Landamannalaugar is simply stunning. Without doubt, quite simply the most beautiful place I've ridden. Barren and stark for sure but hauntingly impressive. More traffic than Kjolur as it's within a day from Reykjavik but if you come to Iceland, come to this place.

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Two days across Iceland to get to Landmannalaugar and time to make a decision whether to head back through the central highlands on the F26 Sprengisandsleið or whether to head for the ring to the south and Jökulsárlón. We'd met a Dutch guy riding his bicycle on the Kjalvegur who'd told us that Kjalvegur was a "highway" compared to the Sprengisandsleið and that he, in turn, had met a Russian cyclist who'd had to carry his bike for 12kms due to sand on the F910 towards Askja, the route Daniel and I had considered. With the water likely to be rising due to the rain for the past day or two, it wasn't a difficult decision. We're here to enjoy the riding, not to push ourselves to the limit so it's back to the ring (a decision we are later pleased about on hearing the stories of a couple of German guys nearly drowning their bikes) and as if to reward us, the sun puts in a welcome appearance, drying off our wet tents.

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As we're packing away the next morning, the Spaniard camping next tent to me some 20 m away sticks his head of his tent, stretches and with a tired smile says, "You snore like a bitch, man!". :shogs I've also noticed that Daniel seems to pitch his tent a little further away from mine each night.

We decide just to put on some miles for day five in the hope that we might be able to access the highlands from the east later in the week. We're truly in the 'tourist' zone and everywhere we stop is full with coaches of Asians. A couple of waterfalls at Seljalandsfoss:

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and Skógafoss are the first highlight until we reach the shore at Vik in the forlorn hope of finding puffins (they were there but too far in the distance for pics without a zoom lens):

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The glaciers coming down off the Vatnajökull ("River of Glaciers") icecap are very impressive, as is Jökulsárlón. Formed when a glacier that used to reach the ocean receded to form a lagoon, it's an eerie place with an atmosphere almost like a graveyard as the glacier 'dies':

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Very few pictures for day six. Shame as it was a fantastic days riding. Big Sur? Meh; go ride the "1" in South East Iceland and then cut over the F939 for a bit of gravel and mud before heading into Egilsstadir for skalafleki and fries for lunch:

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Rode out across Snæfell to the new dam in the afternoon:

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before pitching camp by the lake.

Our last day and we're already just about back to where the ferry leaves. Over coffee and eggs at the local cafe, we bump into a local motorcyclist and ask for a recommendation for a good road to ride. He's on a Harley but seems like a good guy and he shows us his recommendation; the F917 in Héradsflói up to the north. This, it turns out, is the highest road in Iceland and an absolute gem; 20 miles of fast, flat gravel up the western side of Héradsflói and then 20 miles of up and down and round and about and across into Vopnafjörður:

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Ben voila! C'est fait. Our route:

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Seven fantastic days. If you're thinking about coming here; do it!

Is that a 4x4 bus drifting over all wheels in pursuit?

Very cool! That's close to what I had in mind when I thought about Iceland this summer: Just stick to the highlands in the east.
:clap:

nice, report and it was good reading.
I now want to go as I reckon I could get some time off work for something like this next year...

we will see...

need to get some more knowledge on the place first....

Looks like an awesome tour Wildman, but where did you put the fishing rod? :mchappy:

Next to the kitchen sink! :biggrin3:

You live and you learn. That "XL" Ortlieb is now a "small" Ortlieb. It's a start.