Iceland from the East to the West?

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BreninBeener
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Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by BreninBeener »

Im in the super lucky position of being able to finish work very soon.

Me and MrsB are super keen to pack as much adventure in before it gets too tough for us.

We have recently watched a film with Emily Batty and friends in and loved the adventure.

However we found an alternative film of the same adventure which we liked a lot more.....

https://youtu.be/ZpPabcMNLJ0

We have seen writeups that feature tarmac riding and some extreme fatbike riding in lava sand. However the above video is pretty much what we would like to do, and how we would like to do it.

Does anyone have any experience or links for such an adventure?

Thanks

Ian
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by jam bo »

Don’t underestimate the weather in Iceland. It can be brutal.
BreninBeener
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by BreninBeener »

I think late summer is kindest, but as ever the planet is throwing low balls as we try and kill it.
The wind seems generally Easterly at that time, but the large empty interior seems pretty committing.

Ian
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by summittoppler »

Me and JC went to Iceland in 2017 and absolutely loved it. The landscape is out of this world. We went at the end of July but think we were extremely lucky with the weather!
Link to BB pics & video:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=10601&p=128178&hil ... nd#p128178

An undertaking across the interior would be a adventure which would be tough to beat. We didn't see many trees so that's a sure sign of a windy place :lol: Be prepared for dozens of river crossings which could prove tricky.
East to west or north to south would be great though.
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by BreninBeener »

Thanks Jeff. I had seen your video previously and that had sown a seed in my mind.

It looks really exciting. I shall work on the logistics😀

Thanks

Ian
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by summittoppler »

BreninBeener wrote: Mon Feb 01, 2021 4:15 pm Thanks Jeff. I had seen your video previously and that had sown a seed in my mind.
:-bd


I'd love to do something like north to south but with Icelands unpredictable weather/terrain, travel plans would be thrown in the air if you ran over by a few days? It would mean buying tickets at the airport!
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by BreninBeener »

Im retired very soon, so time is my luxury😀
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by ripio »

I cycled across Iceland (south to north, Sprengisandur route) in August 1991, then took a bus from Myvatn to Hofn and cycled from there back to Keflavik, all done in a two week holiday from work.
Fantastic trip, great country, always meant to go back but not made it yet.
BreninBeener
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by BreninBeener »

@riplo that sounds fantastic!

Is that the route that is on bikepacking.com?

A bus then ride to the airport sounds great
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by Gari »

Given how relatively cheap it is to fly too Iceland, it might be worth doing a recon trip of something like rte26(Sprenginsandur, as ripio mentioned) or rte35, which starts at Gulfoss(more or less) and can be ridden from the airport or take a bus too. I would say planning a trip through the interior on paper without any experience of cycling in there could be an interesting experience on the ground. Also as mentioned, the wind is something else when it gets going, combined with sometimes really struggling to find a flat spot to pitch, and/or to not being able to get a peg in the ground, can be very wearing!
That said, its a great place to cycle tour in any flavour, in fact its a great place period:)
For reference, I have a couple of EasyJet flights booked for early March(though they have been cancelled!) that cost me £55 rtn each, adding a bike bag/box is £90rtn up to 32kg.
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by BreninBeener »

@Gari that sounds great. I have been before many years ago on a school trekking trip.

But at the time i wasnt really thinking bike rides of the future. Me and MrsB are pretty good at being self sufficient so we shall keep planning.

Does anyone have any map resources? Is the Lonely Planet guide useful for this stuff?

In the video linked above i wrote down the way points and put them into Komoot. It did ok for the first 4, but after that it decided there wasnt a route between the waypoints.

I have emailed the American film maker to see if he has .gpx or resources, but im waiting to hear back.

I shall update this thread with anything i find out and it may mean ithers fancy making a trip too.

Ian
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by Gari »

There is a link to the gpx file in the comments, it’s on his personal site.
Here’s a good mapping online link.
https://en.ja.is/kort/?type=map&x=38732 ... 84&nz=7.08
I use a mapping app that covers roads and most of the gravel routes too, also has local facilities etc too. Really great app with lots of resources. As it’s based on google maps you can get directions to places too much like a satnav, used more than once trying to get to hostels tucked away in small communities:). Maps.me
If you send me a pm I can organise sending you a PDF produced for cyclists, great little map too.
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by Alpinum »

BreninBeener wrote: Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:25 am Does anyone have any experience or links for such an adventure?
Yes.
I traversed the interior a total of 5 times.

The many "This route has never been attempted before and is considered impassable by most cyclists" (a line from the Chris Burkard vid) is just how they (pretentious folks) see it, but it's downright wrong. So often I come across "the route crossed glaciers", "first time ever", "fastest time" and other large words, but in the end, all are just riding the more known double tracks. Trust me, I recognise the terrain and chose routes.
The sandy part in the dark ash Sands where the Batty group ride is pushing bikes is just south of Askja. Been there 3 x, rode that exact stretch twice, once alone, once with my girlfriend, both times ssp and abviously also completely self reliant. the first time I was on 29 x 2.4" tyres, the second time on 29 x 2.6" and in both cases I (and my girlfriend) could happily ride all of it, we simply deflated the tyres to probably 0.5 - 0.7 bar.

I've yet to see a video of any of "those riders" cover terrain on one of the few hardly used and old double track routes or single tracks (except for the Laugarvegur/Skógar trail - the most hiked/ridden trail in Iceland). That's were things get interesting, since the land you're riding on is so dynamic.

Walk 2013.jpg
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I walked this in 2013. Had sent myself resupplies to Nyidalur and Landmanna.
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Alpinum
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by Alpinum »

Rode this alone in 2016 on a rigid ssp:
Ride 2016.jpg
(66.99 KiB) Downloaded 253 times
Resupply at Akureyri and Landmanna.
Red is travel by bike, green by bus.
I travelled clockwise.
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by Alpinum »

Rode this with my girlfriend in 2019 on a HT, ssp:
Ride 2019.jpg
(66.34 KiB) Downloaded 248 times
I also was in Iceland in the Winter of 2014 for some more regular travelling.

If you're serious about it, I can give you some detailed info on the best and nicest options of any traverse of the interior and options how to link up eg. scenic routes with hot pots and good restaurants and loneliness etc.
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by Alpinum »

BreninBeener wrote: Mon Feb 01, 2021 2:27 pm I think late summer is kindest, but as ever the planet is throwing low balls as we try and kill it.
The wind seems generally Easterly at that time, but the large empty interior seems pretty committing.

Ian
Yes, August/September is a great time to travel; rivers are much lower than in summer (most of the snow has melted, cooler days/nights, so less glacial run off), the bus along the Kjölur and to/from Landmannalaugar runs into early September (first and second weekend), less other tourists and wonderful colours of the polar willow and the few other plants. Along the costal regions the birches will be in full autumn glow, it's also the best time for some berries etc. etc.

Wind are a bit tricky in that time of year since Iceland gets the extratropical cyclones which orginiate in the Gulf of Mexico, hammer the US as hurricanes, loose energy when moving North and on the way back to the East gain energy again across the Atlantic and then hit Iceland.
Due to the Coriolis effect you first get hammered by the storm from the East/South East, then it calms down for a few hours or even a day (when the eye of the cyclone passes) and comes just as hard again from the West/North West.
With some foresight it's easy to deal with. If you go blind into the void interior and give a sh!t about the weather, you can get f@cked.
BreninBeener wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 10:57 am Does anyone have any map resources? Is the Lonely Planet guide useful for this stuff?
Here's a map for Basecamp/Garmin:
Alpinum wrote: Wed Feb 20, 2019 6:41 pm Here's the map I meant
http://ourfootprints.de/gps/mapsource-island.html
Other resources are also in that thread and

https://en.ja.is/kort/?

https://map.is/base/

More here
posting.php?mode=quote&f=7&p=111651
Alpinum wrote: Tue Feb 21, 2017 4:26 pm There are huts, emergency shelters and earth huts.

Huts are serviced, have heating, proper kitchen, water, loo etc. and are costly.
Emergency shelters are not serviced, have an outhouse, mostly a water source nearby (not in the case of Kistufell eg.) and same goes for earth huts like the one at Laugarvellir (stupidly great spot with hot pot, some amazing moon-like landscapes and enjoyable double tracks and hard enough surface to go completely cross country w/o leaving tracks just right at the "doorstep"). I never slept in a shelter but came past some and I can't remember any charges. Definately no charges for the earth huts.

Here's another map for Basecamp and GPS (works just fine on Edge 810)
http://www.ourfootprints.de/gps/mapsource-island_e.html
More here:
posting.php?mode=quote&f=7&p=213527
Alpinum wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2020 5:59 pm
voodoo_simon wrote: Fri Apr 17, 2020 1:18 pm Thinking of 2021 for a summer time trek, probably will only get a weeks permission/child care, so looking at a trek* of 4 days with a day either side for travel.
For one week only, I'd clearly stay at home :wink:

Iceland
Given only one week, it seem's most sensible to limit the travels to the (very busy) SW of Iceland.
Good thing is, there are beaten tracks (like the Laugarvegur/Landmannalaugar, Gullfoss, Geysir, Skaftafell, Þingvellir), but it's easy to go off them.

I'd not bother with the Laugarvegur unless you go late;
Into the first week of September the camp ground at Landmannalaugar starts to get empty (as does the famous trail). In the second week those working at the mountain mall return back home, the busses stop running mid September too. If you're an experienced outdoor person, you're comfy with strong winds and infrequent snow storms in the higher regions, the first two September weeks are best. There's a reason why the Laugarvegur is so busy in July/August. The landscape is very unreal. Add on the Skógar trail (over the Fimmvörðuháls) and depending on weather and fitness you have a lovely 2 - 5 days trip. Although walking south you'll not end the hike with a bath in a hot spring (which is in Landmannalauger - hence the name), it's easier to shorten the hike and you end up at the ringroad with easy hitch hiking and regular busses, camp grounds, hostels and hotels. Best to make a reservation in Skógar.

If you plan to go earlier, there are many other fantastic multiday hikes in the Fjallabak besides the overused Laugarvegur/Skógar trail.
Get the maps and put your own route together.
Some established routes that come to mind:
Eldgjá - Skaftá - Langisjór. Rather easy, but can't be always done, as the river Skaftá runs off a sub glacial volcanic system and bursts every now and then.
Laki - Grænalón - Skaftafell. Tough hike, only for very experienced hikers.
Hellismannaleid trail. Easy

Then in the central highlands:
Further afield there's the Kjölur trail or Kjalvegur, yet still easy to get to from Reykjavik.
Hvítárnes - Hveravellir - Varmahlíð. Close up to glaciers (but unlike the Grænalón trail, no glacier crossing involved), yet in the middle of the "desert". The classic route ends in Hveravellir (hot springs, 3 busses/week) but the really remote part only starts at that point and goes all the way up to the Fjords in the North.
This one is great because you travel past touristic places in the south to get to the starting point, with stops to look around (Geysir, Gullfoss, Kerlingarfjöll). Closest town at the end with regular busses/flights is Akureyri.

Mountains of Kerlingarfjöll - many shorter hikes than can be made into a longer one.

Nyidalur, circuit around Tungnafellsjöküll.
The E side of the galcier (Jöküll) is also know as Vonarskarð.
Unfortunately no more busses along the Sprengisandur, which go past the huts at Nyidalur, but regular 4x4 folks for a lift.
moderate route over broad ridges, down smelly valleys with hot pots, over a small pass and onwards to (boring) double tracks which will take you back to the huts.

Eastern highlands:
Askja trail or Oskjuvegur (I only know the area around Askja - but know it well from 3 visits).
Surely not as easy to get to the start/from the end of the trail, but also into September there are still some folks about which can give you a lift. Seems to be very straightforward like the Kjalvegur, yet more remote and a starker desert. Askja is one of the bleakest places in the Highlands, yet magically colourful. Closest town with regular busses/flights is Akureyri.

South Eastern Iceland/highlands:
Lonsoraefi - Snaefell.
Very highly recommended. Similar but no quite as difficult as the Graenalon trail. For experienced hikers nothing crazy. Mostly easy glacier crossings, days of trackless hiking with crazy views. Colourful (rhyolite mountains, mosses), even birch forest, glaciers, no crazy fords a bit of desert and stunning waterfalls and mountains. Ends at the huts at Snaefell - the highest peak outside the Vatnajöküll massif and the most alpine looking one. If there's time left, the mountain Snaefell is a great hike in itself. With a bit of luck you can spot reindeers on this hike.
Starting point can be reached in one long day from Reykjavik by a very scenic bus trip and about 30 min hitch hike.
Ending point (Snaefellskali) will again require getting a lift, but with chances are big that you get this chance daily to Egilsstaðir.

Westfjords:
I've never been to Hornstrandir, but my girlfriend has and thus I know a few things about that region. There are many options for a few days out, but you need to rely on calm weather for many of the options, as starting and ending point can only be reached by boats. With a narrow window not the best idea. Totally different landscape again. Yet one you already have when ending the Northern section of the Kjalvegur.

Iceland is quite straight forward when it comes to known hiking routes. Off course you can go cross country and some of the above mentioned don't actually have a track you can follow in many places, but are just route suggestions - some have cairns. The density of tracks/trails is scarce. Norway is very different. Once you leave vegetation you often just have red marked rocks and cairns. Lower down there's always a tracks of some sorts to follow.

Norway
So many lovely spots to pick from. Again... To great thing about central Norway is, that it can be reached by train within reasonable time.

Central Norway
Breheimen NP
I found Breheimen Nasjonalpark to be very special. Bre = glacier, heimen = home. So, full of glaciers, but many multiday hikes without needing to traverse one. Full of options. Most at the upper end of moderate. You soon end up going over a 1000 m high pass where you'll be going over boulders.

Jotunheimen NP
Similar to Breheimen but busier, as it holds the highest mountains (very busy in summer) in Norway. That's why Breheimen is so lovely, it's kind of hidden behind it large, famous neighbour Jotunheimen.

Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella NP
A bit tamer than the two above, but just as magical. The right place to see muskoxes.
A wonderful blend of what Norways mountains are alike. Has a high peak (Snøhetta, 24th highest in Norway) with an easy hike up too - like Jotunheimen - yet without the hordes.

hmmm... just to name a few. All are equally easy to get to. You can leave home in the morning and spend the first night of the trip in the tent out on the fjell on the same day. But then you miss the fantastic breweries in the cities.

One place I've never been, but looks really special is Femundsmarka NP.


Northern Norway
Lofoten.
As with some places in Iceland, this area is otherworldly. Nothing less.
Most hikes are steep and slippery - it's not a place for folks who struggle with heights.

Rago NP
A little jewel.
Have so far only brushed the boarders when hiking across the Scandies (coming from Sweden; Stora Sjöfallets NP through Sarek NP and Padjelanta NP) but would love to spend some more time there.


Talking about Sweden. The three above mentioned NPs are well worth a visit too. The most inaccessible point in Sweden is actually between Sarek NP and Padjelanta NP. Been there, done that 😉
Sarek's often considered as the last wilderness of Europe - which isn't quite true. The raindeers roaming the Sarek are "herded" by the Sami people.


I could provide tons of photos from all those places mentioned, but have been speed tiping away for more than an hour now, so need a break.
:shock:

I really do hope you can arrange to go for more than just 4 days, but with this here you'll surely find some really nice options.

I've must have spent more than a total of 3/4 year hiking, biking and kayaking in those areas and can help with further planning, maps etc. if needed, also since my last visit to Norway was 2018 and to Iceland 2019.


Here
posting.php?mode=quote&f=8&p=186640
Alpinum wrote: Fri Jun 28, 2019 4:20 pm
Chew wrote: Mon Jun 24, 2019 2:03 pm Just picked up my RSF book and flicking through the pages until I came to the journal about the Iceland crossing.

I need to do a lot more digging about, about the route, logistics, etc..., but if anyone else is interested in doing something like this, or has any advice let me know.

Initially thinking about a 2 week trip sometime in Aug/Sept
Have been 3x, one traverse of the interior from the SE to the SW on foot (650 km) in '13, some more touristy trips on a winter holiday in '15 and a double traverse (horseshoe) of the interior by bike (1200 km) in '16.
Going again this Aug/Sept.
I've said it many times before, early autumn is the best time to visit.

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Hmm... can't remember seeing a lot of people...

They all stick around the waterfalls, craters and geysirs, mostly in the SW, a day's trip from Reykjavik. Then a few touristy spots in the north, but the interior is quite empty. I spent 6 days hiking at 42 km/d average without seeing a single soul (yet, I didn't use any tracks/paths). When riding and sticking to var. types of tracks I had a few days with 100+ km where I didn't see anybody for up to 24 h.

Places like Landmannalaugar - touristy for a good reason are crammed with folks in July and August. End of August the place suddenly is drained from all the Laugarvegur hikers and many day tourists.


Iceland immensely pushed and forced their tourism with extensive advertising in mainland Europe and stop-overs for trans con flights.
Beginning of 2015 the most important economy (fishing) was seconded by tourism, helping them to decrease the depths

"Relative to the size of its economy, Iceland's systemic banking collapse was the largest experienced by any country in economic history"
Iceland's infrastructures weren't capable and the regions refused to work together causing a right mess in '15 and especially '16 onwards. I think by now they should/may have found ways to do something against their home-made mess.

Seems rather hypocritical what Mrs. Okreglicka cries about on the linked BBC article. Icelandic tour operators advert "ecological trips" on which you simply get in a super jeep, drive up a glacier, have lunch and drive back to town.
A bit lame to blame foreign instagrammers...

I've seen superbly stupid behaviour in every country I visited, Iceland Special in that regard, just that its public toilets are where Italy's were some 30 years ago. If the Italians can fix the problem, Icelanders should be able too...
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by Alpinum »

It's ironic how often I get asked or jump into a discussion of folks planning a trip to Iceland and what not, but then never go, or go from planning to traverse the country by bike and end up by hiring a car for half day bike trips.

My advice, go all in. Commit to your dream and find yourself commited when leaving the tarmac and villages etc. behind you for 300 - 400 km.
Well worth the experience. Traverse the interior, it's a wonderful place and will leave a strong memory.
Don't fall for excuses to not do it. No matter at what stage.
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by ripio »

Some photos from my 1991 trip to Iceland

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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by summittoppler »

ripio wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 9:07 pm Some photos from my 1991 trip to Iceland.......
These are great. It must have been doubly fantastic back then with no Google Earth to recce with ;)
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by BreninBeener »

Wow ace photos! Thank you.

Ian
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by ripio »

I'll get the rest of them scanned and put up on flickr sometime soon hopefully and will stick a link on here.

The observant may have noticed that one of my rear panniers ended up being carried hung on my handlebars.
This was because my rear rack broke down near the bottom of one leg and my emergency repair (cable ties) couldn't handle the full load.
Another problem I had was after the bus trip from Myvatn to Hofn, where the bike was carried outside at the rear on a bike rack, so much dust got into my front thumbshifter that it seized up and broke off the handlebar mount. I did the rest of the trip with only the three front chainrings to change gears, but luckily it wasn't too hilly after that.
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by RIP »

That third photo, Ripio, brought back memories! After a mid-1980s fortnight, I was out there again solo for a month (my entire year's holiday allowance at the time!) a couple of years later. There and back by sea - none of that easy aeroplanes malarkey. September so nobody around apart from the odd (very odd indeed!) German/Japanese solo bikers too. Anyway, your photo reminded me how my bike gradually degenerated into a mobile laundry festooned with drying towels and clothes etc. I had basically come to regard it as my home.

Image
Last edited by RIP on Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by summittoppler »

Great pic Reg :-bd

Wouldn't it be great to have a Boners Icelandic Adventure when all this blows over.....
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by ripio »

RIP wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 11:02 am. There and back by sea - none of that easy aeroplanes malarkey.
Ah, yeah, the Smyril Line ferry?
I flew from Glasgow, but always fancied going by boat from Shetland.
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Re: Iceland from the East to the West?

Post by RIP »

ripio wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 6:15 pm
RIP wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 11:02 am. There and back by sea - none of that easy aeroplanes malarkey.
Ah, yeah, the Smyril Line ferry?
I flew from Glasgow, but always fancied going by boat from Shetland.
Yah, Aberdeen to Lerwick for day on Shetland, then carried on to Seydisfjordur. Slept on the floor in the restaurant. On way back popped in on the Faroes and rode to Gjogv at the top end - obv v similar to Iceland.

In a land of superlatives and stunning spots I reckon Askja caldera was my favourite. Scrambled down inside and swam in the milky hot lake!

I must admit skiing on Vatnajokull was pretty bizarre now I come to think about it. Went up there on a beaten up old bus from Hofn after hiding the bike in a hedge (not really, you'd be hard-pressed to find one of them in Iceland!). Everyone else piles out and forks out KRlots to ride round in a snowmobile. From outside it really did look comically tourismo naff and I fancied just looking at (and listening to.........) the glacier on my own. Eventually the bus crew blokes wandered over and asked if I ski'd. Er, after a fashion. Next thing, they go to a little hut, dig some boots and skis out and a skidoo, one bloke puts boots/skis on and gives me the other badly-fitting pair. Skidoo guy proceeds to tow the pair of us around the glacier at a speed that I was not entirely at ease with! And all for free because they just fancied a larf while waiting for the snowmob lot! Snowmobile crowd look totally dumbfounded - and not a little jealous :wink: - as we steam around them.

Goes to show what wacky things occur if you stand back from the crowd and just wait for something to happen, as us Boners tend to do :smile:
Last edited by RIP on Thu Feb 04, 2021 11:16 pm, edited 10 times in total.
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