Girl Outdoors

The last section followed mainly gravel tracks along grassy meadows, which was very refreshing. Slowly, signs of life began to appear, with farms popping up along the way.



The last 15 miles (24 km) or so are on the ring road, which had to be the worst part of the trip due to the abundance of cars!



Riding

All I can say is this section is insanely beautiful as you cycle through Fjallabak National Park, an area of outstanding beauty!



I got myself a coffee and some snacks from Hòlaskjol hut whilst escaping from the rain – you can camp here if needs be.



I then pushed on until I found a lovely grassy spot

Last day of wilderness, as I hit the first paved road in days.



I left the F26 and took a detour from the original Iceland Divide route, as I desperately wanted to visit Landmannalaguar. I'd had a few recommendations and wanted to try out a hot pot, which was definitely worth it!



The colours in this area

I followed the F26, which covers some beautiful terrain, for the whole day. There were views out to the surrounding glaciers, turquoise rivers and just miles and miles of black sand.



There were plenty of 4x4s in the area. The drivers are often very kind, offering water and sweets.



I passed Versalir Hut

This is a beautiful section following 4x4 tracks. If the wind was on my side, I aimed to reach Nyidalur campsite, which roughly marks half way!



You get an amazing view of the glaciers in this area and start seeing signs of life as huge 4x4 vehciles pass by on the F26 road.



The river crossings were brutal

Amazing night spent in Kistufell with the comfy bunk beds and warm company!



I attempted to complete a pathetic 12-mile (19-km) stage to the next hut, which is private but I figured it would offer some protection from the wind if I camped nearby.



This stage is absolutely beautiful with the dramatic lava

Very challenging stage due to serious windy conditions, forcing me yet again to hike a bike most of the day.



If you get severe wind here in the Highlands, there's absolutely nowhere to shelter and this makes the route very challenging. I didn't stop once and just kept going, resulting in my cleats wearing

From the hut, I set off early towards the Lava field. The wind was extreme, making riding virtually impossible, forcing me to push my bike for most of the day.



Once in the lava field, I passed Botni Hut, which is a great option for a break or even for staying the night if you're schedule allows. Heading

I left my camp spot, on the cliffs overlooking the sea and surrounding mountains, after a very slow coffee morning.



Once riding, I followed the road over a pass until I reached Fossholl, which would mark my turn off to start riding some rougher terrain. I got a coffee and carrot cake at the cafe , looked

Starting from the beautiful town of Akureyri in Northern Iceland, you follow the ring road until road 83. Because I arrived late due to a long bus journey from Reykjavik, I cycled until I could find somewhere to camp for the night. I ended up on the cliff tops, looking out over the sea. My mind was starting