Up and about at the campsite this morning. A coffee knocked back in a hurry, and off we go again for another day of adventure: next stop, Vatnajökull!
Today, the plan is simple: track, track and more track.
1Snæfell 8:53
We tackle the F910 and before long the scenery turns incredible. Vast open expanses, mountains, almost lunar landscapes and, in the distance, the gigantic Vatnajökull, Iceland’s largest glacier, starting to reveal itself.
2F909 9:28
But goodness me, this F910 goes on forever!
And we have to admit it: a big chunk of it is frankly bloody boring. Stones, endless washboard and, above all, dust, dust and yet more dust!
It gets everywhere! The Defender gets a serious coating, and so do we. Today we’ve definitely eaten a few kilos of Icelandic dust.
Luckily, there’s more to the F910 than that. Between stretches that shake us about in every direction, the scenery is simply stunning.
3F909 9:45
A quick break facing the glacier
4F910 13:05
And then there are the fords! Three in total today.
A few really fun crossings spice up the route, one of them far more impressive than the rest. We stop, size up the crossing for a bit and then… here we go!
The Defender wades in and gets across without a hitch.
Some bikers have to cross behind us too. So we hang around to film their crossing. Once they’re over, we go and give them the video. A simple little exchange in the middle of nowhere, but that’s also what we love about this kind of trip.
5F910 13:37
We then carry on along the F903, and finally the F902.
And the kilometres keep piling up: 262 on the clock that day.
Some stretches are magnificent, others a bit trickier. It’s bumpy, it sometimes slips on the stones, we’re still swallowing just as much dust, but the scenery around us is so mind-blowing that we almost forget how long the track is.
Almost.
Because after several hours of stones and washboard, we’re starting to get just a tad fed up!
Driving on the moon
7F903 15:20
But do I regret coming all this way?
Not for a second.
Because little by little, Vatnajökull fills the whole view ahead of us. That huge mass of ice is truly impressive. Here we are with our little Defender in the middle of gigantic landscapes, and once again we realise just how good Iceland makes us feel.
8Hraundalur 15:39
After a simple sandwich wolfed down at lunchtime, we finally reach the end of the F902 and decide to settle in at the hut, facing Vatnajökull.
And here, let’s just say the Icelandic summer lives up to its reputation: it’s cold and blowing an absolute gale!
Luckily, there are free toilets and, best of all… A SHOWER!
OK, let’s not get too carried away: 5 minutes max!
But after all those hours on the track and all that dust, those five minutes feel almost like a spa session.
Shower: approved!
9Sigurðarskáli 17:01
NGrágæsadalur night
Tonight we’re going to try to make ourselves a proper hot meal: a nice soup to warm up, then the chicken left over from yesterday, with rice.
All in all, it’s been a long, dusty and at times properly bone-shaking day, with a few slightly more technical bits, but above all it’s given us absolutely stunning scenery, some really fun fords and that incredible arrival facing Vatnajökull.
So tonight, the Defender is parked up, the glacier is right in front of us, the wind is still howling outside and the dust can jolly well wait until tomorrow.
Right then… CHEERS! After a day like that, it’s officially apéro time!