Langjökull
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 44.71 mi
- Elevation gain
- 4,022 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 4,498 ft
- Max elevation
- 4,739 ft
- TrailRank
- 25
- Min elevation
- 2,030 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- 11 hours 44 minutes
- Coordinates
- 986
- Uploaded
- January 12, 2008
- Recorded
- January 2006
near Gilsbakki, Myrasysla (Ísland)
Viewed 6219 times, downloaded 204 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
My first winter trip through the Icelandic highlands by 4x4 was quite an adventure. The temperature, even up on the icecap, was above freezing, everything was turning to slush (and this in January!). Out of the 8 or so cars, one or more would usually be stuck.
Please note that this track can only be used in winter - and then only by people who know what they are doing - there are crevasses up there capable of swallowing a whole FLEET of 4x4s :-)
Also note that these cars were all heavily modified, 38" to 44" tyres, differential locks front and back, some even had a crawler gear and beadlocks on the tyres. Air pressure was reduced to 3 psi the moment we hit the glacier, then reduced to 3 psi again later (the decreased ambient pressure as we climbed had reinflated them to 6 psi). Rembmering to reverse this process when descending is important!
Please note that this track can only be used in winter - and then only by people who know what they are doing - there are crevasses up there capable of swallowing a whole FLEET of 4x4s :-)
Also note that these cars were all heavily modified, 38" to 44" tyres, differential locks front and back, some even had a crawler gear and beadlocks on the tyres. Air pressure was reduced to 3 psi the moment we hit the glacier, then reduced to 3 psi again later (the decreased ambient pressure as we climbed had reinflated them to 6 psi). Rembmering to reverse this process when descending is important!
Comments (3)
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HOLA SOY UN PRINSIPIANTE DEL 4X4 Y RESIEN LLEGADO A ESPAÑA CUALES SON LAS RUEDAS QUE LLEVAN
I'd say that of course the wheels are equiped with winter tires (made of a type of rubber that resist several degrees below zero without losing its elastic capabilities, basically this means that together with the 'drawing' on the surface the tire sticks well on the snow pack). The reason to be so huge, well I don't know but I guess it is to maximize the surface on the snow (more surface, less chance to sink).
Yes, the wheels are this big in order to lift the car and increase its flotation on snow. A 4x4 on normal tires woud immediately sink to the axles - the thickness of the snow is many metres (and then hundreds of metres of ice under that). In order to get these 3 to 4 ton monsters to float you also need to let most of the air out, on glaciers they typically have 3 pounds per square inch of pressure. Check out this link for some interesting pictures http://www.4x4offroads.com/vatnajokull-grimsfjall-2006.html