March 20. 2007
Sometimes we think the "first day of summer" is celebrated a few weeks too early in Iceland - but there it is...
Off Road - First Day of Summer.
Actually it looks like it will be a great day for wheeling. Snow is now only up in the highlands and melting fast. The weather is as good as can be with hardly any wind and the temperature is a few degrees above freezing.
Our route goes north up from lake Thingvallavatn and following the electrical line track south of Langjokull ice-cap.
When we are higher up the ground is covered with fresh snow and we are no longer bound to follow the trail hidden below.
A new addition to the fleet is this 2001 Nissan Patrol with all the extras. Palli has just bought it from an insurance company after it got damaged by falling down through ice and having the front axle ripped of when it was pulled out.
Geir stepping out of his Land Cruiser. The Cruiser war previously owned by Birgir as you may have recalled from earlier tours.
Einar's Cherokee falls down into a deep creek hidden by the fresh snow...
...although it looks innocent it is way deeper than it looks. This is a full length gravel shovel!
Getting it out takes a lot of heavy pulling and using the hi-lift jack to free the axles.
Hinrik and his girlfriend Brynja on their Toyota Double Cab have their share of getting stuck. The 37 inch Toyo tires are too stiff for the snow and don't give as much floatation as Mudder.
Palli gets his big Patrol also in deep...
Still higher up we come to the hut "Slunkariki" that is owned by a group of snowmobilers.
An excellent opportunity to stop and enjoy the view...
...amazing!
The hut is just by the side of Geitlandsjokull. Geitlandsjokull is a mountain connected to Langjokull in the north. That is the only way to get up on a 4x4. Of course we head on to the top...
It's the getting down that is the fun part!
4x4 Off Roads!
Speeding along in the powdery snow is simply GREAT FUN!
A lot like skiing or perhaps surfing.
We come down from Langjokull at the west side close to Husafell.
