The Interior

Introducing The Interior

Travelling in Iceland’s interior will give you a new understanding of the word ‘desolation’. You may have travelled the Ring Rd thinking that Iceland is light on towns; that sheep seem to outnumber people; that you haven’t run across a McDonald’s for many a mile. Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Here there are practically no services, accommodation, hot-dog stands, bridges, mobile-phone signals or guarantees if something goes wrong. Gazing across the expanses, you could imagine yourself in Tibet or Mongolia or, as many people have noted, on the moon. And those aren’t overactive imaginations at work – the Apollo astronauts actually trained here before their lunar landing.

This isolation, in essence, is the reason that people visit. Although some travellers are disappointed by the interior’s ultrableakness, others are humbled by the sublime sight of nature in its rawest, barest form. The solitude is exhilarating, the views are vast, and it’s immensely tough but equally rewarding to hike or bike these cross-country routes.

Historically, people used the trails as summer short cuts between north and south, if with heavy hearts. Myths of ghosts and fearsome outlaws spurred travellers along the tracks with all speed. Today it’s probably wiser to worry about the weather. Conditions can be fickle and snow isn’t uncommon, even in mid summer. Good warm clothing, and face and eye protection from gritty, wind-driven sand are particularly important. Road-opening dates given in this chapter depend on weather conditions – check www.vegagerdin.is for the latest information.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009