July 26, 2000
Start Of Kjolur
Gullfoss to Hveravellir
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I was camping a little north of Gullfoss at the start of the Kjolur. This is what I wrote.
Another fine day today with temperatures well into the twenties. Last night the sky was cloudless. I watched the sunset at 10.30. Also, with not a breath of wind there were lots of mosquitoes. For the final few hours yesterday I could see the white expands of the Langjokull glacier and this morning its snowy mass is hard by on my left as I cycle towards Blajell. Around midday the track climbs up to pass over the shoulder of this mountain and after an arduous climb, at the top there is a great view of Langjokull with a long glacier lake called Hvitarvatn running along in the valley below, which I descend to and lunch on the waters edge.
The track bridges the outflow of the lake which becomes the Hvita river and later in the afternoon thick fog rolled in with the temperature plummeted making it quite chilly. The wind picked up from the west, but didn't hinder my progress too much as by the end of the day, I was half way through the route having reached Hveravellir geothermal field where there are Touring Club Of Iceland huts. It is an oasis in the middle of an area of black barren hills, where mountain grasses cover a large area around the huts where it is good to camp. It would've been hard finding a campsite otherwise as the fog was so thick. Also, 10 km before Hveravellir, I met 3 French cyclists coming south. They asked me on the condition of the track. I told them it was pretty awful all the way to Gullfoss, with large loose stones. In return they tell me that north of Hveravellir, the track is very good, which was good news.
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