Safe Return Doubtful

There’s two ways to look at my decision to travel around Iceland at this time of year; adventurous and exiting or foolhardy and ignorant. Older now, I tend towards the latter of those views. Though the Dylan words (‘older then, younger than that now’) reverberate in my head it’s seems I’ve a less risk averse more safety conscious and yes, boring, new sense of common sense. But I try to delay its onset. 

Hence I ventured anticlockwise, the colder north roads first. They are impassable now to a vehicle like mine. Then the windswept west, a degree or two warmer. There’s a dash of luck involved also, as this time of year has spells of snow and icy weather, and periods too of wind and rain. It’s rarely above 2 degrees though. Weather forecasting is less accurate as well, and it doesn’t pay to look more than a day or two ahead. 

The weather forecast for the next few days seems to favour my plan, though I’m uncertain as to how accurate it is. A few centimetres of snow are due this evening throughout the country, even here on the south coast at Vik. But warmer conditions are predicted, with rain, for the next few days. My plan is to get to Egilsstaðir on Friday and spend the weekend there. Apart from anything else it’s a huge weekend of international sport. Then to travel onto Seyðisfjörður on Monday or Tuesday, a short journey of 30 kilometres, but one which involves going over a mountain pass. At Seyðisfjörður I will be happy to spend a couple of days before the N ferry on Thursday. 

By then I’ll know if I’ve timed my journey well, or ambition got the better of me, and I messed it up. 

I’ll report back in a couple of days. 

Meanwhile, snow had fallen while I was in Reykjavik at the weekend, but in the city much of that had gone by the time I left on Monday lunchtime. The road that cuts across to the south coast though, climbs to 400 metres and though it wasn’t actually snowing, it was 4 degrees below zero with snow blowing across the road. I was relieved to get back to sea level. The south coast is usually a few degrees warmer than elsewhere in the country. 

I settled for the night at another farm, at Smáratún, the other two I have overnighted at have been great, and this was also. During the night a couple of centimetres of snow fell, rare for this time of year, and though I drove at 9 am through some ice and slush, it would disappear by lunchtime. My tyres are snow able, but being front wheel drive with randomly balanced weight the traction isn’t good on any hill of greater than 8-10%. 

I headed for the ferry at Landeyjahöfn to cross to the Vestmann Islands, and mid-morning. Heimaey is the largest island of the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago and the largest and most populated island off the Icelandic coast with a population of just over four thousand. The other islands of the archipelago are uninhabited but six have cabins. 

Vestmannaeyjar came to international attention in 1973 with the eruption of the Eldfell volcano which destroyed many buildings and forced a month-long evacuation of the entire population to mainland Iceland. A fifth of the town was destroyed by lava. Though only twenty kilometres from the mainland it has very different weather, hardly getting any snow. 

I had three hours there, and managed a walking circuit that took in the summit of Há mountain at 232 metres,  higher was difficult in a strong easterly wind, then a tour of the famous golf course, and a coastal section. 

From the return ferry I drove an hour to the town of Vik. There had just been a snow fall, and many of the town’s roads were not passable, certainly not to the campsite. Many of the tourist rentals and coaches were stopped waiting for the snow clearer to go through. I may well stay in one of the quiet car parks overnight, as the forecast is for it to turn to rain later tonight, here at least.