Backdoors to Asbyrgi, Krafla, Askja, and Landmannalaugar — Iceland 2012
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 529.03 mi
- Elevation gain
- 39,364 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 39,327 ft
- Max elevation
- 3,766 ft
- TrailRank
- 30
- Min elevation
- 0 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- 16 days 12 hours 45 minutes
- Coordinates
- 38192
- Uploaded
- July 3, 2012
- Recorded
- June 2012
near Þórshöfn, Norðurland Eystra (Lýðveldið Ísland)
Viewed 3894 times, downloaded 52 times
Itinerary description
"If anyone tells you the Gaesavatnahleid is impossible, they are
speaking of the old southern route, best known as the road followed by
the escaping hero, Alan Stewart, in Desmonds Bagley's thriller 'Running
Blind'. It's not really impossible, but as yet no tour company is
willing to brave it and, when the new Gaesavatnahleid route opened,
this route stopping being maintained. As a result, this one is an
Iceland's roughest journeys, notorious for floods and deep sand
drifts. It's should only be tackled by at least two hardy 4WDs - it's
also imperative that you ask for advice before venturing out." /Lonely
Planet guidebook/
"Today, these are probably the true examples of the hardest roads in
Iceland, and I have not read of any accounts of them being cycled,
though no doubt it has been done.
The third route to Askja is the western section of F910 Gæsavatnaleið
from Nýidalur, which is discussed below. In fact there is a fourth
route to Dreki, from the NW, connecting with the tracks to the south
of Mývatn, joining Gæsavatnaleið about 35km west of Askja. I suspect
this is the hardest route of all I have seen only one account of this
route being cycled, but it was in Icelandic and I didn’t gain very
much from it, save the impression that it looked hard and
unspectacular." /'Touring Notes: Iceland' by Ivan Viehoff/
Accomplished by two plain MTBs at the beginning of the summer season 2012.
speaking of the old southern route, best known as the road followed by
the escaping hero, Alan Stewart, in Desmonds Bagley's thriller 'Running
Blind'. It's not really impossible, but as yet no tour company is
willing to brave it and, when the new Gaesavatnahleid route opened,
this route stopping being maintained. As a result, this one is an
Iceland's roughest journeys, notorious for floods and deep sand
drifts. It's should only be tackled by at least two hardy 4WDs - it's
also imperative that you ask for advice before venturing out." /Lonely
Planet guidebook/
"Today, these are probably the true examples of the hardest roads in
Iceland, and I have not read of any accounts of them being cycled,
though no doubt it has been done.
The third route to Askja is the western section of F910 Gæsavatnaleið
from Nýidalur, which is discussed below. In fact there is a fourth
route to Dreki, from the NW, connecting with the tracks to the south
of Mývatn, joining Gæsavatnaleið about 35km west of Askja. I suspect
this is the hardest route of all I have seen only one account of this
route being cycled, but it was in Icelandic and I didn’t gain very
much from it, save the impression that it looked hard and
unspectacular." /'Touring Notes: Iceland' by Ivan Viehoff/
Accomplished by two plain MTBs at the beginning of the summer season 2012.
Waypoints
Waypoint
118 ft
Asbyrgi
?sbyrgi
Waypoint
0 ft
Askja
Askja (1510m)
Waypoint
0 ft
Botni
Botni
Waypoint
0 ft
Bridge Skjalfa
Bridge Skjalfandafljot
Waypoint
1,030 ft
Dettifoss
Dettifoss
Waypoint
2,135 ft
Dyngjufell
Dyngjufell
Waypoint
1,172 ft
Eillisvatn
16-JUN-12 20:53:12
Waypoint
2,569 ft
Ford 01Bad
24-JUN-12 1:55:08
Waypoint
2,770 ft
Ford 02
24-JUN-12 3:06:48
Waypoint
2,716 ft
Ford 03
24-JUN-12 4:02:23
Waypoint
2,650 ft
Ford 04
24-JUN-12 19:41:38
Waypoint
2,610 ft
Ford 05
24-JUN-12 20:15:33
Waypoint
2,647 ft
Ford 06
24-JUN-12 22:08:20
Waypoint
2,542 ft
Ford 07
24-JUN-12 22:48:23
Waypoint
1,898 ft
Ford 08
27-JUN-12 18:43:02
Waypoint
1,918 ft
Ford 09
27-JUN-12 19:46:22
Waypoint
1,936 ft
Ford 10
27-JUN-12 20:40:13
Waypoint
1,940 ft
Ford 11
27-JUN-12 20:51:26
Waypoint
1,968 ft
Ford 12
27-JUN-12 21:08:50
Waypoint
1,986 ft
Ford 13
27-JUN-12 21:15:10
Waypoint
2,053 ft
Ford 14
27-JUN-12 22:12:31
Waypoint
1,349 ft
Ford 15
28-JUN-12 0:06:18
Waypoint
0 ft
Godafoss
Go?afoss
Waypoint
0 ft
Kistufell Emrg
Kistufell Emrg
Waypoint
2,613 ft
Krafla
Krafla
You can add a comment or review this trail
Comments