Fjallabak Self Guided 3 Day Mountain Bike Tour

Green riverbeds, black desert landscape and colorful mountains with smoking hot springs and all that only on the first day! On this Highlands bike tour you will be lead through wilderness and open rivers straight into the heart of the “Fjallabak” area for some excellent mountain biking. From Álftavatn you then circle the central part of the famous “Laugavegur” hiking route between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk, before heading back down to civilization following old roads though the lowlands and river deltas before coming to the waterfall Seljalandsfoss where bus will pick you up and take your back to Reykjavík.  On the tour you follow detailed route information that lead you through the highlands on  less travelled jeep routes. Accommodation is in sleeping bag facilities in a mountain hut and youth hostel.  You cycle only with your daypack and your luggage is transported from hut to hut.

Departures:
Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday between 01.07 and 29.08 2012

Biking: 3 days
Technical difficulty: 2 **
Total distance: 154 km (96,7 miles)

Included: Bus ride from Reykjavík to start of biking and from end of biking back to Reykjavík, two nights in huts, transport of baggage between huts, information meeting, map and detailed route descriptions. Guest house in Reykjavik before and after the tour and bike rental can be arranged.
Not included: Bike, helmet, food and personal equipment.
Group size: Individual tour.

Biking: Mountain biking for all bikers on less travelled trails.  Hard tail bike or light full suspension bike is suitable for this tour.
Trails and terrain: The trails are with hard pact surface to lose gravel.  There are several rivers to cross.
Notes on equipment: Cycling in the highland of Iceland can require more clothing than bikers usually wear  It is good to have thick finger glowes, thermal underwear, waterproof jacket and trousers. Sandals for river crossing, dry socks and neoprene over boots can be practical to keep your feet warm. GPS and extra batteries are necessary, as well as your helmet and first aid bag. 
Repair kit can be rented with rental bikes.  More information can be found in the equipment list.
Available upon request: Four-star accommodation in Reykjavík - please contact us for more information.

Please note: The unpredictable weather in Iceland and the rivers that are to cross make this tour not recommended for children.

** For all bike tours, technical difficulty, what to expect:
1.    Good surface, short easy hills, wide path and wide turns.  Good for  beginners
2.    Narrow path with loose surface and gentle down steepness.  Fun for all mountain bikers
3.    Short steep sections, rooky path, narrow turns, short rook steps.  For experienced mountain bikers and fit bikers with little experience.  
4.    Longer steep section, short very steep parts, side sloping path, large steps and small drops.  For experienced bikers only.  
5.    A Downhill course. Very steep sections, obligatory drops, narrow ridges.  Experts only.
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Package price for accommodation in Reykjavík before and after the tour, with pick up and drop off at the beginning/end of the tour:

In a guesthouse with shared facilities:

Based on double occupancy: 20.000 ISK per person (for persons traveling together, both persons have to purchase this item for it to be valid).

Single room: 28.500 ISK.

                                          
In a three-star hotel with breakfast and a private bathroom:

Based on double occupancy: 29.000 ISK per person (for persons traveling together, both persons have to purchase this item for it to be valid).

Single room: 46.500 ISK

You can also only add the pick up and drop off at your accommodation in Reykjavík at the beginning/end of the tour for 4.000 ISK.

Day 0: Meeting at 16:00 in the Icelandic Mountain Guides office in heart of Reykjavík down town. The office is located in Bankastræti 2 in the same building as the main Tourist Information "Icelandic Travel Market".  During this meeting you will receive a map, detailed route information and weather forecast. If you need to rent a bike, the bike rental is at the same location.  

Day 1: In to the heart of “Fjallabak”
Your bus leaves at 08:00 from the BSÍ bus station in central Reykjavík (it is good to be there at 07:30, or half an hour before), heading east along the main road. At 10:40 you are at the beginning of a gravel road where you will get off the bus to begin today biking while the bus continues with your baggage to the Álftavatn hut, where you will stay the night. Soon after the start you choose an old hard paced mud- and grass-grown winding road leads up along the riverbeds of the Rangá river. As the track gently rises, the green grass slowly disappears and is taken over by more desert landscape and the road becomes more rocky. The landscape along the Laufavatn lake is beautiful but the smooth hard pack down section pass to quickly. When the road suddenly lies straight into middle of a small river, it gives adventures atmosphere to the journey. Attention has to be taken when the Markarfljót river is crossed and in the "road book" there is detailed information about the crossing. After the river crossing you are in the heart of the “Fjallabak” area.  The steam rises from hot springs in the colorful rhyolite mountains and to the south the three glaciers Mýrdalsjökull, Eyjafjallajökull and Tindfjallajökull dominate the view over the lower mountains.  Night in mountain hut.
Distance: 60 km  Climbing: 700 m

Single track option of day 1:  Technical level 3 of 5
Midway on day 1 you can choose a more technical option by going on a more rough road and a winding single track. After crossing the flat green area of Hungurfit there is short steep climb (100 m) with long and interesting descent to Krókar. After the crossing of the Markarfljót river on a bridge, there are 5 km of single track that take you to the Torfafit river. After the river crossing you need to carry the bike up short slope before you reach a faint jeep track that takes you to the Álftavatn lake. The track goes along the lake side until it meets the road. From there a single track can be taken straight to the hut, the hard packed road is longer but easier.  Night in mountain hut.
Total distance with this variant: 55 km   Climbing: 650 m

Day 2: Down the “Laugavegur” to Fljótshlíð
From Álftavatn hut you cycle a road that is part of the famous hiking trail between Landmannalaugar and Þórsmörk. At the start there are rolling hills with several small rivers to cross then you eill head into the flat black deserts of Emstrur. The road then climbs up to the last mountain pass where the view opens up to the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Here you have the possibility of a short detour to visit the 200 m high canyon of Markarfljót river. The long downhill slope then leads you to Einhyrningsflatir from where the road follows beautiful canyons made by floods in the river. You continue down to the river delta and the Hut/Hostel where the bus has left your luggage and you stay the night.  
Distance: 47 km        Climbing: 200 m     Descent: 600 m

Day 3: The low lands of Fljótshlíð and waterfall Seljalandsfoss
The route continues along the protection walls made to control the Markarfljót river and along old roads no longer in use that lie across the flat land.  After crossing an old bridge over the Markarfljót river you will start to see some car traffic on the road to the waterfall Seljalandsfoss. We recommend short hike from the campground at Hamragarðar, visit the Gljúfrabúi waterfall and then walk to the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. After visiting the waterfalls is is best to return to the old bridge and continue on that road down to the main road. The last 12 km to Hvolsvöllur are on road number 1.  In the wetlands along the road you will see small ponds and rivers that allow for interesting bird life. The bus that picked up your luggage at the hostel leaves Hvolsvöllur for Reykjavík at 17:50. If you arrive early you can relax in the hot pools of the local swimming pool.  Arrival in Reykjavík around 20:00.
Distance: 47 km     Climbing: Flat land

Departure Date	Availability
05. Jul 2012	Confirmed departure
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