Highland Adventure - ADV Tour of Iceland

“It’s happening.”

The moment my tires rolled off the tarmac and onto the dirt, the reality struck me. Fifteen years of wanting, waiting and dreaming had come to an end. I finally made it to Iceland, and was going to experience it the only way I ever imagined: from the seat of a motorcycle. It all became real once the knobs were in the dirt, and I felt the raw terrain of Iceland flowing beneath me.

“Welcome,” the land of fire and ice whispered to me.

After a few short farm roads, our group stopped to reconvene before we ventured north toward Iceland’s famous Highlands. Here it was laid out before me: a dirt road winding next to a crystal blue stream, flowing with water as pure as the Arctic air. Purple wild flowers clawing their way out of the volcanic soil, scorched less than 20 years ago by the snow-kissed volcano on the horizon. Blue skies overhead with wisps of storm clouds in the distance. The road north was marked with caution signs on either side—the gateway I had long been waiting for: Your adventure begins here.

With the push of a button, the Husqvarna 701 Enduro purred to life. I savored a rush of cool air in my lungs and felt butterflies dancing in my stomach, or what were likely the wingbeats of Valkyries. I relished the moment just a little longer—the beginning. It’s captivating, and a little ironic, to feel so present in moments that can seem so surreal. “Someday” was finally now. I clicked into gear and rolled across the threshold into my Iceland adventure.

Quite obviously, I was pretty thrilled to be welcomed on a three-day tour of Iceland’s Highlands with Ride With Locals, which promised an advanced ride aboard Husqvarna 701 Enduros. Ride With Locals in Iceland offers multiple packages, all the way up to a seven-day tour, each one covering different areas of the country, from the volcano-strewn southeast to the remote West Fjords in the northwest. Something told me three days would be enough, and I was right.

Any one of these tours will take you through dramatic landscapes: steaming mountains, volcano craters, waterfalls, glaciers and emerald-green canyons cutting through black desert. This strange land is the stuff of fantasy—the unique geology and the stunning beauty are what put it at the top of my bucket list for so long. And how else can you experience a place like this but from the seat of a motorcycle, where you can feel the cold splash of a river crossing, smell the volcanic soil and taste the rain? And of course, the thrill of flat tracking through sweeping turns, launching off lava rocks and roosting your way up hill climbs turns the entire experience into a blood-pumping feast for the senses. It was a feast I gorged myself on as we made our way north and delved deeper into the highlands. Along with the excitement came a growing sense of tranquility as the everyday world drifted away in the dust behind us. The only thing to sense was this new otherworldly landscape rushing toward us, revealing itself more with every twist of the throttle. When Zen masters opine about presence, I imagine this is what they are talking about.

On any Iceland tour, experiencing the unique wilderness is the main focus. It’s like nowhere else on earth. “Most people have never seen landscapes like this. They want to see the waterfalls and the volcanos and take pictures,” explained Skuli, co-owner and tour guide of Ride With Locals. These tours take you to some incredible spots and remote areas; you are touring the terrain rather than tackling it, but there are definitely some advanced aspects to the ride. And of course, the difficulty level can largely depend on the volatile weather.

“What kind of weather should I expect on our trip?” I asked Skúli as I was making preparations for the trip.

“All of it,” was his reply.

Roger that. I was generously kitted out by First Gear with waterproof, windproof jacket and pants, multiple sets of gloves and extra thermal layers. I also had my waterproof socks, base layers, prepped goggles… bring it on, Iceland! Imagine my surprise when our forecast read 60°F and sunny for our three days. Not exactly what I had anticipated. It felt more like summer in Big Bear, not that I was complaining. And by the way, don’t be fooled by these photos, this is not normal weather for the area. Don’t head to Iceland expecting moderate temperatures and blue skies. Far more often it’s rainy, windy and cold, even in the summer.

“You are lucky bastards,” Skuli remarked with a big Viking laugh. He explained that it had rained for several days straight leading up to our trip. Not that we would have known it. Winds quickly sapped the moisture from the top layer of soil, leaving dust in our wake as we continued north. The road weaved its way through lava fields, the black landscape dotted with the occasional white fluffy dots—grazing sheep it turns out. (Grazing on what, it’s hard to know.)

Temperatures dropped as we climbed higher in elevation at the base of Mount Hekla, even coming across the occasional patch of snow. We arced our way west through the foothills of the volcano until we came to the cabin where we stayed our first night.

Lucky bastards, we were, as we lounged on the deck sipping Viking lagers on a sunny summer evening as Skuli grilled cod and chicken on the barbecue. There was an arctic stream flowing behind the cabin, and a brave few opted to take a dunk in the 37°F water. But an instantly numb foot quickly reminded me that I’m a Southern Californian, and that there was a perfectly good shower inside the cabin.

The ride on the first day was a leisurely one, which was fitting, since our group spent most of the day taking in the sights: picturesque waterfalls, Mount Hekla and the occasional wildlife which includes sheep, Icelandic ponies and lost tourists. The maps provided on the Ridewithlocals.is website give you an idea of where you’ll be going, but the route remains open to interpretation. If Skuli and Olaf decide you’re up for the task, a detour or two could be on the menu. And fortunately, our group was deemed worthy.

On day two, our morning started with a high-speed blast east toward Fjallabak, past Mount Hekla. Our morning was full of sightseeing: volcano craters, lakes and our first water crossings. Somewhere along the line we crossed over to the “green” side of the Highlands. We passed through some hot spots populated with Highland explorers: hikers, backpackers and mountain bikers. We stopped for lunch at Landmannalaugar (a.k.a. the Mountain Hut) where, much to my delight, a bus-turned-convenience-store offered fresh coffee.

The caffeine boost was well timed because from there, Skuli informed us we were heading to one of his “secret trails.” This is where the advantage of riding with locals pays off. While access to the Highlands is pretty generous, with well-maintained roads allowing you to navigate your way to the popular sights, that’s not what true off-roaders crave. And you won’t find the broken two-track road that we took on day two on any map.

Skuli’s secret trail took us off the beaten paths of busses and Jeep tours and into a landscape all our own, without a soul in sight. We enjoyed a few hours of rocky ridges, canyons, rolling hills, some tricky hill climbs and countless water crossings—nothing too extreme, but it proved to be a fun challenge on a 701. The most technical aspects were the water crossings—many of them very wide, rocky and more than axle deep. Depending on the glare on the water, it wasn’t always possible to see the bottom. Grapefruit-sized rocks and a deep, fast-moving current were enough to knock me off balance a few times through one particular canyon, and by the grace of Odin (and my large British friend, Carl), I managed to not drop the 701 in the drink. That reminds me, be sure to bring waterproof socks! Yes, they exist. Yes, they work (incredibly well!) and yes, you will need them. In fact, don’t even come to Iceland without them.

Our challenging detour was the highlight of day two, and left all of us pretty sapped. After 125 miles (200km) of dirt on day two, it was a welcome relief to arrive at the summer house in Fjallabak where we would spend the second night. There was nothing on this earth better than pulling up to cold beer, Pink Floyd and the smell of roasting lamb on the barbecue. And rather than an icy stream, this time, a hot tub was out back. Valhalla on earth is a sunny summer night in Fjallabak.

Dinners were a family-style affair with homemade dishes: Meat, meat and more meat. When in Iceland it’s only fitting to feast like a Viking, right? So, stock up on your vegetables at home, because you’re not going to get a lot here. Our feast on night two was a tray full of horse steaks (may my mother forgive me), and a leg of lamb with a generous bowl of cheese sauce. Just when I was thinking that our group of eight couldn’t possibly consume all this meat on night two, the second lamb leg appeared. “You always have to have two,” explained Olaf. “So it’s not limping in heaven.”

Day three was full of more stunning sights, including the Myrdalsjökull glacier. We covered quite a bit of distance as we crossed Mælifellssandur, the black sand desert—truly a magnificent sight, especially when you turn a corner to find a waterfall flowing into an emerald-green valley. We encountered a little bit of weather as we headed further west. Oddly enough, we got rained on as we rode through a dust storm, all while splashing through glacier melt from Eyjafjallajökull (you’ll only be able to pronounce that if you’re a native Icelander, or a really good beat-boxer).

We stopped to overlook Markarfljotsgljúfur Canyon, called the Grand Canyon of Iceland, yet another incredible vista in the Highlands. One of our final stops before rejoining civilization was at Gluggafoss waterfall. What better way to cap off three days of riding in Iceland than by washing your face off in a waterfall?

In total, we covered about 330 miles: 93 on day one, 125 on day two and 110 miles on day three. Of those miles, a 30-mile stretch was paved highway (to and from Skuli’s house in Selfoss) with the rest off-road. Even as the shortest trip on the Ride With Locals menu, the three-day Highland tour proved to be plenty for me—well worth hopping a flight to Reykjavik!

It ended pretty quickly on day three with hasty goodbyes and a ride back into Reykjavik from Skuli. I spent the short car ride in mute contemplation, unable to quite find the words to reflect on the last three days. I was simply overwhelmed by the experience. What do you do when you cross item number one off your bucket list? What’s left to dream about?

Two days later I was soaking my sore muscles in a natural hot spring on the north coast of Iceland overlooking the Greenland Sea still asking the question: What could possibly ever be this good? I guess you have to find a new dreamland. It’s easier said than done, but fortunately for adventure riders, there is a big world out there, just waiting to be discovered from the seat of a motorcycle.

For those of you who haven’t yet been to Iceland, the good news is your beginning is still here waiting for you. You lucky bastards.

July 2019