July 24, 2020
Day 6 - Craters, boiling mud, and a remote stretch of the ringroad
Akureyri (to Mývatn) to Skjöldólfsstaðir
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Day 6 - Akureyri (to Mývatn by bus) to Skjöldólfsstaðir - 80 miles
Didn't get a very good night sleep thanks to some asshole neighbours in the campervans next to me, joking around loudly and repeatedly slamming their van doors at 1:30 in the morning. I was really tired when I woke up at 6, and it took a lot of effort to drag myself out of a warm sleeping bag into the damp morning drizzle.
I allowed myself a ton of time to get down to the bus stop which kind of backfired because it meant I had to wait outside for even longer. Akureyri really was a lot colder than anywhere else I'd been so far. Instead of the iconic yellow Strætó bus like I'd been expecting, it seemed like it was only Strætó-owned minibuses that ran the routes around here. When the first few turned up, I was starting to get nervous because there's no way they would take my bike in that, but when (mini)bus '56' eventually turned up, it was a huge relief to see that it was pulling a luggage trailer. One thing the Strætó app doesn't show annoyingly, is which minibus routes take bikes or not. The jovial driver seemed to have a distinctly midlands English accent which was strange, and he joked that I could only take my bike aboard if I sung part of Queen's Bicycle Race (I Want to Ride My Bicycle) song... I decided to give the first few lines a go! The bus itself was lovely; easily the smartest minibus I've ever been in, and it felt more like a luxury hotel shuttle. With a good view out the window, I quickly confirmed that taking a ride to save time on this stretch was a good idea. There wasn't much to see in the rain and the detour around the tunnel looked like a steep climb. My only regret was not getting to see the waterfall Goðafoss en-route.
As the bus got to my destination near Mývatn, the scenery became completely fantastical. Bizarre islands of cooled lava pillars rose up from the lake, pseudocraters loomed over the road, and the telltale steam from geothermal vents curled on the horizon. It was such a mishmash of unusual sights that scarcely seemed real, and I couldn't wait to get on the bike and explore. My first port of call was Hverfjall, a picture-perfect volcano crater. I hid my bike behind the information hut and started to hike up the side. The whole way up I was kicking myself for not bringing the drone with me because it would've looked amazing from an aerial view, but it's a good job I didn't because it was blowing a gale at the top. Not a chance I'd fly a 250g drone in this! Just down the road was the 'black fortress' of Dimmuborgir's lava fields (also lending its name to a famous Norwegian black metal band), but I didn't fancy the 1-way uphill cycle in the headwind. The panoramic view from the top of Hvarfjall would have to suffice.
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The next section of the ringroad is the most remote. Perhaps not that much by global standards, but it's still a 100 mile stretch from Reykjahlíð to Egilsstaðir with virtually nothing in between. That's a long cycle if the wind is against you. I stocked up with supplies at the touristy supermarket in the village and cycled the short distance eastwards to the red-tinged geothermal fumaroles of Hverir. This was the busiest attraction I'd seen so far, and the car park was packed. I'm guessing it was down to being right in the middle of the day, which further confirms my advice to try and see all the sights as late in the evening as possible! Despite the crowds, the area was fascinating. I wanted to explore more, but the mud was really deep and sticky and would've clogged up my cleat clips with no easy way to clean them. The azure pools and hissing steam would've looked amazing from above and clearly everyone else had this idea because there were 3 or 4 other drones buzzing overhead (all Mavic Minis coincidentally).
It made sense for me to get mine out, but standing there seeing the others flying overhead made me pause for thought, and I decided against doing so. It was a weird feeling, I almost didn't want to because other people were doing the same. I always feel self-conscious when flying it anyway- the loud buzzing is annoying, and as vain as it might sound, I didn't want to appear like the stereotypical tourists who pile out of their rental campervans, spend 10 minutes flying the drone erratically without respect to anyone else, and then speed off to their next location. Back onto the ringroad, for the next hour I was mulling over drone scenarios in my head. Is it actually worth it when I'm not filming my trip for YouTube? Do I use it enough to justify the extra weight and space? Should I sell it when I get home...?
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After Hverir, the road slowly got quieter and quieter as the afternoon progressed. A healthy tailwind was a big help because I had a long way to go to reach a campsite, and there really wasn't anywhere to wildcamp at all on this barren empty stretch. I was expecting flat volcanic plains for the next 50 miles, but the journey was actually a lot more interesting than that and I was soon climbing into mountains shrouded by swirling mist. 3 or 4 other cycle tourers passed me going the other way into the wind and it looked brutal. Having to pedal to avoid blowing to a standstill on a downhill is no fun. Typically when cyclists pass in the other direction, I wouldn't stop and try to talk to them. In the more remote countries of the world where you're lucky to see 1 cycle tourer a week, then sure, but if I spoke to everyone I came across in Iceland, I'd be on the roadside nattering all day!
The last 15 miles were tiring. The road was flat and there was only a mild crosswind, but I was struggling to keep my legs turning at the pace I wanted to go at. If I'm honest, I'm pretty disappointed with my apparent cycling fitness levels this tour! Thanks to having loads of time for exercise during lockdown, I should be the fittest I've ever been, but I feel much more tired at the end of a 70/80 mile day than I ever did cycling in mainland Europe or NZ/Aus. Turning a corner to see a rainbow perfectly aligned over the road did wonders to boost my morale and carry me through to the secluded campsite though.
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Today's ride: 80 miles (129 km)
Total: 371 miles (597 km)
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