Earning some skills

A MTB-weekend trip from Reykjavík

First idea of the Highlands

I had a look to CNN forecast, it was not that nice, but I wanted to go anyway. The decision was done and I left my work much earlier than usual. I got some fuel for my stove and I packed my bicycle. At four o' clock I startet to Þingvellir. It was quite rainy and I did not enjoy to much.
Things changed when I left the paved road and continued on a gravel one to Hvalvatn. Sometimes it was like cylcling on a washboard but it was ok. I got more and more tired, anyway I kept in mind to sleep at Hvalvatn. It was quite a lot of work to reach up to there. I go some idea of the rude roads of the Icelandic Highlands. The last seven kilometres were really tough when I had to climb up the steep rough road up the lake.
Finally I arrived and put up my tent immediately. In spite of having cycled a lot did not feel really tired, therefore I enjoyed after cooking some past the last sunshine. I tryed to walk to Glymur, the highest waterfall, I failed it was to far away. In the end got into my sleeping bag at one o'clock and had some sweet dreams.

Facts:
76km - 4:40h; Reykjavik - Mosfellsbær - Þingvellir - 52 - Hvalvatn.

Highlands for beginners

Next morning I woke up ten o'clock, it was too hot in the tent I could not sleep anymore. The weather was great, I had nice views to the Langjökull. A lot of cars were passing me, all the dust they made was a little bit anoying. After passing some boring lava scenery I stopped at a viewpoint near Þórisjökull. A car stopped and the driver shaked my, it was amazing he was from my company, Iceland is a little country...
I continued to Surtshellír and walked through the lava tunnel. After that I tryed to make as much kilometres as possible, because I had to return back to Reykjavík on Monday for work. I stopped cycling ten o'clock and built up my tent on soft moos ground. I did not cook, because after some Skyr I bought at a gas station I was not hungry anymore, I sleeped at once.
Facts:
120km - 7h; Hvalvatn - Kaldidalur - Surtshellir - Grahraun - 518 - 519 - Reykholtsdalur - 50.

Nice greetings to the map surveyers!

It was the same like the day before, the sun barbecued me in the tent and I continued at nie o'clock. First there happened that much but than I had to climb some attitude to come down to Hvalfjörður. It was nice to have some nice ground on the route 1 again, I never had that bad roads like in Iceland before. Having the wind in the back sometimes ahead I went through the fjord, than I left the road for doing some hike to the Glymur waterfall.
After doing some pasta for lunch I hiked up the mountain to waterfall. The falls were quite nice but not that important to see (Later I was told to climb up at the right side of the fall, not the left one like I did. So I shouldn't blame Icelands highest fall - at least I was told this ;-). The weather suddenly changed, first it was just raining, then even hailing.
I returned to my bike and put on all my raining equipment. Since now cycling in the cold rain was quite ugly. I was really jealous of the dry people passing me in their cars.
After the next bend the rain stopped and I got the idea to go offroad again. I recognized a secret path on the map round the Esja, I thought this should be a nice shortcut. Continuing on the road to Þingvellir I left this one and it costed me quite some time to find the path.
Finally I found it and it got more and more worse. Big stones were lying on the rough path, I wanted to see a car going on this path. I just recognized footprints of some horses. What the hell had the surveyer in mind drawing this ugly path into the map!
It was to late to return so continued. I took some chocolate powder for doping. It worked and I continued. It got very very steep and stopped after every ten meters for taking some rest.
On the other side it was even hard to ride downhill because of this sharp lava stones. Anyway I recognized some MTB-tire prints in the ground, so it could not be that bad.
After a lot of work, passing some small rivers I returned to the number one and did the last kilometers to Reykjavík. Facts:
130km, 8.25h; 50 - Hvalfjörður - 1 - 48 - Möðrvallaháls - Svínadalsa - 1 - Reykjavík.

Maps being used: Ísland 1:250.000 nr 3, 2, 5

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