Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Bikepacking Iceland Westfjords Alone (Video)
Equal parts stunning and brutal, Iceland’s Westjords region is packed full of untouched landscapes and dramatic views. Tom Wall of the Cycling366 YouTube channel put together a video of his three-day solo bikepacking trip there. Watch the video, learn more about the route he took, and read about his trip here…
Words and photos by Tom Wall
Iceland is one of those breathtaking countries that should be on any bikepacker’s bucket list. It’s a harsh, windswept landscape with incredible scenery and epic, remote gravel roads. I flew alone from Manchester to Reykjavik and drove to Stykkisholmur with my bike packed in my trusty bike box in the back of the car. Stykkisholmur is a tiny fishing town on the edge of the Westfjords, one of Iceland’s most remote and untouched landscapes. It’s sparsely populated and can be susceptible to brutal winds and snow storms, which I experienced first hand.
I left the car, assembled my bike, and caught the ferry from Stykkisholmur to Brjanslaekur to start my three-day voyage. The plan was as follows:
Day 1: Cycle from Brjanslaekur across the two southerly fjords to Melanes campsite, where I had booked to stay in a camping pod (which I was so grateful for, as you’ll shortly understand!).
Day 2: Ride from Melanes campsite over the next two fjords via Patreksfjordur and wild camp by a geothermal spring and swimming pool.
Day 3: Loop back around to Brjanslaekur and catch the ferry back to the car.
The weather in Iceland is so varied, even in summer when I went. The weather on day one was pretty atrocious. It didn’t get above 6°C (roughly 40°F) all day. It was non-stop rain for most of the day with high winds that came with a yellow weather warning attached.
Day 1 Route
Despite the weather, the ride itself was really enjoyable for the most part: virtually no traffic and endless scenery (below the clouds, at least). As I climbed higher and higher over the first fjord, the weather worsened significantly. I experienced some of the worst weather I’ve ever ridden in, struggling to hold myself upright when descending and finding myself close to being blown off the barrier-less mountain road on several occasions, which was very frightening.
The gravel road up from the bottom of the second fjord turned from a respectable challenge of a climb under normal circumstances to an impossible mountain pass as the winds got even worse. I could barely walk up the hill without getting violently blown over, let alone pedal my loaded bike!
I was starting to panic at this point. Despite bikepacking all over the world and having years of experience, there are still situations that set my heart racing, and being extremely cold, shivering, and struggling to walk—miles from civilisation—is one of them. I hadn’t seen a person or a car for hours.
All of a sudden, some headlights crested the hill up the gravel track in front of me. To my amazement, it was a long-wheelbase Volkswagon Crafter van. The driver was an Icelandic chap who could tell I was struggling and kindly offered to take me and my bike the next six miles to the campsite. That was a cathartic moment and another example to me of how generous people are everywhere. As we drove down the wild gravel switchback road to the campsite at the beach, I was even more thankful for the lift, as it was another sheer-drop-off-a-cliff sort of road with the wind coming straight off the Arctic Ocean.
Day 2 Route
The camping pod at Melanes campsite was a welcome relief. It had electricity and heating, which meant I could thankfully dry off my clothes and get warmed up. I had to change plans because of the worrying first day I’d had. I had planned on pitching my tent the following day at a geothermal spring over the next fjords, but I was genuinely fearful that it would be blown away if the storm persisted. In reality, the storm had died down by the time I left the campsite the following day, but in my nervousness the previous night, I had booked a hotel in Patreksfjordur for the following day, just to be certain.
As I climbed back over the gravel switchback road at Rauðisandur Beach, I could see the scale of what had been covered in clouds the previous day: unbelievable cliffs with waterfalls spraying vertically up as they caught the ocean wind. It was much calmer than the previous day, though, and I got to experience it all in its glory. I rode to Patreksfjordur around the next fjord. It’s a smooth road for the most part and was teaming with seals and arctic tern.
Day 3 Route
After staying at the HotelWest in Patreksfjordur the next day, I stocked up at the local shop before heading over the subsequent fjord and looping back to the ferry at Brjanslaekur. I had pre-booked my ferry tickets, so I set off early to ensure I didn’t miss it. Because I’d made some great progress later that day, I had an hour to kill on the road. I had noticed a public geothermal-heated swimming pool, similar to the one I was planning on wild camping next to originally by the coast. It was empty, so I changed into my trunks and spent an hour bathing in the hot water. It was so warm that it felt like being in a hot bath rather than a swimming pool, but it meant my muscles were super relaxed and warm for the final 10 miles to the ferry port. Luxury!
Overall, it was an incredible experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. The scenery I filmed is truly breathtaking, and I’d highly recommend going to anyone who’s up for the challenge. My only wish would be to have more time off work to go for a longer period of time.
Further Reading
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