Raving Ravens

Winter Driving in Iceland

Driving in the winter time can be tricky in Iceland. We've had a lot of snow in the last few weeks and roads have been closing down frequently due to snow and storms. 

I've been travelling quite a bit in the last few days as I've been teaching my course in Social media marketing in both Isafjordur in the Westfjords and Kirkjubæjarklaustur in the east. The roads were icy, I caught storms and on the mountains there was a lot of snow on the road. But I was well prepared and really enjoyed my trips. Though I was driving in the dark all the time I used the opportunity to take a few photos of the northern lights and the beautiful winter scenery :)

The right vehicle
I recommend you rent a 4x4 with studded tires and take into account that you might need a few extra hours for the trip. 

Be prepared
For safety you should also make sure you have extra food and drinks in the car and a warm blanket in case you get stuck somewhere. Have a full tank of fuel and let someone know at the hotel or where you're staying when you expect to arrive, so arrangements can be made if you don't show up. You can call 1777 for updates on traffic conditions before you head out into the country side in winter time. 

 

The sign in Seltún, Krýsuvík where you can find geothermal springs. The wind was over 20 m/sec, snow and very little visibility.

An angelica standing in the ice by Seljalandsfoss waterfall.

 

A fishing boat in safe harbour in Súðavík, in the Westfjords.

 

Better not drive too fast on the icy roads. This one had lost control and rolled over in the snow. Luckily, no one got injured.

 

A charming old farm in Hestfjordur in the Westfjords with the northern lights dancing above it.

 

A picture can never do the northern lights justice, but they simply filled the sky right above me, and were reflected below on the semi-frozen sea. It was impossible to capture the scale of it, but here is a glimpse. To realize the size of it, the mountain in the picture is about 3-400 meter high.

 

The northern lights were so bright that you could have driven with the headlights off. I don't recommend it though ;)

Have a nice trip! :)

Hjörtur

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Lost in Iceland - Searching for a plane wreck

Marco Asbach had seen a plane wreck somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the Sigur Rós film Heima. So while travelling around Iceland this summer he decided to go search for it. Here is his video from the search:

Iceland 2011 - Lost In Iceland from Marco Asbach on Vimeo.

The plane wreck is an old US military plane that had an emergency landing on the Solheimasandur. Please treat it with respect if you go there.

You can see more of Marco's videos on Vimeo.

Hjörtur

Driving in Iceland - it's not without reason some roads are for 4x4 only

On the news day I heard about a group of tourists who had rolled over their small rental car - in Kjalvegur. Kjalvegur is a road open only to 4x4 cars - and only in the summer time. This is what it looks like in the winter:

(Kjalvegur in the winter time. Image: mbl.is)

And this was not the car they were driving, but just a small, ordinary front wheeled car. You can drive Route 1 - the Ring Road in Iceland in an ordinary car without any problems, but many of the highland roads are for 4x4 cars only, and only open part of the year. I strongly recommend following these rules as your car is not insured if you go onto F-roads, which are 4x4 roads only. These tourists that rolled over their car today were lucky. They got away unharmed, but their wallet probably did not. 

If you want to explore the highlands you can do so. There are guided tours in super jeeps all year round that can take you anywhere - and I mean anywhere. They've driven these cars to both the North Pole and the South Pole and back!

The modified Toyota Hilux from Arctic Trucks that the Top Gear team took to the Magnetic Pole.

Iceland is wild, untamed nature. Be smart and follow good advice from the locals and you'll have a fantastic time exploring it, whether in winter or summer :)

Hjörtur

Spring Break in Iceland

Rachel and Ben, a young couple from the US, decided to go to Iceland on their spring break last year and made a short documentary about their adventure. In 7 days during spring break they drove 1500 miles around the arctic, volcano island. Here is their story:

 

So, do you have plans for spring break?

Hjörtur

Video and images by Ben Erhard.

Iceland Complete, or how to travel on a tour bus around Iceland as an anti-tourist

This is a guest post written by Jonathan Gagnon, a Canadian and Icelandophile, about his travels in Iceland.

Many people come across traveling almost by coincidence. Not me. I had barely started school that I was deeply passionate about the world. I spent my childhood reading every book possible on so many countries that I hoped to visit some day. Then came the Internet.

I fell in love with Iceland at a time where the web was showing its endless possibilities. Almost without realising it, the few minutes I spent each day reading Icelandic newspapers or watching Icelandic television had given me a rather good grasp of the language. But I had to wait until I took German classes to finally understand the grammar!

Years passed. I lived in Berlin and Dresden, visited Denmark, Prague, a bit of France, spent some time in London... But I wasn't even thinking of going to Iceland, a destination unaffordable for budget travelers.
Fast forward to March 10th 2010. I am in Toronto for a job interview. As I take a seat on the subway, I notice an advert from Icelandair. I didn't get the job but I got my trip to Iceland. I landed in Keflavik, from Boston, at 6:20 on May 12th 2010.

On a road trip in Iceland - the view from the bus. By Jonathan Gagnon.

For someone who prefers to travel independently, and whose mindset can be best summarised as « act like a local », my trip to Iceland was a sort of anti-climax: I booked the « Iceland Complete » package from Icelandair Holidays. Yet, it offered exactly what I wanted: tour the island.

We were a great group of 22, led by tour guide Helga Hansen. Seven days around the country, and six nights in Vik, Höfn, Egillstadir, Myvatn, Akureyri and Borgarnes. I didn't have enough eyes to see everything, I quickly lost control of my camera and left Iceland with 1800 photos!

Þorvaldseyri, below Eyjafjallajokull volcano during the eruption. By Jonathan Gagnon.

Driving through the ash cloud was definitely an unforgettable experience. But volcano or not, my trip was paid off after just one day: Geysir, Strokkur, Gullfoss, Hellisheiði geothermal station, Setjlalandsfoss, Skogafoss... there was no doubt we were in Iceland.

Speaking of ice, Vatnajökull dominated the second day. The « cruise » at Jökulsarlon was spectacular.The cloudy sky made Myrdalssandur even more intriguing. Later that evening, as I took a walk under the rain in Höfn, I saw a dark blue sky I had never seen elsewhere.

The weather got literally mad between Höfn and Egillstadir. From the bus, I could see high waves hitting on the coast. In Stödvarfjördur, Petra's Stone Museum was an excellent way to discover what the wonderful landscapes of Austurland have to offer.

For those in the Myvatn area, you can swim in the Nature Baths for half the price and with a smaller crowd than the Blue Lagoon. And afterwards, why not dropping by Dimmuborgir to say hi to the trolls living there. I should also mention my respect for people living in Modrudalur, as I wouldn't stand such isolation.

Before Akureyri, we stopped by the wonderful Godafoss before going back in time with traditional Icelandic life in Laufas. I really liked walking around Akureyri, but my main highlight there was my dinner: whale.

The surreal geothermal area of Namaskard in Northern Iceland. By Jonathan Gagnon.

My main memory of the road to Borgarnes was to have forgotten to use the toilet after lunch at
Stadarskali... But joking aside, the colour of Barnafoss itself was a reason to stop. Oh and the fresh tomatoes that were sold in a cart near a thermal source. Earlier in the day, we had a very nice Icelandic horse show in Saudarkrokur – the owners didn't speak much English, a great cultural exchange... and the woman told me she didn't remember anyone coming with a tour group that understood Icelandic.

I don't really have any complaint on the weather but I'd have loved sun when we walked throughThingvellir, a place I hold in high respect due to my great interest in the history of Iceland. Thankfully,it was clearer when we drove through the Nesjavellir area and were then dropped at our hotel after alook at the capital from Perlan.

I spent my final two and a half days exploring Reykjavik as much as I could, both by foot and by bus. Prior to my depature from Canada, I had requested a tour of the Althing, so now I can add it to the parliaments I have visited. As for the « more normal » tourist attractions I saw, I covered what's included with the Reykjavik Welcome Card: National Museum, Maritime Museum, National Culture House, Zoo, City Museum and the Settlement Exhibition. Video will have to wait...

I have absolutely loved the food served in restaurants and I have tried many new things in Iceland,such as whale and puffin. Months later, I am still speechless when I think that we were served fresh homemade soups in gas stations at lunch.

 

 

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I came to Iceland conquered in advance and was not disappointed one second. And even if I traveled with a tour group, I was able to go local by speaking as much Icelandic as I could and by buying a couple of snack things at the local grocery.

At 125 ISK for one Canadian dollar, I concluded the same about prices in Icelandic supermarkets than I did in Denmark: Similar than in Canada. The same goes for alcohol by comparing ATVR prices to SAQ...
Now, having already seen « most » of the country, I'm not in a hurry to go back but I will. Snaefellnes,West Fjords and Vestmannaeyjar are missing. And why not the north-east: Husavik, Raufarnahöfn,Langanes?

Then, I'll be able to buy the famous « Iceland – Been There Done That » t-shirt...not before!

 

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Jonathan Gagnon

Get Your Kicks on Route 66 - The Icelandic Way!

Arctic Puppy on Route 66. This is a rare plant and protected,
 so you better drive carefully ;)

 
Like every true traveler, I've had the dream of driving down Route 66, starting in the north and heading south experiencing all the fantastic adventures that await you on such a journey.

Well, last Saturday I actually did it. I took off and drove to the north end of Route 66 - in Iceland! Yep, we've got one here too, and I have to admit, it is a little bit different from what I've seen of US 66. But actually, only a little bit, since both lie over deserted, sandy landscape with little vegetation. There were just no souvenir shops on this one. 

Route 66 in Iceland is an old mountain route going from Isafjordur in the northern Westfjords to Kollafjordur in the southern part, stretching just over 20 km. Yep, that's it. Still, it's an adventurous route and you shouldn't expect anything less than - 66 minutes to drive it. It took me almost two hours with several stops to take pictures, enjoy the view and allow the kids to play. 

 

A French hitchhiker enjoying the view on Route 66.

The Hitchhikers

I started the trip in Reykjavik turning of Route 1 onto Route 60 in Borgarfjordur. After driving about 200 km I turned onto a mountain road called Þorskafjardarheiði, picking up two hitchhikers on the cross roads. This was a French couple and to my surprise, I recognized the girl. She lived here a year ago and was in the same quire as my wife. Even came to my house once. They were heading to the same end destination as I was, so I took them on a little extra adventure on the way - the non-famous route 66 in Iceland. No problem since I only had two of my kids with me in the car. And this was not going to be the last time our paths would cross in unexpected locations that week.

What to see
I'll let the pictures do the talking:

 

The start of Route 66

You won't be doing this route 66 in an old Cadillac Eldorado convertible. This road is for four-wheel drive only.  

How to cross a river on Route 66 :)

 

Looking adventurous, rough gravel road, untamed wilderness, broken windshield on the four wheel drive, no sign of human life ... 

Thankfully, there isn't much traffic on Route 66 in Iceland.

Going downhill again. This was were we parked when we ate our lunch pack. Just on the road.

   

And as you know, elves are everywhere in Iceland and if you're lucky, you might actually spot some.

 Clearly one of my favorite roads in Iceland :) You can see more images from the Icelandic Route 66 in the video:

 

Hjörtur

ps. if you'd like me to do more exciting road trip articles, vote for my family here - we are currently #1!

All pictures are mine except of the car crossing the river which are shot by Emma Laigle.