I'm planning a 2 week trip to Iceland in early October. I've been searching online and can only find opening dates for the various mountain roads but no closing dates. Is October going to be too wintery to cross the F35 on a bike? What about a more coastal ride?
Thanks in advance
All the highland gravel roads will be closed, the highland summer in Iceland is only about a month and a half. The weather in October will be cold, wet and windy, with days alternating between mild weather and then furious snowstorms giving way to sleet and rain and back again. So road conditions all over Iceland will be very variable. Think wet ice on the roads and snowed-in mountain passes if the winter has an early start.
It'll be dark as well and your survival on a bike in the dark cold will be seen as an affront to drivers who'll be hard pressed seeing you, with potentially fatal consequences. :sleep:
.
Some biking should be doable but you'll have to be self-reliant and flexible to make it work. Ideally I'd not want you biking alone on the Ring Road at that time of the year, if anything happens to you, you're a long way from people and help in many cases.
Hmm, I'm used to cold, wet and windy days but then it never freezes in autumn here. :hmm: The atlantic storms might also be tougher on you guys than us as we're usually a little sheltered by Norway or Britain.
I think it might be better to wait until I have time in the summer months. :lol: Maybe Maidera instead? Also an Atlantic island but with much better weather.
How about hiking in October though? I'd cut the vacation down to maybe 10 days and do a 6-7 day walk.
(Direct tickets are on offer atm :P)
Go in July Liep you arse :contract:
Sorry :P
I have cycled in Iceland, summer is quite difficult enough. If you leave the ring road then you are really talking about a minor expedition.
I don't have time off in July, besides return tickets for October was €190 and in July it's more like €480. :(
Quote from: Liep on February 01, 2016, 11:51:11 AM
I don't have time off in July, besides return tickets for October was €190 and in July it's more like €480. :(
And why do you think that is? :hmm:
Quote from: Barrister on February 01, 2016, 01:09:28 PM
Quote from: Liep on February 01, 2016, 11:51:11 AM
I don't have time off in July, besides return tickets for October was €190 and in July it's more like €480. :(
And why do you think that is? :hmm:
Well, obviously. But Europe is awesome in the off seasons for that exact reason.
You're Danish. Tough it out. Besides this is where Legbiter lives so obviously that weather creates Alpha Males. You don't want to be a Beta and go in July do you?
Quote from: mongers on February 01, 2016, 02:17:20 PM
Damn Liep, you're Adventurous/Optimistic/Stupid/Foolhardy/Heroic* :D
You forgot cheap. :P
And I'm having 2nd thoughts about this, maybe Tel Aviv is a better option (also on sale).
Quote from: Valmy on February 01, 2016, 02:18:51 PM
You're Danish. Tough it out. Besides this is where Legbiter lives so obviously that weather creates Alpha Males. You don't want to be a Beta and go in July do you?
I'm only like 62/64 Jutish, I also have some Dutch and Spanish ancestors so I'm not all alpha male.
I have never in my life thought of the Danes as being tough alpha males. I had them pegged as one of the mildest stereotypes around.
Quote from: Barrister on February 01, 2016, 02:36:48 PM
I have never in my life thought of the Danes as being tough alpha males. I had them pegged as one of the mildest stereotypes around.
Vikings?
There are parts of rural Jutland where you can't really go if you're a mild stereotypical Zealander without getting beat up by alpha male Jutes.
Quote from: Barrister on February 01, 2016, 02:36:48 PM
I have never in my life thought of the Danes as being tough alpha males. I had them pegged as one of the mildest stereotypes around.
Icelanders, not Danes. Obviously -_-
Quote from: Liep on February 01, 2016, 11:13:02 AM
Hmm, I'm used to cold, wet and windy days but then it never freezes in autumn here. :hmm: The atlantic storms might also be tougher on you guys than us as we're usually a little sheltered by Norway or Britain.
I think it might be better to wait until I have time in the summer months. :lol: Maybe Maidera instead? Also an Atlantic island but with much better weather.
Yeah I'd if possible want to maintain a perfect 100% Languishbrah survivability score for Iceland, so any biking trips should be done in the summertime. :lol: Plus if you did show up in October I'd not only mother hen you every 3 hours to check if you were not freezing to death by the roadside, I'd involve the entire Legbiter clan in the business of Keeping Liep Alive as well. :contract:
Quote from: Legbiter on February 01, 2016, 04:12:00 PM
Yeah I'd if possible want to maintain a perfect 100% Languishbrah survivability score for Iceland, so any biking trips should be done in the summertime. :lol: Plus if you did show up in October I'd not only mother hen you every 3 hours to check if you were not freezing to death by the roadside, I'd involve the entire Legbiter clan in the business of Keeping Liep Alive as well. :contract:
Damn. I am starting to understand why the entire population of this country is a few Hong Kong people hives.
Quote from: Liep on February 01, 2016, 11:13:02 AM
Hmm, I'm used to cold, wet and windy days but then it never freezes in autumn here. :hmm: The atlantic storms might also be tougher on you guys than us as we're usually a little sheltered by Norway or Britain.
I think it might be better to wait until I have time in the summer months. :lol: Maybe Maidera instead? Also an Atlantic island but with much better weather.
Madeira (:P) is what I want to do in October. Picked Canaries for March as is supposed to be warmer their earlier than Maidera. We shall see...
Quote from: Liep on February 01, 2016, 11:16:14 AM
How about hiking in October though? I'd cut the vacation down to maybe 10 days and do a 6-7 day walk.
(Direct tickets are on offer atm :P)
Hiking's much more feasible as you're always a fairly short distance away from relative wilderness and you can go together with groups on short but excellent hikes and be back for dinner in town.
Does the Legbiter clan speak Danish? A stay in a Reykjavik hostel with daily hikes also sounds really good (and warmer). I think I'm going to pull the trigger on that, how's the northern lights in October?
Iceland is 2 hours closer by flight than Madeira so there's also that.
How close are the danish and icelandic languages? :)
Besides english, what are the most popular 2nd/3rd language in Iceland and Denmark?
Quote from: viper37 on February 02, 2016, 01:48:00 AM
How close are the danish and icelandic languages? :)
Besides english, what are the most popular 2nd/3rd language in Iceland and Denmark?
Very different, Icelandic is norse and Danish is more Germanic with a bit of norse left in there, but Denmark used to own Iceland. :menace:
Probably Turkish or Arabic. :P (german/french/spanish in that order for high schoolers)
Quote from: garbon on February 01, 2016, 04:19:32 PM
Quote from: Liep on February 01, 2016, 11:13:02 AM
Hmm, I'm used to cold, wet and windy days but then it never freezes in autumn here. :hmm: The atlantic storms might also be tougher on you guys than us as we're usually a little sheltered by Norway or Britain.
I think it might be better to wait until I have time in the summer months. :lol: Maybe Maidera instead? Also an Atlantic island but with much better weather.
Madeira (:P) is what I want to do in October. Picked Canaries for March as is supposed to be warmer their earlier than Maidera. We shall see...
You'll be wading in Scandies and German tourists. :ph34r:
Madeira is nice; esp. the Western part which is not quite as touristy as the area between Funchal and the airport (or at least it was in 2008).
I've always thought biking around malta would be quite lovely.
Do really want to go to Iceland. Seems like the kind of place where I'd need to go with friends though.
Quote from: Tyr on February 02, 2016, 06:55:33 AM
I've always thought biking around malta would be quite lovely.
Do really want to go to Iceland. Seems like the kind of place where I'd need to go with friends though.
I figure everybody else would be there for the nature so should be difficult to find people to hike with.
Quote from: Liep on February 02, 2016, 03:29:41 AM
but Denmark used to own Iceland. :menace:
I knew :) I was wondering if it was for long enough to influence language :)
Quote
Probably Turkish or Arabic. :P (german/french/spanish in that order for high schoolers)
should have know :P
thanks :)
Quote from: Tyr on February 02, 2016, 06:55:33 AM
I've always thought biking around malta would be quite lovely.
Apart from the homicidal Maltese attitude to driving, it might well be.
And it might be too small for cycling, you can cut across the island in less than an hour.
Quote from: Maladict on February 09, 2016, 09:08:26 AM
Quote from: Tyr on February 02, 2016, 06:55:33 AM
I've always thought biking around malta would be quite lovely.
Apart from the homicidal Maltese attitude to driving, it might well be.
And it might be too small for cycling, you can cut across the island in less than an hour.
No idea about the drivers. I've never been.
But the coast is around 200 km around. Seems an ok distance.
Quote from: Tyr on February 09, 2016, 05:50:45 PM
Quote from: Maladict on February 09, 2016, 09:08:26 AM
Quote from: Tyr on February 02, 2016, 06:55:33 AM
I've always thought biking around malta would be quite lovely.
Apart from the homicidal Maltese attitude to driving, it might well be.
And it might be too small for cycling, you can cut across the island in less than an hour.
No idea about the drivers. I've never been.
But the coast is around 200 km around. Seems an ok distance.
In Malta they drive like crazy and the roads are terrible. Not sure if biking around the island is that great an idea. It's a wonderful place to visit, anyway.
Quote from: Legbiter on February 01, 2016, 04:26:21 PM
Quote from: Liep on February 01, 2016, 11:16:14 AM
How about hiking in October though? I'd cut the vacation down to maybe 10 days and do a 6-7 day walk.
(Direct tickets are on offer atm :P)
Hiking's much more feasible as you're always a fairly short distance away from relative wilderness and you can go together with groups on short but excellent hikes and be back for dinner in town.
Work scheduled changed a bit, it's confirmed for 8 days in late August. Hiking only.
Funchal's supposed to have one of the scariest landing descents of any world airport, if you're into that sort of thing. :)
(https://files1.structurae.de/files/photos/f003301/perspec_pista_ne.jpg)
Legbiter! And other Icelanders!
I'll visit your fair island tomorrow for 9 days, anyone up for some beers?
Quote from: Capetan Mihali on May 30, 2016, 02:11:44 PM
Funchal's supposed to have one of the scariest landing descents of any world airport, if you're into that sort of thing. :)
(https://files1.structurae.de/files/photos/f003301/perspec_pista_ne.jpg)
The scariest is the "airstrip" on the island of Saba. I've landed there, and I can testify to the fact that it is absurdly short, with a drop-off over a sheer cliff into the sea at both ends, and right beside a mountain (the reason: the whole island is a mountain).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juancho_E._Yrausquin_Airport
Every landing there is an adventure. :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiVM0w9YquQ
Quote from: Liep on February 01, 2016, 02:40:36 PM
Quote from: Barrister on February 01, 2016, 02:36:48 PM
I have never in my life thought of the Danes as being tough alpha males. I had them pegged as one of the mildest stereotypes around.
Vikings?
There are parts of rural Jutland where you can't really go if you're a mild stereotypical Zealander without getting beat up by alpha male Jutes.
There are very few alpha males left in Europe. A few old dudes who fought the Russians in Finland, certainly none have been in Southern Europe since the Roman Empire days.
The weather is okay, some sun with only a little rain. Reykjavik gets the title as ugliest capital in Europe though and must surely rival for the most expensive. Ouch.
I'll drop you a PM soon Liep, let's meet up sometime in the next few days.
Iceland's been great, the weather has behaved and the nature is absolutely stunning. Also I met Legbiter today for a walkabout and lunch. A really nice guy even if he preferred to speak English and not Danish. :P
Quote from: Liep on September 01, 2016, 01:42:03 PM
Iceland's been great, the weather has behaved and the nature is absolutely stunning. Also I met Legbiter today for a walkabout and lunch. A really nice guy even if he preferred to speak English and not Danish. :P
:cool:
All round cool then.
It was a pleasure to meet you Liep. :thumbsup: