3FI2401 the land of fire and ice Iceland
There is not much to report today, the island is still showing its cold side. But what kind of adventurers would we be if we let that spoil our mood? Today we get to know the group and our guides. In a short briefing, we learn what to expect over the next few days. After a fabulous dinner, we go to bed full of anticipation. Tomorrow we set off on our adventure. Good night....
It´s time for our first ride in the land of elves and trolls - our breathtaking journey Iceland beginns. Welcome to the ride from the smoky bay (Reykjavik) to Selfoss. After a good breakfast and our first rider briefing we hoped on the motorcycles and soon the town disappeared in our mirrors and in front of us the pure and breathtaking nature Icelands. First stop has been the Viking world where we stepped back in time (830 AD) and got a gritty good idea how everything has been started over here. After escaping the rain and wind for a while we moved on down south to the bridge between continents (Mid Atlantic Ridge and the Eurasien Ridge). We took some pictures and off we went on to the Gunner Spring and on this point it was already clear that this tour will be a ride what we will never forget. This land is born out of fire and formed by wind and water and preserved by glaciers. What a beautiful world!!!! To raise the bar a little higher we drove to the famous Blue Lagoon which is for me already such a unique place that I don't find words what would describe the combination between the fresh lava fields and the breathtaking colour of the water. All in one this kickoff of the tour was beside the weather a dreamlike day. And now enjoy the picture and may it gives you the last push to come to Iceland - for me already a must do, once in a lifetime. See you tomorrow Thomas and Axel
Iceland is showing its friendly side this morning, with no sign of fog or rain. There you go. After a short briefing, we set off on our first big adventure of the tour. But before we take to the gravel, we marvel at one of the most impressive waterfalls on the island, Gullfoss. The weather is perfect, the view is clear and so we take our time to enjoy this natural spectacle. Just a few kilometers later, the main road 35 becomes the F35. Ahead of us lie over 100 km of spectacular scenery and a gravel road that has its pitfalls but is also a lot of fun. And so we roll forward kilometer by kilometer. Past majestic glaciers, through a landscape as if from another planet. As befits Iceland, there are also a few hot springs and extensive lake landscapes to marvel at. Just like in a picture book. As we leave the F35, we come face to face with the magnificent landscape of the north. Is this still the same island? Snow-capped mountains and lush green plains dominate the picture. On our way back to the hotel, we have the opportunity to take a look at the life of Icelanders 100 years ago, which of course we don't miss. Filled with new impressions and experiences, this truly adventurous day comes to an end. And we are still at the very beginning
If i would have to pick a headline for this day? i would choose this one: Is this norway or icland? As a tourguide you come around quite a bit and today it reminds me a lot on norway, because riding along the coastline/ the fjords is like to be over there and not to the same time. The mountains on the right and the waterfront on the left it feels like the same but the huge differens over here there are sheeps along the road and no raindeer. And i can tell you they are fast when they decide to cross the road. All in one this day was a relaxed riding day 180 kilometers and besides mother nature there was for sure the famouse fisher village Siglufjörður and the the Motorcycle museum the highlight of the day. To see how Iceland has been the capital of fishing around 1940 and to see all the old pictures of the fleet has been impressiv. Now we are in Akureyri and tomorrow we will facing an adventures day with an unforgetable highlight on the end. What it is you will see tomorrow - until then enjoy the picture postcard moments of today. See you Thomas and Axel
Here we go - the next Highlights of the tour are waiting for us. We kicked of this day with a nice ride over the top of the mountain sattle just out of town of Akureyri and from there we went to the Goðafoss Waterfall. After taking some pictures and stepping back in time arround 1000 Ad - well i could tell you the storry behind the waterfall but it sounds way better when you are on the the spot and that why we move on with our day. Sooooo after an coffee we took off to Mývatn which is an geological phenomenon right on top of a very active volcano belt where we stopped once more before we came to Húsavík wherer we stay tonight. But all this has been the appetiser because in Húsavík we went on a boat for an 3h whale watching tour. This day has been another highlight and for sure tomorrow we will see some more of this beautiful place called Iceland. See you tomorrow Thomas and Axel
It's cloudy over Husavik this morning. The sun manages to cast a spotlight on the scenery. This is coastal weather, this is the North Atlantic. We will follow this coastline for a while, our gaze drawn out to sea again and again. We stop at a lookout point to keep an eye out for whales, but the giants are nowhere to be seen and we do get to see large groups of puffins. Our first highlight is the Asbergy Gorge....Icelanders believe that the horse of a god left a mighty trail here. Then we head into the gravel. Our destination is the almost deserted viewpoints at Hafragils and Dettifoss, the latter being the most powerful waterfall in Iceland and the whole of Europe. At this point, we get very close to the waterfall...closer than anyone else who only wants to experience Iceland on paved roads. Back on the tarmac, a spectacular landscape of rolling hills of imposing size opens up... What a contrast to the desert a few minutes earlier. Then everything happens very quickly, one of the bikes breaks down with a tire problem. As the problem cannot be solved on the spot, the bike is loaded without further ado and the journey can continue. We decide to drive to the hotel, where a spa area, delicious food and a workshop await us;-). Another day of our adventure draws to a close.
Good morning, apparently nobody was eaten by the sea monster because everyone is there at the morning briefing;-) Emily's bike has got new shoes and the day can start. We start by circling the lake, we don't see a monster, but we do get to see some great scenery. In one of the many visitor centers at Vatnajökull National Park, we learn more about the largest glacier in Europe and get rid of our questions to the rangers. Then we head off on well-maintained tracks towards our highlight of the day. At 532 meters at the top, the Oxi Pass is not particularly high, but it is spectacularly beautiful. The view down into the valley is unforgettable. We let this moment sink in. As we leave the pass behind us, we find ourselves in a completely different landscape. If you haven't been impressed by Iceland up to this point...., you'll have understood by now at the latest. Once we arrive at our hotel, a few brave souls set off again on a somewhat more difficult gravel section. The reward is a glacier lagoon all to ourselves. What a day.
Welcom To the Glacier Day Today has been the day - we got in touch with ice - closer is almost not possible!!! With the sun in our faces we started our ride in the morning and compares to the last days this was one of the best days we had on this tour. First stop has been Jökulsárlón glacier where went on a amphibious craft tour which has been for sure one of the top5 highlights of this tour.. Just look at the pictures what we have been seen today!!! A 7 square mile 'glacier river lagoon has been ours. And on top we just went to the beach where all the glacier ice ends up after melting away. The ride himself along the coastline towards west was road wise not that exciting but the stunning landscape has been so unique that we are easy acepted that the first ride to the next hotel has been easy. Next stop after Jökulsárlón was Vatnajökull. Glacier over Glaciers today and they all belong to one big one which is 8% of the island - just impressive and hard to decribe - it is for sure a must have seen once in a life. All this has been Part 1 of the day and Part 2 has was a test ride for the adventure day tomorrow where the magic word is: LANDMANNALAUGAR!!!! Why you shut do the test ride from today you will see tomorrow and i just spoil it like that - it will be a ride of a lifetime . So enjoy the pictures and see you tomorrow Thomas and Axel
Today is the day, the Icelandic adventure reaches its riding climax. We return to the highlands and experience an adventure that we will remember for a long time to come. Gravel and sandy roads, some rough and some fine, water crossings short and long, some tricky and some easy. This is what our bikes were made for. The landscape around us is breathtaking, these colors and this variety of different conditions can probably only be found in Iceland. We also have something in store for those who want to take it a little easier. Because who wants to get their feet wet? With the rest of the team we went along the coastline on Ringroad number 1. Higlights like the Black Beach and the Lighthous of Dyrhólaey with 10thousends of puffins have been the kick off for an relaxed ride with a lot of breathtaking landscape along the road. For lunch we stopped at Skógafoss and after this went towards the hotel where we will have our last highlight for the day - the breathtaking natural magic of Geysir. Anothe day comes to an end and tomorrow is already our last riding day. Time goes by like nothing if you are here. See you tomorrow Thomas and Axel
Our last trip together It ended as it had began, and in two ways! Firstly, we were back in Rekjavík and secondly, we had the same weather as the last time we saw Rekjavík disappear in the mirror - in the rain. Nevertheless, this day also had some highlights, which didn't dampen our spirits. It started with the 5000 to 6000 year old Kerið crater and continued to the Þingvellir site, where the law has been spoken in Icland since 930 AD. From there we drove north to circle the Walfjord, where a naval base was located during the Second World War. Even though this drive is by no means boring!!! In our thoughts we remembered the past 8 days, in which we discovered Iceland far away from all the tourists. What an incredibly beautiful tour/trip!!!! For us personally, Iceland is and remains as a must on every to-do list!!!! Well, and tonight we're having dinner together for last time and we are looking forward to hear about our customers' favorite moments. And for us, Thomas and I - we are both staying in Iceland as we will be welcoming another Groupe in 2 days. So thanks to the Groupe for the tour and creating memories like this. Thomas and Axel