River Crossing

August 11, 2000

I had enough supplies to last 14 days, though not the most nutritious or balanced diet, it consisted mainly of carbohydrates and sugar with muesli, crispbread, cans of sardine and tuna, noodles, instant mash potatoes, biscuits and chocolate.

After crossing a small river at Nydalur having completed the F910 from Askja.

View from centre of Iceland, looking north

Wet but comfortable in the tent. Delighted to have reached Nydalur.

The weather forecast for today was bad, but this morning it was looking optimistic; a bit overcast. I had got to where northern and southern routes meet up and become one again by midmorning. At the junction the sign read "Nydalur 30" meaning it is 25 km to the F26, the Sprengisandur Route running north to south across Iceland and the end of the F910, the junction of which is 5 km north of Nydalur.

Things were going well with good rideable track undulating over black hills; that is until 3 PM, when the track reached a raging glacier river. The ford was narrow where the river surged out of a canyon. There was no point in even trying to cross here. I went downstream to where the river had fanned out into a multiple of wide channels divided by gravelbars. Here I would attempt to cross. The channels were shallow apart from one main channel and I felt at severe peril wading into this as it came up above the knee and the current tried taking me with it. Somehow I made my way across and deposited my rucksack on the riverbank, as now I had to go back for the bike and I knew I was going to have to find a saver place to ford. So when I crossed back to the bike, I went even further downstream to a spot where the river has fanned out even wider with shallower channels, though there was still that main surging channel that had to be tackled. Starting to cross with the bike this time, I soon discovered in the deepest most powerful part that by keeping the bike upstream and gripping the saddle and handlebars firmly (in effect using the bike like a river crossing wading pole) Then edging slowly sideway in a diagonal across the deepest current surge to reach the safety of the gravelbar. With all the gear on the bike's weight gave a degree of stability.

It took two hours crossing the river by the time I returned to the track. And there would be two rivers further on to cross, though not as bad. Shortly after leaving the riverbank as forecasted, it began to rain and by the time I reached Nydalur, I was wet and cold.

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