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Iceland
“Ice and fire” is commonly used to summarise Iceland - but in such a succinct phrase so much is lost. Its one of the most sparsely populated places in Europe, about the size of England, with only 250,00 people but on Iceland is Europe’s largest ice cap, its most powerful waterfall, the highest geyser, the largest puffin colonies, the newest islands, the biggest volcano ………, the list goes on. Iceland and its people will constantly surprise you, sometimes sombre and wild, sometimes hot and steamy but always so much more than just some of the most challenging off road driving in Europe.
We will spend virtually the whole of our time in Iceland away from tarmac roads. On the interior gravel roads, only passable with 4x4 vehicles, we’ll ford deep glacial rivers, transect the great glacial plains of the interior, pass around the northern side of the Vatnajokull ice cap, the third largest mass of glacial ice in the world, to explore the icecaves at Kverkfjoll. We will drive up onto glaciers, search for whales on the Arctic Ocean, bath in hot springs on a shore line crusted with ice, join in the famous runtur, super cool Reykjavik’s legendary pub run, walk on still steaming lava and see the famous Iceland Sagas come to life. Not to mention the waterfalls, the iceberg studded lagoons, the geysers, the active volcanoes, the midnight sun, the soaring seabird colonies, the lava tunnels plunging deep into the bowels of the earth - this is an expedition you’ll remember for a long time.
Summary
Start point |
Seydisfjordur, Iceland (Ferry from Scrabster via Faroes)..
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Finish point |
Seydisfjordur, Iceland (Ferry via Faroes to Hanstholm, Denmark)
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Number of days |
15 days, 14 nights on Iceland plus shipping time.
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Approx. distance |
2000 kilometres. (not including travelling to and from ports)
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Road conditions |
Mixture of sand, lava, pumice and gravel tracks, some graded and short sections of tarmac
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No’ of vehicles |
Maximum of 6 guest vehicles plus support vehicles.
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Accommodation used |
Accommodation will be mainly in organised campsites with good toilet/shower facilities when available. Some sites will be wild sites set in the incomparable countryside..
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Specialist equipment - vehicle |
A well maintained and serviced 4x4 vehicle fitted with underbody protection and a snorkel for deep fording. A CB radio must be fitted. Tyres of Mud Terrain tread patterns most suitable, AT’s are OK but of limited use in snow/ice slush, but snow chains are not needed. A full set of recovery equipment (strops and shackles) is essential along with a spade. 2 additional fuel cans are needed to enable us to complete long periods away from filling stations. A winch is not essential .
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Specialist equipment - camping |
Either roof or ground tents are suitable; it can be very windy so ensure you have plenty of pegs for ground tents! We recommend a ‘Thermorest’ type thermal insulated mattress, if sleeping on the ground. Sleeping bags should be at least 3 season bags. Bring your own chairs, table, stove, pans, cutlery and utensils. As with the weather, clothing requirements vary – you will need a multi layered system with warm, windproof and waterproof clothing along with lighter clothing for warmer days.
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Passport |
Required.
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Visa |
Not needed for citizens of the UK.
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| Health |
No special requirements beyond small first aid kit and EHIC European Health Entitlement Card (available from UK Post Offices).
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Cost of living |
Much more expensive than the UK, stock up with fuel, snacks and drinks before leaving the UK. The currency is the Kronar, approx 130 Kr to the pound. A beer costs 500-600 kr! Credit cards are widely accepted and most towns have an ATM. |
Weather
Milder than you think but very unpredictable and changeable. Inland near the main ice masses night temperatures can be several degrees lower then those shown for Reykjavik. In the summer, day time temperatures can reach 17 O C but days can be interspersed with wind, rain and misty spells when the temperature may fall to 10 O C. Days are long and in the north during August the sun only sets for a couple of hours.
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Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Average daily temp oC
Max
Min
Rainfall mm |
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2
-2
89 |
3
-2
64 |
4
-1
62 |
6
1
56
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10
4
42 |
12
7
42 |
14
9
50 |
14
8
56 |
11
6
67 |
7
3
94 |
4
0
78 |
2
-2
79 |
Food and Shopping
Food in Iceland is widely available and prices in supermarkets are only slightly higher than UK prices. Meals can be cooked individually or communally, the choice is yours but at times during the expedition OneLife Adventure will host group meals, with everyone helping on an informal basis. We can co-ordinate and assist you with food purchasing while in country.
Schedule and Pace
The route and timings are not fixed, we will be free to break journey, stop and explore, as you desire. We may also be guided by weather, in particular ice and snow conditions. We aim to be in the campsite between 16:00 and 17.00 on most days to allow us to relax and enjoy the experiences of the day. The daily distances driven vary due to the terrain and ground conditions but a typical day will be 2-3 hours driving in the morning, 1 hour for lunch and then a further 2-3 hours driving. Some days will be longer than this due to the distances to be driven.
Outbound shipping
Day |
Section |
Overnight |
Wednesday 30th July |
Depart Scrabster 06:30am.
Arrive Torshavn (Faroes) at 19:00, depart 21:30
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Boat. |
Thursday 31st July |
Arrive Seydisfjordur at 12:00
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Note – This section of the expedition is unsupported by OneLife Adventure, the above information is to aid you plan your arrivals and departures. The booking is made on your behalf and cost of the ferry and the accommodation on board is included in the expedition price. |
Inbound shipping
Day |
Section |
Overnight |
Thursday 14th August |
Depart Iceland 16:00.
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Boat. |
Friday 15th August |
Arrive Torshavn (Faroes) at 08:30, depart 11:00
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Boat |
Saturday 16th August |
Arrive Hanstholm (Denmark) 18:00
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Note – The shipping section of the expedition is unsupported by OneLife Adventure, the above information is to aid you plan your arrivals and departures. The booking is made on your behalf and cost of the ferry and the accommodation on board is included in the expedition price.
Note: Driving time from Hanstholm to London is comparable to the journey time to Scrabster |
Cost
- £1995 per person based on 2 sharing
- For each additional person up to a maximum of 4 adults per vehicle and for under 16's, prices are available on request.
The expedition price includes return ferry crossing from Scrabster/to Hanstholm and accommodation on board, all accommodation costs on Iceland, full backup and guiding from the support team. The Husavik whale safari is also included, along with all the entry costs to natural parks and sites.
It also includes the return ferry from Calais to Dover.
It does not include your fuel, food, snacks, alcoholic drinks and personal spending.
Note: there is an additional option of staying on the Faroes for 3 days. You would leave the boat on Friday 15th August and rejoin it on Monday 18thAugust. The boat would then sail to Scrabster, via Bergen (Norway), returning to Scrabster on Wednesday 20th August. Please contact us for further details and the cost of this option.
OneLife Adventure Expedition Rating System
SUMMER ICE EXPLORER
 
Note : amount of wild camping will be between 50% to 80%, however weather or environment does require some technical clothing/equipment, hence the above rating.
 Easy, short driving days, suitable for families and drivers with basic off road driving skills.
 Easy camping with occasional wild sites interspersed by sites with facilities, no technical needs, suitable for families and young children.
 Higher off road content, moderate driving days, suitable for families and medium
off road driving skills.
50% wild camping, some technical needs, suitable for families and young children used to camping.
 Longer days occasionally and high content of off road driving, recoveries likely and moderate levels of off road skills needed.
80% wild camping +, weather or environment requires some technical clothing/equipment, suitable for experienced families with older children.
 Long days and long distances are the norm, likely to encounter severe hazards and will require teamwork to succeed, experienced drivers.
Extreme weather (hot, wet or cold), will require extensive technical equipment, irregular meals and physical discomfort will be the norm! Success is achieving the destination – Camel Trophy style.
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