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Iceland is a land of contrasts:
Geologically, it's the youngest country in the world, yet it has
the world's oldest parliament. Glaciers still mold the land, yet
you can swim in naturally-heated rivers. Landscapes range from
rocky moonscapes to lush pastures to small forests.
Our biking trip here
provides a chance to experience many of these contrasts. We'll
ride mountain bikes, well-equipped to handle everything from paved
roads to lava fields, but this isn't mountain biking in the usual
sense of zipping up and down mountains. Most of our route is over
flat or gently rolling terrain, yet with enough hills to keep you
challenged. Bikes are simply the way we get around. This is really
a trip about discovery, and adventure, in a land unlike anything
you've ever seen.
Most of the group will
board a plane for Reykjavik the evening before the trip starts,
departing from one of Icelandair's gateway cities, and wake up in
a different world. You may meet other members of our group even
before you board the plane. The rest of the group will gather at
the airport outside Reykjavik, on arrival.
What should you expect?
Quite a mix. With our emphasis on active vacations and the
outdoors, our trips draw people who are energetic and outgoing,
who enjoy interacting with life and with each other. We find that
shared activities like biking are not only fun in themselves, but
serve as great ice-breakers. You may arrive alone, but within a
day, you'll be traveling with friends.
The majority of our cyclists will
probably be traveling alone; there are usually several couples, as
well. Single travelers don't need to pay a single supplement.
We'll match you with a roommate if you'd like the double-occupancy
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We arrive in Iceland early in the morning.
First stop: The Blue Lagoon, a sprawling outdoor pool where you
can immerse yourself in a seemingly endless pool, as steam fills
the air. The water here is naturally warm, and naturally blue,
from a heavy mineral content that's also touted for its
therapeutic value.
Today we'll hop on bikes
and explore Reykjavik, Iceland's capital and largest city.
Reykjavik has no world-famous buildings or landmarks; rather, we
enjoy it as a charming example of a city that is cosmopolitan yet
not overwhelming, bustling but clean, with rivers and waterfront,
parks and plazas.
A salmon river bubbles right
through the city, and we follow a bike trail alongside the river
for part of the day. Halldor, our guide, is a native Icelander,
descended right from those Vikings, with an infectious love of
his homeland. He points out the highlights as we walk through
the outdoor Arbaer Museum, to which some of Iceland's oldest
surviving homes have been relocated.
The harborside trail outside
Reykjavik is adorned with sculptures and artwork, both modern
and traditional, and we stop to admire one: A whale skeleton? Or a
Viking ship?
Reykjavik has bars and clubs
and cafes, of course, but much of the city's social life
revolves around the open-air pool complexes, fed by naturally
warm spring water. We've set aside part of the day for you to
enjoy one of these pools if you wish, while others in the group
may opt for a nap, or independent sight-seeing.
What about gay life in
Iceland? It's here, but there's not as much of a separate gay
culture of community as in some cities. Iceland, like its
Scandinavian cousins, has in place both legal protections for gay
men and lesbians, and a social attitude that whether you're gay or
straight just isn't that big a deal. Several bars and clubs are
identified as gay or mixed, and no doubt some of our group will
find their way over, after our first dinner in Iceland. |
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Reykjavik to Hella to Leirubakki (27
miles of biking)
We've selected a region known
as the South Highlands for our biking days, because of its
varied and dramatic landscapes. The van ride to the Highlands,
along a winding road, offers the first of many spectacular
panoramas. On a clear day, we'll have views of the world's
youngest island: Surtsey, which rose up from the ocean floor in
the morning November 15, 1963 in a huge volcanic eruption. We can
also see the Vestman island and the volcano that erupted in 1973.
We continue to the hot spring
village of Hveragerdi, a town filled with greenhouses heated up
with geothermal water. Here, we can wander amongst plants from
the Amazon jungle, courtesy of the local hot springs.
Our actual biking tour starts
in the region known as Hella. We bike along the Ranga River, then
cross the lava fields of Mt. Hekla. Today's picnic lunch, served
up by Halldor's wife Gerda, provides a sample of Icelandic foods:
Robust cheeses, smoked fish, and an assortment of flavorful
breads.
After lunch, we take an hour
break from hiking to wade through the river in a remote valley,
then walk through the trees to another river and cascading
waterfall.
Today's destination: The
wonderful horse farm Leirubakki, with an option to enjoy riding
one of the beautiful Icelandic horses. These compact animals,
purebred since the time of the Vikings, are known for their tolt,
a fast yet smooth gait that no other horses in the world have
mastered.
After dinner, relax with a hot
jacuzzi and sauna. Yes, we're staying in mountain huts. But
they're not primitive mountain huts!
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Leirubakki to Landmannalaugar (38 miles)
We're in volcano country. We
begin today along the base of Burfell, a wide, squat volcano that
last erupted 7500 years ago. Soon, however, we get to the foot of
Mt. Hekla, Iceland's most active volcano. Heklas has erupted in
1946, 1971, 1980, 1981, 1990, and 1991, and 2000. On the higher
passes here, we stop at an unusual sight: A layer of snow, topped
by a layer of ash from the recent eruption, then another layer of
snow.
En route to the valley of
Domadalur, we'll cross several small rivers. Here in the
highlands, there are no bridges. Most likely we can bike right
across the rivers, but be prepared to wade!
Our picnic lunch comes
just before the first of these streams. Lunch consists of an
assortment of cheeses, meats, vegetables, and breads. For dessert,
we get our first skyr a uniquely Icelandic dish that's
reminiscent of a creamy, tangy yogurt -- but much better, we all
agree.
After lunch, Halldor points out
the best way to bike across: Start on the left, get two-thirds of
the way over, but continuing directly to the other side plunks you
in a hidden trough. Instead, turn right, go briefly upstream, then
exit. One by one we give it a try. About half the group manages to
keep their feet dry.
Tonight we'll stay in a
mountain hut in the scenic region of Landmannalaugar. Here,
we're in the midst of a huge volcanic region left from the ice
age. The volcano erupted under the ice, creating the beautiful
colored mineral known as rhyolite. Later eruptions have left
moonlike structures of black basalt.
A naturally warm river nearby
provides the evening's relaxation.
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This is a layover day, added after our
first (year 2000) trip to Iceland. We only spent one night in
Landmannalaugar that year, but our group loved the area so much,
that we decided to add a day here.
Landmannalaugar sits within a
giant volcanic crater, some two miles in diameter. Other volcanoes
have erupted within this crater. Today we'll hike up the most
beautiful of them, Brennisteinsalda. Much of the terrain is made
up of rhyolite, a colorful igneous rock produced by the volcano.
The trail winds through a 500-year-old lava flood of basalt, with
shiny fragments of flintstone throughout. The colorful landscape
is among the most photographed sights in Iceland, as broad swaths
of green moss, black lava, orange rhyolite, and white snow stretch
below a blue sky.
Eons ago, a troll walked up this
same mountain, returning home after an amorous night on the town.
Trolls cannot survive the sunlight, however. This one walked too
slowly, and when the morning rays touched him, he turned to stone
-- or so say the sagas. The Brennisteinsalda hiking trail passes
the tall spire of basalt which, according to this saga, was once
our lover-boy.
The afternoon offers further
hiking and biking options. But only if you can tear yourself away
from the hot river! A two-minute walk from our mountain hut, a
geothermal stream pours into a cooler river. You pick the
temperature you want, position yourself accordingly, and relax, as
the cares of the world vanish.
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Landmannalaugar to Holaskogur (35 miles)
Jules Verne set his
science-fiction novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth,
at a crack in the earth right here in Iceland. Those who wish to
follow his intrepid explorers will find many cracks today that
still seem to go all the way to the center.
But the hiking here is equally
spectacular, with ever-changing views. This morning, we'll have
a guided hike through the rocky landscape of Landmannalaugar.
After lunch, we bike to the beautiful volcanic crater "Ljotipollur"
(which translates as "Ugly Puddle" -- Viking humor)
and cross a black desert of lava ash. You'll have no trouble,
here, understanding how this trip got its name!
We finish today's biking
in Holaskogur, at a new mountain hut equipped with showers and
kitchen, and what is said to be the coldest drinking water in
Iceland. Halldor and Gerda have already been busy in the kitchen,
and the smell of roast lamb fills the air as we walk in. They also
know how to take care of vegetarians; everyone will fall asleep
quite contented, tonight.
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Holaskogur to Arnes (27 miles)
This morning we head up a
mountain -- but not all the way, your thighs will be happy to
hear -- for a look at Haifoss, the second-highest waterfall in
Iceland.
Back down in the valley, we
explore a unique place known as a Gjain (rift or gulf ).
The gjain was carved out by a glacial waterfall. Its walls are
covered with columnar basalt, and a crystal-clear river now runs
through. The banks are covered with the beautiful plant Hvonn
(angelica).
After the gjain we
continue to Thjorsardalur, where a Viking farm was entombed in
AD 1104 by ash from the volcano Hekla. The ruins were dug up in
the 1930s by a team of Scandinavian and Icelandic archaeologists.
The farm of Stong was particularly well preserved under the layers
of white volcanic ash, and in 1974, the farm was reconstructed to
provide a glimpse of what life must have been like for the early
Viking settlers. Walls are constructed from thick layers of turf.
The dairy room, a large lavatory, and long wooden sleeping benches
are all on display.
We'll live more comfortably. At
our guesthouse tonight we'll be next door to a hot jacuzzi and a
new geothermal swimming pool.
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Arnes to Geysir to Reykjavik (35 miles of
biking)
A few years back, some
kooky Frenchman swam from Europe to America, albeit with
considerable help from ocean currents and winds. We'll make the
trip an easier way: We'll walk it.
First come two other
spectacles. We start at the mighty Gullfoss (Golden Falls), a
wide, cascading waterfall crashing into a deep chasm. Iceland is
full of waterfalls, and we've already seen many. Arched by a
rainbow, perpetually shrouded in mist, Gullfoss is the best-known
of them all. A more distant overlook provides a view of the falls
and the gorge below. A short trail allows the more adventuresome
to walk right into the spray beside the falls.
Nearby are the hot springs and
geysers. The celebrity here is Geysir, the original
hot-water fountain from others got their generic name. Geysir is
in retirement, however, and erupts less frequently than it once
did. The best show is likely to come from Strokkur, which blows
roughly every 10 minutes.
Our biking trip ends at
lunch today, when we reach Gullfoss and the geysers. Then we
continue, in the van that will take us back to Reykjavik, to the
national park of Thingvellir, notable in two respects.
Thingvellir is the site of
the Viking parliament, Althingi, and the park is rooted in Viking
history.
Thingvellir is also the spot
where the continental plates of America and Europe meet.
Politically, Iceland is part of
Europe. Geologically, while most of Iceland lies on Europe's
tectonic plate, the southwestern part and most of the population
are on the American plate. Slowly, the two are inching apart.
(Or centimetering apart, in the case of the European
plate.) You can literally stand on a high cliff at the end of
America and watch Europe recede.
Today we'll hike across that
continental rift, enjoy the views from both sides, and stroll
along the base of a cliff that represents, quite literally, the
edge of America. Afterward, then ride back into Reykjavik, where a
tasty seafood dinner awaits our whole group, and a gay disco
awaits those who still have some energy! |
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Those flying back to the U.S today will
catch an afternoon flight. That leaves time in the morning for
more sightseeing in Reykjavik. Shop for an Icelandic sweater, or
visit the National Gallery, Natural History Museum, or the
National Museum, for cultural and historic artifacts. Relax at the
coffee shop. Or -- we've saved the best for last, of course -- did
you know that Reykjavik is home of the world's only Phallological
Museum? And it's right on the main street. This is, after all, the
country that requires a nude shower (their emphasis)
before you hop into a public swimming pool. And speaking of those
pools: You may be tempted to take a last dip in the Blue Lagoon en
route to the airport.
On the way home, look down
on ice-covered Greenland, and wonder, as countless others have,
about the irony of these two islands' names. We like the theory
that says this was the work of the earliest spinmeisters:
The Greenlanders were trying to sell housing lots and named their
island accordingly. (Their descendants now sell real estate in
Florida.) The Icelanders, on the other hand, knew they'd found a
good thing and just wanted to keep discourage visitors.
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