could only be some kind of move to another pasture. But it is a riding tour over several days. You need many more horses than riders, because the animals have to recover and so the riders change. They are a little smaller than our cold-blooded horses. How such a herd is supposed to cross streets, I don’t realize. But at least I see again and again signs for bridle paths. There are probably also longer riding tours. The people are often brought back to the accommodation by bus. The horses rest at the destination and are cared for and herded. Then it goes on the next day from there.
I know all this from three riders from Switzerland, who can join em for a day tomorrow. They also stay in the guesthouse “Hammvur 2” where I am. Such trips are also organized by this farm.
Iceland ringroad No.1 