Searching for the remote pearls of the Highlands

[ale]

CIAO!!!

finally our tour report is ready!!! Pictures are linked.

Here the link:

https://sites.google.com/site/icelandinbw/2012-cycling

Briefly: after 4 years of study we came back in Iceland for our second tour with MTB. We've been there in the second half of july 2012. Weather was quite icelandic but the moment we reached Gjostukliff we had sun!!!
We started from Egilsstadir and went to Gragaesavatn, Kverkfjoll, Askja, Gaesavatnaleid, Vonarskard/Snapadalur and ended in Nyidalur. Plan was to go some more south but we had some problems coming out that made us stop in Nyidalur. Here we found out that Soffia is still the warden of the hut!!! She's very nice!!!

I need to thank here Olaf on top of the others who helped us in defining and studying this tour!

Comments are welcome since this is not going to be the last tour in Iceland and we are already preparing a new one even if we do not know when.

As usual for our website pictures are in B/W, it's a choice!

Thanks,
Ale

[Olaf]

Nice to see you had a good trip! You were really lucky with the weather in Vonarskarð, although you appear to have had a lot of water in the Rauðá. A bit of a shame for the trailer to break, but at least you all made it through the real highlights of the trip! The photos made it seem like my own tour was just yesterday...

[Ulla]

Nice images, but all in black and white dont show colorfull Iceland!

[ale]

Hi,

@Olaf: THANKS! Rauðá was not so bad, the water was not so cold and fast!

The trailer failed just because it's not made for the roads we did!!! It's just good for touring on flat paved roads! Only the Bob trailer seems to be the perfect choice for F roads!
My impression is that when the trailer jumps from one stone to the next there are moments when only one of the 2 wheels is grabbing on the ground so all the weight is not balanced on the wheel but it's partly pushing orthogonally to the wheel and after some time the spikes of the wheel loose their thightness making the wheel fail.

On top of this a couple of times the trailer capsized!!!!

G got to Nyidalur only because he knew how to repair the wheel fixing all the spikes, nevertheless as soon as we got on the F26 we asked a car to bring the trailer to Nyidalur. The trailer clearly showed that it is not meant for that roads!

@Ulla: yes I agree colors in Iceland are amazing but that's our style! Anyway we do have the pictures with colours!!!

Ale

p.s. sorry for this late answer but I am moving in an other city in Italy and I am having difficulties with moving the internet connection!

[Andi Schönberger]

Entschuldigt dass ich mich hier mir kurz einmische!!!

seit ein paar Jahren ist es verboten mit Auto bzw. Bike die Vonaskard zu queren! Das sollte nun langsam wirklich bekannt sein!

Wie kann man nun hergehen und das auch noch jetzt im Internet veröffentlichen?

Gerade letztes Jahr habe ich mich in der Vonaskard mit den dafür verantwortlichen Isländern unterhalten, die mir mitteilten dass sie gerade Radfahrer antrafen. Diese hätten sich auf deutsche Webseiten bezogen dass sie hier fahren dürften. Das stimmt aber so nicht!

Mir ist bewusst dass wir durch unsere Berichte so etwas indirekt gefördert haben. Die Zeiten haben sich nun geändert und nun ist es vor allem im Sommer eben verboten durch die Vonaskard zu kurven.

Deshalb hast Du dort auch keine Tracks mehr gefunden und bist neben den Verbotsschildern einfach durch gefahren.

Sorry
Andi

P.S. ich bin jetzt wirklich kein Spießer der sich wegen allem möglichen aufregt aber wenn man 2 Tage lang mit dem Bike und das noch mit 3 Personen, unerlaubt, in gesperrtem Gebiet unterwegs ist, ist das für mich eine andere Sache

[ale]

Hi Andi,

I can only apologize for that.

Ale

[ale]

Hi,

Just one clarification about Vonarskard.

We were allowed to go there. We did register with ICE-SAR, we did ask to the rangers of the park, we did share our trip with the wardens of the hut in Dreki and we reported our trip to the warden in Nyidalur. They gave us permission to go.

Since this is something new I will write a post in the forum about it reporting the latest info we got.

Ale

[Andi Schönberger]

Hi,

Just one clarification about Vonarskard.

We were allowed to go there. We did register with ICE-SAR, we did ask to the rangers of the park, we did share our trip with the wardens of the hut in Dreki and we reported our trip to the warden in Nyidalur. They gave us permission to go.

Since this is something new I will write a post in the forum about it reporting the latest info we got.

Ale

Just one clarification about Vonarskard. It's vorbidden!!

das was du da schreibst ändert aber daran dass es verboten ist und dass es dort keinen track mehr gibt

Seit wann kann Dir ein Hüttenwart so etwas erlauben??? Der kann Dir maximal die Hausordnung vorlesen! ICE-SAR kümmert sich um so etwas gar nicht und da kann ich dir andere Ranger zeigen. Die würden das nicht "erlauben" was nicht zu erlauben ist.

[WERner]

Hallo ihr zwei...

ich hab das hier im Netz gefunden:
http://www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is/st ... nni/nr/717

Datum ist der 2.4.2013.... scheint also recht neu zu sein... es soll geschlossen werden für KFZ und Fahrräder...

Goooogle:

...Der Bericht über Vonarskarð erklärt, dass die Gruppe der Auffassung, dass für den Verkehr Vonarskarð sollte entweder im Sommer oder Herbst geschlossen werden und sollten nicht offen sein für den Verkehr mit Kraftfahrzeugen bis frühestens nach 1 Oktober statt. Das gleiche gilt für Fahrräder. Die Gruppe schlägt vor, Vonarskarð nach Klasse Ib geschützt werden wie durch IUCN definiert, aber nicht als Planungs-Bereich innerhalb der Schutzklasse II, wie es mit anderen wichtigen Wildnis im Park gemacht.
...

[Thomasito]

Hi Ale

I have read your report and I do like it, especially the pictures.
Having been there many times, I saw myself confronted with the same issue.
Can you camp there and can you bring your vehicle?

Well, according to the current puplications, you can not. Andi is right there and the purpose of this post is not denying that in any way.
However, in order to recomprehend his statement, you need to understand a certain chapter of the German culture. We are very keen on laws and regulations and some of us will not hesitate to even shout them at strangers. Especially if the laws and regulations are not ours or ours to enforce. Some may call that responsible but that is just one way to look at it.
I once had a conversation with Icelandic tourguides and they all assured me the knowledge of whatever is forbidden, is much better spread among German tourists than it is among the average Icelander.
Again, some will consider that positive in some way. Personally I think that is ridiculous.
You have asked ICE-SAR and the warden and both had no objections. Therefore I do not see any reason to be accused here whatsoever.
In my opinion you have done your homework and your behaviour was quite adequate.

Have a nice day and many trips like this one

Thomas

Given the last posts, Andi needs to reconsider his signature