I almost didn’t finish the route on Day 6. I woke at Þórsmörk tired and sore, with aching toes and crotch, not feeling up to hiking almost all of the 25 km and 1000 m that separated me and Skógar. But as I ate breakfast, resigned to an unplanned rest day, the clouds lifted and the sun shone on the Fimmvörðuháls pass. On a whim, I decided to do it. “Þetta reddast”, I giggled softly to myself. Continue reading “Uni-Packing in Iceland: Day 6”
Uni-Packing in Iceland: Day 5
This day made lugging the unicycle along worthwhile. Kilometer after kilometer of flat, slightly sandy trail greeted me after I left the previous night’s campsite at Hvanngil. Hiking it all would have been mind-numbingly boring, so it was with considerable glee that I was able to cover some of the distance on wheel. Even so, the physical strain of the last few days caught up with me, and by the end of the day I was limping up the final hill from my too-small boots while I eagerly counted down the last few meters to my evening’s campsite at the Langidalur hut in the Þórsmörk valley. Continue reading “Uni-Packing in Iceland: Day 5”
Uni-Packing in Iceland: Day 4
After three days of Icelandic gravel roads, it was finally time to ride on the famous Laugavegur hiking trail. Day 4’s route was almost 30 km long, through colored mountains, snow slogs, and rocky volcano valleys. I knew it was going to be tough, but I didn’t expect to get injured near Landmannalaugar and have to decide whether to push on or turn back. I managed to dredge up a bit of mental toughness and pushed on. And I’m very glad I did. Continue reading “Uni-Packing in Iceland: Day 4”
Uni-Packing in Iceland: Day 3
Knowing that I was out of shape, I planned Day 3 to be a “rest day” during my 6-day unicycle-packing tour on back roads and hiking trails in Iceland. How lucky for me, then, that my third camping location was Landmannalaugar, a popular tourist destination that boasts not only beautiful vistas—but free hot springs! Continue reading “Uni-Packing in Iceland: Day 3”
Uni-Packing in Iceland: Day 2
The second day of my Iceland unicycle-packing trip saw me climbing up over mountain ridges, passing through expansive rocky valleys with snow-patched mountains hovering in the distance, and ultimately ended at the second (and last) wild campsite of the trip, nestled up a remote river valley not too far from Landmannalaugar. Continue reading “Uni-Packing in Iceland: Day 2”