 | Home > Expedition & Overland > Just back from Iceland in Arctic Defender |
 
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| ruggedpeak Member Since: 27 Jul 2012 Location: Essex Posts: 13  
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Hi Guys
I'm a refugee from the Disco3 forum - just back from 7 days driving round Iceland in a hired Arctic Defender. 
Our vehicle was a Puma engined 110 that has been lifted to accept 38" tyres, and it has taken a pounding on the tracks 
The trip is in effect a complete overland package in that Isak provide the vehicle, detailed route details, pre-programmed GPS and arrange the accommodation for a 7 day circuit of Iceland taking in key sights. Day 1: pick up Defender at Isak's HQ, drive east along route 1, then turn northeast into interior. Gravel tracks and serious river crossings. We act as lead car for a family in a Lexus 4x4, but after several hours and a river crossing that's up to our side steps they decide to turn around (when you see the pics you'll see they are quite high!). First out door hot spring experience. Stay overnight on edge of highlands.  Click image to enlarge Lowering tyres to12psi for gravel tracks Click image to enlarge Overnight stop Day 2: fuel car and jerrycans as no fuel for 2.5days. Head into highlands - this is entering Hell literally and metaphorically! A long, long day driving. An ever changing landscape of lava fields, open plains of rock and ash, and volcanoes. Hours of crawling through landscapes from Lord of the Rings. It seems like we are in Mordor, and there is a road sign that points to somewhere that loosely reads as 'Mordorland'. If you want to know what the end of the world looks like, this is it! After a lunch stop by a river crossing we help 2 mountain bikers across the river, they sit in the front and hold their bikes outside the car! Finished with a flat out run across a huge flat plain of volcanic ash following tyre tracks and markers. For most of the day we see no other vehicles. Stay at mountain refuge at Drekagil. Tiring but epic drive. Click image to enlarge River under bridge [URL=] Click image to enlarge[/URL] Helping mountain bikers across! Hi to Runer, that's the guy with the bike. Click image to enlarge The endless lava fields.... Click image to enlarge F910 - the road to Mordor or just hell? a long and tough piece of road Day 3: activity day, drive to Kverkfjoll, see ice caves, walk on glacier, then back to huge volcanic crater above Drekagil. Stunning views, decide not to climb down 100' muddy slope to try hot lake! Ice caves and glacier are amazing. Click image to enlarge Day 4 Drive the Jokulsa a Fjollum river valley and see Dettifoss, Europe's biggest waterfall, onto Asbrygi (amazing geological area), and onto Myvatn. Dettifoss is enormous, you can get right up to it and the sheer volume of water is immense. Overnight guesthouse at campsite, with amazing little pizza restuarant on site 
Day 5 Up and away before 9am, a lot to see around Myvatn. Climb big volcanic crater, then to Dimmuborgir lava formations, quick coffee then off to geothermal area with fumaroles, steam vents, bubbling mud etc (stank of hydrogen sulphide!) then drive up Kafla volcano, back down to lunch in cow shed bistro with real cows....then drive to Laguafell for hot nature bath and mix of tarmac, moorland tracks and gravel roads to another guesthouse in Iceland's river rafting area Day 6 Shorter driving day, drive to Kerlingafjoll mountain resort via Hveravellir geothermal area and a lovely hot nature bath. However at about 3000' asl and strong winds, getting changed after swim in open air bracing! Have lovely and cosy hut to ourselves, with restuarant and bar on site. IN evening try to get to nature baths, but we are right up in mountains and big storm is coming in so have to abort as we may get blown off mountain! Found sheltered snowbank and had fun sliding down it before returning to cosy bar. Day 7 Last day  2 options, one serious mountain track, other gravel track. Take option 2 as we want to see all the sights today, such as Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir geyser, Pingvellir National Park. Includes some good off road routes, and a couple of serious river crossings, after heavy rain for last few days. One in particualr is pushing Defender downstream as we cross.
Sun comes out as we leave the mountains. Good day, sad to leave the wilderness and drive back into a sunny Reykjavik. Stay in hotel in centre of Reyk, have meal, then following morning do some shopping before taking car back to Isak. From there go to Blue Lagoon, before staying overnight at Keflavik and flying home early next morning. The trip was a proper overland adventure, and we were all tired at the end but we all agreed it was EPIC!! Mountains, big waterfalls, volcanoes, lava fields, fissures, glaciers, ice caves, hot spring pools, snow fields, ash deserts, hiking, driving, monster trucks etc etc
Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge There is a car park at the top of the hill above the Jeep, to view the glacial lake behind. However you need a serious 4x4 to get up there, which is why the Jeep is parked and its occupants walked up we have just driven down from there! Click image to enlarge Askja crater (50 sqkm lake in background) Viti hot pool in foreground Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge D2 'Lund Rover' Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Playing in snow Click image to enlarge Geysir Click image to enlarge Blue Lagoon - thermal pool Click image to enlarge Isak workshop Click image to enlarge Guess what's on my Xmas list - Isak 130 
It is a great way of seeing Iceland, and saved me a huge amount of organisation by them organising the route, accommodation and pre-programmed GPS. Plus the Defender took a battering on the tracks, so I'm pleased it wasn't mine! We went with this as they provide the route, GPS, book accommodation etc. and you just have to fly out and pick up the Defender. Much easier, quicker, and probably cheaper than the logistics of trying to get your own car over there. We used a 'U Drive' package organised by Isafold Travel http://www.isafoldtravel.is/isak-self-drive/tours/ , who are a sister company of Isak ( www.isak.is ) who actually hire the Defenders. You can just hire the Defender without the addons. Iceland is a must go place, by Land Rover obviously. Now saving up for one of the winter trips! Tony Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated  Last edited by ruggedpeak on 4th Feb 2014 7:54pm. Edited 4 times in total |
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27th Jul 2012 11:54am |
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| GREENI Member Since: 22 Aug 2010 Location: staffs Posts: 10382
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Awesome, great pics, thanks for sharing
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27th Jul 2012 12:02pm |
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| bpman Member Since: 21 May 2008 Location: Oslo Posts: 8069 
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briliant write up - thanks Tony!
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27th Jul 2012 12:07pm |
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| T1G UP Member Since: 08 Dec 2009 Location: Bath Posts: 3101  
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hwo much? can't decide my 40th birthday present
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27th Jul 2012 1:28pm |
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| ruggedpeak Member Since: 27 Jul 2012 Location: Essex Posts: 13
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Funnily enough this was my 40th pressie instead of a big party (phew!). Costs as follows for 4 of us in the 110 (2 adults + 2 kids (1 age 13 so classed as adult most things  )
7day hire of Arctic Defender plus pre-programmed GPS, route book, map, and 6 nights pre-booked accommodation for 2 adults & 2 kids (2 nights in modern mountain hut in sleeping bags, rest in guesthouses with breakfast, all good quality) plus coolbox with crockery etc £3,053.00 Recovery gear, compressor and hose etc included. Fuel for week £292 (covered about 1900km) Flights (3 adults & 1 child due to age) via Icelandair in July (not cheapest but most convenient) £1077 For say 2 adults, cost of the car plus fuel would be similar, but flights less. Extras were food, and staying in Reykjavik for a day either side. Please note we opted for the "full monte" 7 Day U Drive Package. They do 3 day ones, or you can just hire the car itself and plan your own route. As we were on more adventurous routes for some of the time, I was glad to have the extra clearance and strong tyres - at river crossings the car is so big you don't have to worry. Had we been in a normal sized 110 then I'd have had to check the depth of crossings. On one we hit a big submerged rock - it must have been big for it to hit the back of the 110, and I'd have not liked to have the same rock in a normal 4x4  as the river was quite deep! Another river was pushing us sideways with water almost up to the bonnet. Again I was glad of the extra height!
Isak and sister company Isafold Travel offer 3 Day U Drive trips, and also just normal car hire of the Isaks, or guide led tours. More info on the tours here http://www.isafoldtravel.is/isak-self-drive/tours/ and here www.isak.is for straight vehicle hire. I was painless to fly out to Reykjavik, pick up the Defender and go. I would say this is a proper overland trip, not a bimble along country roads. We covered a lot of miles and had some long days, but the things we saw and did were incredible. Probably the best was sitting in hot natural spring pools relaxing high up in mountains, which we did most days - getting out into gale force winds in speedos was interesting though!
Well worth it The chap who owns Isak, JB, is a really nice bloke, and we got on really well having met him at a 4x4 event in Belgium earlier this year. If you decide to go with this mention Tony from the D3 forum as he might have some flexibility Tony
Popped over from Disco3.co.uk forum! D3 XS F2 GS |
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27th Jul 2012 1:55pm |
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| markalpha Member Since: 23 Apr 2008 Location: Downham Market Posts: 690 
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Thanks for trip report Tony!. Was looking at Iceland for next years trip
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27th Jul 2012 4:51pm |
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| Thud Member Since: 21 Jul 2012 Location: London Posts: 667 
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That looks amazing. Great write up and photos.
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27th Jul 2012 4:57pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731  
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Friend of mine is vulcanologist and professional photographer: www.photovolcanica.com
I have been suggesting to him such a trip sometime but wondered how "doable" it would be in a standard Defender (with 265s and not too much swimming)? Tell someone you love them today because life is short. But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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27th Jul 2012 7:34pm |
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| marsie Member Since: 17 Nov 2011 Location: sheffieldish Posts: 532 
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Very cool
,was only talking to Derrick at LRS about iceland a few weeks ago
My 40th next too. Maybe we should get the "other halves" together for a hint dropping session??
Paul |
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27th Jul 2012 7:54pm |
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| ruggedpeak Member Since: 27 Jul 2012 Location: Essex Posts: 13
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Very much doable. A lot of the roads are gravel tracks so easily within capabilities of Defender - only issue is making sure you check river crossings, but a decent LR should be fine. Basic river rules - check the depth (wading if necessary), follow the Icelandic line (a sweeping curve) and be aware glacial rivers increase in depth as the day progresses. Plenty of normal LR's on the trails. Just do it! Tony Popped over from Disco3.co.uk forum! D3 XS F2 GS |
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27th Jul 2012 11:50pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731
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Cheers
Planning already - mostly a bigger overdraft 
Matt Tell someone you love them today because life is short. But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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28th Jul 2012 6:43am |
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| ruggedpeak Member Since: 27 Jul 2012 Location: Essex Posts: 13
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Great website and pics, thanks for the link link Tony
Popped over from Disco3.co.uk forum! D3 XS F2 GS |
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28th Jul 2012 10:10am |
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| ruggedpeak Member Since: 27 Jul 2012 Location: Essex Posts: 13
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If it helps the natural hot springs are lovely, the sulphury water in areas like Myvatn makes hair lovely and soft and fluffy, and the hot mud baths are fantastic for the skin. That's what my other half tells me, she loved the soft hair! It's called 'Iceland's Disneyland' but the Blue Lagoon is worth a stop for everyone www.bluelagoon.com -not cheap but you stay all day lounging around the hot pools. Very relaxing. Shops in Reykjavik are good, lots of unusual and designer stuff
Job done Tony
Popped over from Disco3.co.uk forum! D3 XS F2 GS Last edited by ruggedpeak on 29th Jul 2012 10:37am. Edited 1 time in total |
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28th Jul 2012 10:17am |
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| marsie Member Since: 17 Nov 2011 Location: sheffieldish Posts: 532
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Cheers Tony,i will leave the laptop open on the Blue lagoon website so that she sees it when she is having a nosey
Paul |
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29th Jul 2012 10:17am |
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