Intro + Route Map
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The Covid-19 crisis put quite a dent in my cycle touring plans. I had a 10 country trip in the Balkans lined up for early summer, and then something longer over the autumn/winter period encompassing Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan and onto SE Asia. It was very disappointing as it seemed like all holidays this year were a lost cause, but I watched intently as a handful of countries started to open their borders in June/July.
Iceland had been on my radar for a little while and I'd already dreamed up some routes in the past. With the meticulous Covid entry requirements, the low infection rate and population density, plus the massively reduced visitor numbers to a very tourism-saturated country... it seemed like the perfect time to go!
Route planning was simple enough. I picked out some destinations that I really wanted to see, and naturally the ring road links them up. I'd heard from previous journals on here that the west and north-west sections of the ring road are the least interesting, so I eyed up the remote interior highlands. The longer and more desolate Sprengisandur route was my preference.
Upon getting the Coronavirus test at Iceland's airport, you were supposed to head straight to your first night's accomodation and do your best to avoid contact. I didn't fancy hanging around a campsite in Reykjavik to be given the 'all-clear' to visit shops for food, so I loaded my panniers full of noodles, rice and pasta to keep me going, which is something I don't normally do. Camping gas cyclinders seem abundant in Iceland so I wouldn't have to worry too much about coming across a place selling them. Another new addition to my kit was a Mavic Mini drone. I've seen some amazing footage from various cycle touring YouTubers out there and fancied getting some similar shots; although it does add some bulk to my loadout and could be a challenge to keep charged up. To counteract some of this additional weight, I finally treated myself to a decent down sleeping bag and inflateable mat. My combination of £40 sleeping bag and woefully thin 2nd-hand foam mat was started to cause me sleeping issues (especially in Morocco's freezing nights on my last trip), so it felt like a good time to splash out and get something warmer, lighter and more packable.
With the route and supplies sorted, all I had to do was persuade work to give me 2 weeks off during their busiest time of the year, and I was good to go!
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