Nothing Comes Close to Riding in Iceland

[MotoNews]

Published in: Rides

Iceland is mythical. This island in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean is on the bucket list of many around the world, and for good reasons. Extremely high volcanic and geothermal activity for millions of years have created a truly diverse landscape where fire and ice meet. Iceland is rough, unforgiving, and not for the faint of heart. With these challenging conditions and our limited off-road experience while being on fully loaded bikes, we knew we were in for quite a ride. At the same time, the beauty Iceland has to offer is second to none and will take your breath away. Iceland has all the ingredients to create the perfect motorcycle getaway.

Getting There

Visiting Iceland requires a lot of time. Not only to explore the island itself, but just to get there (and back). Flying is easy, but options to rent suitable motorcycles are limited. However, the most common way to enter the country with your own motorcycle is by ferry. Smyril Line sails regularly from Hirtshals, Denmark to Seyðisfjørður, Iceland. Going this route, be prepared for it to take three nights on the MS Norröna before setting foot on the island.

Mother Nature

In many cases, it’s during the crossing to Iceland that you get to know the forces of Mother Nature. Weather can be and often is extremely tough in these regions, with high winds and towering waves powering down on the vessel. As motorcyclists, we were not worried about ourselves as the MS Norröna was being tossed around by the ocean. No, we worried more about our motorcycles on the lower decks. We had strapped them down well, but were constantly concerned that they’d be knocked over. After three days of harsh conditions, the all-clear was given: our Triumph Tigers were in the exact same place we’d left them, and we were ready to explore Iceland.

Roads

In many cases, the Ring Road of Iceland serves as a first guideline when creating a trip in Iceland. With an approximate length of only 850 miles, in theory you could ride this entirely paved road comfortably in about three days, seeing many of the island’s highlights. In theory. But because Iceland is going to slap you in the face with high winds and the occasional bad weather, you’re likely to be slowed down considerably. As the Icelandic like to say: “If you don’t like the weather in Iceland, just wait five minutes!”

There are many interesting sights off the main road and in the highlands, many accessible only by 4x4 cars and dual-sport motorcycles. These so-called “F-Roads” will test man and machine as they offer steep inclines, sandy sections, rocks easily the size of a football, and river crossings. There are many gravel roads to be found, too, and due to the harsh conditions, most have large potholes and lots of very loose gravel on top of hard surfaces. However, with the right speed and a careful approach, even we managed to conquer all the roads that we came across, and we’re not seasoned off-road riders. The off-road mode on our Tigers came in handy, mainly due to the lower traction control setting and a subtle throttle. In general, we were surprised how easily the motorcycles and tires got through some of the terrain.

Natural Beauty

We decided to round the island counterclockwise, enjoying the northern parts first before crossing the unforgiving highlands to the natural wonders of the south. Since we were there relatively late in the season, winter was slowly on its way and would strike the north first.

We’d stared at photos of Iceland for days, spent hours on Google Maps and perused many brochures. But nothing, absolutely nothing, can prepare you for what you will see and experience when you’re there. It won’t take long before you find yourself screaming from pure joy and excitement. No matter which turn you take, no matter where you go, the views are like nothing you’ve ever seen. In our case, it was a small mountain gravel road that rewarded us with a majestic view over a black sand beach. On the other side, the rocky road led down into a lush green valley before showing us a dramatic coastline. We were just getting started, and already couldn’t keep track of the “WOWs!” that we kept shouting through our intercoms.

The landscape is dominated by many active volcanoes, massive glaciers, and high geothermal activity, as Iceland is located exactly where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. Combined with the high latitude, the entire island is a place of epic proportions with unreal landscapes displaying eye-popping colors. Indeed, Iceland looks like it is Photoshopped! No wonder so many film and TV productions shoot here.

In addition to the natural beauty, we also found the Icelandic people to be very relaxed and easy going. Living under such harsh conditions, they have to be laid back. They offer many wonderful guesthouses and farmstays, which are a very welcome alternative to the relatively expensive hotels or, in September, cold campsites.

Little Iceland

After the first mountain road, we continued north, aiming for an area called Mývatn. The lake and surrounding area have seen lots of volcanic and geothermal activity, resulting in one highlight after another. Want to see lava fields full of rock sculptures and caves caused by cooling down lava? Check. Want craters to walk upon? Check. How about caves with the hottest, bluest water you’ve ever seen? Check. And, what about lots of (smelly) geothermal activity? Check. There are also massive waterfalls, and that area is basically like a “Little Iceland.” Fun fact: There are no mosquitos in Iceland. However, Mývatn means “Lake of the Midges.” We’ll let you figure out why.

It was then time for our first F-Road toward the Aldeyjarfoss waterfall. Since it is only about four kilometers to get there on the F-Road (plus 30 miles of gravel), we figured it would be a good off-road test. Taking it slow and easy, we quickly discovered that riding faster was actually the way to ride the rocky parts. However, with big rocks and large ruts, it was quite the challenge and certainly a taste of things to come.

Crossing the Highlands

Being September, bad weather in the form of snow and big wind gusts were coming. Since we intended to cross into the south via the highlands, we had to hustle, and quickly, through the north. A shame, considering the many beautiful sights there, but that turned out to be the right decision.

Iceland’s highlands are a no-man’s land. Ranging from 300 to 600 meters in elevation, weather is unpredictable and conditions are tough and ever changing. The feeling of complete desolation is tempting but frightening at the same time. As we started across the highlands, winds were picking up with a light drizzle. We knew that the next 180 kilometers off road weren’t going to be easy, but we pushed on, slowly but steadily. Road conditions varied from moderate to bad. Loose gravel at times, rocky or sandy at others. We were impressed by the moonlike landscape. But it wasn’t until the wind direction turned, coming at us from a 90-degree angle with gusts of up to 20 meters per second, that we started to question what on earth we were doing there. Numerous times, the wind blew us off the road. To make matters worse, temperatures were dropping to just above freezing. Iceland was hitting us hard. No mercy. This was Mother Nature showing off and we are not even half way.

“We are at Hveravellir!” I shouted to Maia over the intercom. The little geothermal nature reserve marked the halfway point of our crossing and offered a more-than-welcome hot spring. Maia jumped in to heat up and did not want to come out. I had to convince her with the promise of lunch at the nearby restaurant. When we asked the owner about the second half of the road, he said, “This is where the hard part starts, and it is wet too!” With little motivation we dragged ourselves back on the motorcycles. Why were we doing this again?

Ninety kilometers of more sand, more rocks, more flooded roads, more rain, more wind, and more cold. The landscape remained breathtaking, but at that point, it was more about surviving. With visibility dropping rapidly as daylight ran out, we felt like we were on autopilot. Cold hands, despite the heated grips on the highest setting, and even colder feet. Non-stop rain hit our faces like little razors also preventing us from using the visors, otherwise we couldn’t have seen anything. And just when we thought there was no end to it, we spotted tarmac in front of us. What a relief! We’d just made it, as our energy levels were drained completely. Iceland had given us a proper reality check and we realized once again how small and powerless we are on the planet. However, despite it being such a tough day, it was by far one of our most memorable on motorcycles!

Southern Iceland

After crossing to the south, we quickly realized that the entire southern part of Iceland is loaded with more highlights. Waterfalls, black beaches, airplane wreckage, hot thermal rivers, geysers, glaciers, lakes filled with icebergs, and astonishing landscapes. No matter where we went, natural beauty was all around and almost all the sights were easily accessible. And as if that weren’t enough to make one realize that Iceland is truly spectacular, there was another treat to come—the magical Northern Lights. There are simply no words to describe the deep emotions of witnessing this natural wonder, best described as a “Symphony of Light.”

All in all, Iceland is truly a motorcycle paradise. No matter where you go, the island will spoil you with nature’s beauty. If you are brave enough to face the elements, Iceland will quickly conquer your heart. It will make you work for it, but the memories will last a lifetime.

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Lennart Andreas hails from Switzerland and has ridden all types of bikes since 2008. Lennart and his wife, Maia’s next trip is to a six-month African motorcycle journey from their home to Cape Town in 2020. Instagram: lennart.andreas |maias_travels | Website: LennartAndreas.com

 

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