Dave's All Things Considered

General Impressions

We recently got back from two weeks touring in Iceland. Overall I found the landscape to be absolutely stunning. We took over 2,000 photos and a couple of dozen videos. I was surprised at how empty the country seems, once you get away from the main cities. The people are very friendly and helpful. Since almost everything is imported, prices are high, especially at restaurants, so eating out very day, could get expensive. Since we stayed at AirBnBs, we generally eat one mail out and cooked in for other meals.

Note: liquor is expensive, so buy as much as you can at the duty free shop at the airport, before heading out.

Driving

Driving can be a challenge as there is no shoulders, so there is limited places you can pull off the highway. Also, some roads are gravel with various potholes, so I’d advise getting a 4 wheel drive car. We went with a Rav 4, standard shift. There are a lot of instances where the road goes from two lanes to one, especially over bridges. In those cases the driver who gets to the bridge first, has the right of way. This can be a little tricky as you approach the bridge, as you try to figure out if the oncoming traffic is at the bridge or not. Iceland requires headlights to be on at all times for obvious reasons.

Since the country is very spread out, it makes sense to plan before heading out. Gas stations are few and far between, so you need to pay attention to where you’re going and how much petrol you have. Diesel fuel is readily available and most gas stations are self service and take debit cards and gas cards. First thing we did was buy a 10,000 K gas card at an N1, which are popular.

Weather

The weather for the first week and a half, was in the 50’s and sunny. The rains came the last few days we were there. I’d definitely advise bringing rain gear, including rain pants. Layering is key; as you warm up on a hike, you can take off layers, so its also a good idea to bring a small backpack you can stow layers, etc. Some kind of rain protection for your camera is recommended as well, along with a small cloth to wipe off the lens as needed.

Waterfalls

There are numerous waterfalls. Some can be easily approached from the highway, while others take a significant hike to see. In general the trails are well marked and not to strenuous. I would recommend hiking poles which come in handy fording waterways. Care must be taken hiking along the banks of a waterfall as there are no fences, guard rails, etc.

Glacier Walk

We did a guided hike on a glacier.   Our guide was actually from Australia.   They outfit you with crampons, a helmet, ice ax, and a safety helmet.   The outfit seemed like overkill to me, but the crampons were a must as you are walking on solid ice.   The depth of the glacier was impressive; filling an entire valley.   We walked in a group, single file, up the glacier to the main ice wall.   The hike wasn’t too strenuous, as our guide took several stops to chop steps in the trail and clear a path.   Some of the ice chopping seemed like a ‘show’ for the tourists, but the breaks in hiking, were appreciated.   Being able to stop and fill your water bottle with ice cold, glacier water, was a treat.