DAY TWO

In the morning I awoke at 5am and as there were only the basic facilities (no wheelchair access), at this free campsite, I had to put my Stumpies on to get to the toilets. After a couple of cups of coffee and a light breakfast I packed and set off for Geysir my objective for day 2. The sky was overcast and windless as I set off at 6.30am on a 6km stretch of road that meanders through the lava plain that is covered in low stunted willow and a plethora of bird life. There were some inclines to slow me but nothing to steep. On the other side of the plain I turned left onto the Track 365

which is a track used mainly by 4x4 vehicles but in the summer months two-wheel drives and even buses can be seen using it. As I turned onto this track a German cyclist caught up with me and we both rode together for a while until it became apparent that I was holding him up with my measly top speed of 6-7kph we parted company and the rain started.

This track runs to Laugarvatn some 17km and again climbs up and over lava plain. The rain was getting worse and the wind was starting to pick up. The track was deteriorating rapidly into a muddy river, add to this the hills and inclines and the washboarding, that this causes and you have a tough ride. I saw at one point the German cyclist I'd ridden with earlier, far in the distance walking his mountain bike up a hill, this did not bode well for me. More than once a 4x4 would be coming
over a hill or bluff only to find me on my trike, struggling to climb the other side and in the middle of the road trying to avoid the washboarding. A few close shaves were encountered but all Icelanders are accustomed to these conditions and drive accordingly so I fortunately only received good-natured waves and nods.

One particular hill nearly brought the trip to an abrupt end when the front and only brake failed due to a build up of volcanic mud on the rims. At the top of the hill, which was graded at 14%, I'd stopped and checked my gear for security and tested the brake prior to my decent. However after 50m or so I pulled on the brake to slow things down a bit (I was doing 18-20kph) and nothing happened, WOOPS! I started to snake to avoid potholes, all the time gaining speed. The hill was about 500-600m long with a 75ft drop one side and a rocky wall on the other, I started to consider my options when I looked down and saw that I was doing 48kph. I had just decided to look for a place to have a controlled crash so as to do the minimum damage to the trike and myself when I reached a hairpin turn. Leaning to the right I just about managed to negotiate the turn and to my relief the track levelled out and even up slightly (from the top of the hill it had appeared to go on down). This happened a number of times and I was rapidly running out of mental underpants. At 12.45pm I rode down the final hill into Laugarvatn hitting the safe and solid tarmac of Route 37 after over 6 hours and only covering a mere 23km.
Following a brief rest I headed North East to Geysir and my next campsite. This leg was pretty uneventful compared to the last and although the rain and wind made going tough the road was good and traffic light. I passed a number of farms and smallholdings that from a distance looked like small factories with smoke billowing from chimneys that were in fact buildings that utilise the hot water that is generated deep

underground and emerges as hot springs, this whole area is alive with geothermal energy.
On arrival at Geysir despite being soaked to the skin, I visited the slope that is home to the now extinct or possibly dormant Great Geysir and it's apprentice Strokkur that erupts with boiling water every 3-4 min to a height of approximately 20m. Surrounding these two main attractions is an array of other geothermal phenomenon such as steaming vents warm streams and mineral deposits. Then it was off to the campsite

that is right next door, to get the tent up and some warm dry clothes on. That done and some hot food and coffee inside I took a look at the condition of the track, the F35 or the Kjolur as the Icelanders prefer.

The track had always been the most daunting part of the trip and had actually ended up second choice behind the F26 over to the East. It was in very poor condition, made worse by the incessant rain and northerly wind that was very strong, so that would be a problem and from what I could see there were some very steep hills as well. All in all it didn't look good, I had to make a decision, to go for it on the track or get the once a day bus from Geysir to Akureyri 6 hours to the north. I wanted to do the track but knew it would take a lot longer than I had planned for, perhaps a week longer and that was if I actually completed it considering my experiences on the 365. On the other hand I could take the soft option and get the bus to Akureyri and replan my route from there, I would be missing out on a fair few kilometres but could make them up further on. I decided to sleep on it and make a better decision in the morning.