Cycling Iceland – Day 3: Stadarskali to North West Hotel

After yesterday’s frightening ride over the high plateau in brutal winds, it would have been very easy to pull the plug there and then on cycling in Iceland. This was serious stuff. But the new day arrived with the bluest of skies and a sun that felt almost warm. I had to ride. We had booked to stay the night in Blonduos, the next town up the ring road and another fifty miles north east from our farmhouse stopover. Once again, there was very little in between except empty road, mountains and water. But sunshine can transform a place from foreboding to welcoming, and after a fine breakfast, I was glad to be setting out again on two wheels in this magnificent landscape.

After passing the turning for the Westfjords peninsula (with its main settlement, Isafjordur signposted just 333km away!) I spent the next hour riding briskly along the northern shore of the Hrutafjorder, looking across at tiny settlements and out to sea past towering headlands. The field were a vivid green by the water, which in turn took on a bright blue reflection of the sky above. It was very beautiful. The road was pretty quiet this morning. I even saw two serious looking cyclists heading the other way, enjoying the wind at their backs. The wind, incidentally, had not gone away with the dark clouds of yesterday. It had stayed around to make me work for my miles; but so far it was blowing at an acceptable level, I felt, and I saw no reason to let it put me off.

I had arranged to meet Jenni after twenty miles, at the first petrol station, for brunch. The internet promised waffles in a small cafe, which appealed. In the event, the cafe was about half a km off the main road in a tiny village by a river, called Laugerbakki. I spotted the flags and turned off to check it out. It was closed! Jenni had missed it altogether but we made contact and agreed to meet at the next one, another nine miles away. That was the last opportunity before Blonduos. It’s remote out here.

I started climbing out of the river valley and saw her driving the other way, so I motioned ahead and she nodded. Half a mile later I was at war with the wind. The sun still shone brightly; but the next stretch of road was suddenly and unexpectedly exposed and I was taken straight back to yesterday’s woes, sun or no sun. Once again I was riding at 45 degrees, fighting to stay upright, and trying not to be blown into the path of oncoming lorries and buses, which would momentarily block the wind and then suddenly slam it in my face at twice the force. I braced myself each time. It was truly scary.

Jenni overtook me and pulled in a little ahead in a side road. I paused. We looked at each other. “Do you want to stop?” She asked. I knew I did really; but pride and the apparently ridiculous idea of quitting in this amazing sunny weather got the better of me. It was six more miles to the lunch stop. I opted to continue and she drove away. I was on my own again.

The next six miles were no fun at all. If I needed a reminder of how I felt yesterday, here it was. This was simply too windy to cycle safely, let alone enjoy it. Imagine adding rain to this as well. If I couldn’t manage the elements under clear skies, there was no way I could imagine surviving everything else Iceland might throw at me. This was no place to be on a bike adventure. Not in September. Not here. And especially not with the mountainous country that lay ahead for many more days. There was absolutely nothing to gain, and much to lose, by trying to be a hero. It was time to stop.

And so, in the calm shelter of the North West Hotel’s front door, I climbed off my bike for the last time in Iceland. I knew I had made the right choice, the only real option, and I immediately felt better about the world. Lunch was very enjoyable (Icelandic lamb soup again for me!) and I got into the passenger seat of the car afterwards and enjoyed every minute of the next 25 miles to Blonduos through stunning, but very exposed scenery. Glistening rivers wound their way through wide valleys towards the sea, while mountains looked on from a distance. It was all glorious out of the wind. I could enjoy it again.

Blonduos

I should point out that this is not the end of my adventure. Dull will still be reached, by bike, in an appropriate manner. I’ll be working on that, so watch this space. Adventures like this are punctuated with big decisions and the need to be flexible. It is all experimental and you learn something every day. Today, I learned not only that Icelandic wind and cycling do not mix; but also that Jenni and I could now enjoy a much needed holiday together. In Iceland. In many ways, that is as positive an outcome as I could wish for. We are also free to pursue the best weather available, which is easier said than done. Every piece of tourist literature warns you always to check the latest weather and road advice on safetravel.is and conditions are very localised. It can all change at the drop of a hat. After an enjoyable swim and a soak in the hot tubs in Blonduos, we checked the forecast. If I had the slightest doubt about stopping my cycling in Iceland, this made my decision cast iron. There was, to say the least, a lot of weather around!

My new plans will unfold in the next day or so and I will share them as they form. I will consider all options and stay true to the original idea of Boring to Dull. Something beautiful will emerge. And in the meantime, we are heading back to Reykjavik tomorrow to see what the south of the country has in store for us. If I’m lucky I might even manage to get my hair cut. The last time that happened, I was in Seattle!