iceland experience
Transcription
iceland experience
ICELAND EXPERIENCE ”Land of Fire & Ice” 30 July – 11 August 2015 / 13 – 25 August 2015 1 ”CONQUERING HEKLA WAS JUST ONE OF THE MANY ADVENTURES OF THE ICELAND EXPERIENCE 2014. BRILLIANT RIDING, STUNNING VIEWS AND EVERYTHING NEATLY ORGANIZED BY CHRIS AND ANNA, I CAN’T THINK OF A BETTER WAY TO SPEND MY SUMMER HOLIDAYS!” ELLEN / THE NETHERLANDS PARTICIPANT ICELAND EXPERIENCE 2014 2 4 Introduction 6-7 Travel Information 8 General Route 9 Itinerary 10 Riding skills / Off-road 12 Accommodation & food 13 Which type of motorcycle? 14 Transport to Iceland 15 Iceland 17 Tour package 23 Contact 3 Join us on this extraordinary journey. An experience of a lifetime! Would you like to have a unique and exiting off-road experience on two wheels? Iceland is one of the best countries in the world for riding your adventure-bike. Driving is challenging and offers a lot of variety through breath taking nature! Leave the tarmac behind and explore not only the more known highlights but also the desolate highlands of inner Iceland. Driving a motorbike through Iceland is like an expedition through different landscapes, which are truly unique in Europe. It’s an exciting motorbike trip where you will experience different aspects of great nature. On your own bike you’ll be driving on gravel roads as much as possible, crossing the inhospitable and deserted highlands of Iceland. An overwhelming environment that is dominated by glaciers, waterfalls, volcanoes, black lava dessert, wild rivers, hot springs and rainbow coloured mountains. Will you continue even though the tarmac ends? Do you have a positive attitude and are looking forward to an adventurous trip through one of the most extraordinary countries in Europe? Do you like to share your experience with others and help each other out when the going gets tough? You are aware that Icelandic weather conditions can quickly change which is part of our adventure. This trip demands an open mind, flexibility, endurance and team spirit because we help each other when it’s needed. It’s mandatory to have some experience driving on gravel roads or you have been to an off-road course like the BMW enduro course in Hechlingen, Off-Road Skills (ORS) in Wales, or Touratech offroad school in Sweden, etc. You don’t need to be an off-road/ enduro expert to participate on this tour! 4 “THE LANDSCAPE IS DESOLATE, BARREN AND STUNNING! ICELAND GAVE ME CHALLENGES, ADVENTURE AND DRIVING PLEASURE WHICH I NEVER EXPERIENCED ON A MOTORCYCLE BEFORE!” JENS MÅRTENSSON / SWEDEN PARTICIPANT ICELAND EXPERIENCE 5 TRAVEL INFORMATION Date: 30 July – 11 August 2015 13 – 25 August 2015 Duration: 13 days Participants: Min. 5 and max. 10 motorbikes (max. 2 persons in the support vehicle). Pillion: On this tour it’s not possible to bring a pillion (drive two-up). We have limited place in our support vehicle (2) for those who want to bring their partner. Motorcycle: Rental bike: BMW GS (650 GS, 800 GS, 1200 GS/LC or 1200 GS/LC adventure Own: Dual-sport bike/all-road motorbikes like Tiger 800XC, BMW GS, Yamaha Ténéré, KTM 990, Honda Transalp, Africa Twin, etc. Transport own MC: Your bike will be shipped by sea in a sealed container from Sweden, The Netherlands, Norway, Denmark or Germany to Iceland and back. Support-vehicle: A 4WD car: Toyota Landcruiser 90 Arctic Truck with 35” wheels (incl. experienced chauffeur, transport of food, luggage and extra gasoline) and with trailer in case a bike brakes down. 6 Insurance: Transport- (own bike) and medical / travel insurance is mandatory, - and cancellation insurance is highly recommended. Accommodation: At guesthouses and hostels, twin-rooms (if available), or rooms of two or four persons. Cabins/ mountain huts: rooms of four up to 12. Only during our stay in Reykjavik is a single room available (at extra costs). Food: When staying hostels and cabins we create a common “food-pot” for food and drinks and we will prepare dinner & breakfast ourselves (when needed). Breakfast is included when staying in guesthouses/ hostels when available. Clothing: A full motorcycle suit (with knee and back protection, and gloves) and helmet are mandatory. We strongly recommend to bring a camel-bag to carry water supply with you on your back. Equipment: After you’ve booked the Iceland Experience, you’ll receive a detailed list with what to bring. 7 GENERAL ROUTE We will cross Iceland two times through its interior and its desolate lava-desserts and snow capped glaciers to experience all sides that Iceland has to offer. This is only possible by a 4WD car or an adventure motorbike. From the green rolling hills in the North, the fairy-tale coloured Rhyolite mountains of Landmannalaugar to the many impressive waterfalls, like Dettifoss, Gullfoss and Godafoss. We stay often in simple mountain cabins, and many of them are on really special places, so there will be no camping. Regardless the choice of routes we will of course see some of the highlights which Iceland is known for like Vatnajökull, Dettifoss, Reykavik, Geysir, Gullfoss, lake Myvatn and whalewatching in Husavik. The roads we will drive offer a great variety, they can be challenging but lead us to some extraordinary scenery! The majority will be on good well-prepared gravel roads but the road surface can be from tarmac to stones and lava sand. The rivers that runs through Iceland’s interior are mostly not bridged which means we’ll have to drive trough them. Depending on the water level it will be a small or a big challenge, but always a special experience! We’ll have a support vehicle where we can take your luggage, food, extra gasoline, 1st aid equipment and tools along in it. Meaning more fun while riding! To increase our security we’ll have a trailer too, where if needed, we can take a motorcycle in case it brakes down. You can drive your own tempo, take an alternative route (when available) or drive together with the tour guide, that’s up to you. We’ll adjust our tempo to you and during the day we will have enough time to take pictures and coffee brakes while we enjoy the magnificent views. 8 ITINERARY DAY FROM - TO: ACCOMMODATION: 1 Home - Reykjavik Guesthouse/hostel 2 Reykjavik – Sellfoss 3 KM. OFFROAD RIVERS* - - - Hostel/Cabin 220 30% 0 Selfoss - Vik Cabin 190 40% 0 4 Vik - Laki Cabin 185 70% 4 5 Laki - Landmannalaugar Cabin 170 85% 8 6 Landmannalaugar - Nýidalur Cabin 185 95% 3 7 Nýidalur - Myvatn Guesthouse 140 95% 2 8 Myvatn (resting day) Guesthouse (100) (0%) 0 9 Myvatn - Laugafell Cabin 165 75% 2 10 Laugafell - Kjölur Cabin 190 95% 3 11 Kjölur - Geyser Cabin 180 75% (2) 12 Geyser—Reykjavik Guesthouse/hostel 150 50% 0 13 Keflavik airport - home - - - - Adventure Level of driving Comfort Culture shock Days Price *amount of river crossings/day. Places, routes and distances are preliminary and can be adjusted according to weather conditions, customer’s wishes/capabilities and requirements. 9 REQUIREMENTS Intermediate level Off-road / gravel riding experience required. Previous participation in an off-road training is recommended. Conditions Please bring your complete motorcycling gear (helmet, motorcycling boots, gloves, goggles, motorcycling suit with protectors, back protector). Sorry, no rental of motorcycling gear possible. 10 RIDING SKILLS / OFF-ROAD On all our trips are fun and safety our main goals. With the classification 1 track up to 3 tracks, we would like to give you an indication to evaluate your off-road riding skills, for the tour required. Self-evaluation is not easy – but the final decision is made by you only. Don`t hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions or you need suggestions for an off-road course. We are also at your disposal for further questions about the trip or special information about the routes. = Off-road beginners Driving on asphalt, even on passes with narrow switchbacks are no problem for you. The off-road part is mostly under 30 % of the total distance. The tour is easily manageable also for beginners. Recommendation: If you have no off-road and /or gravel riding experience at all, we recommend a 1- or 2 day training course. After that training course it is much easier for you to evaluate your skills and to figure out whether you have fun riding off-road tracks. = Intermediate off-road riders Driving on asphalt as well as on gravel, passes with narrow switchbacks (paved and gravel) are no problem for you. Off-road (gravel) riding experience is mandatory. The off-road part is mostly over 30 % of the total distance. Challenging sections with bigger stones, steep climbs/descents and/or sand are possible. Recommendation: This tour is not applicable for participants without any off-road/ gravel riding experiences. You are experienced with off-road/ gravel riding, and/or have had a 1- or 2-day training course. = Advanced off-road riders This tour is suitable for drivers with advanced off-road experience and good fitness. The daily routes can be pretty long. The tour consist mostly of off-road parts including demanding and difficult routes with single-tracks, sand, big stones, mud and water crossings Recommendation: This tour is not recommended for participants without any offroad experiences. You must have an extensive experience with off-road / gravel riding and/or have had an advanced off-road course. 11 ACCOMMODATION & FOOD During the Iceland Experience we’ll stay at different types of accommodation, which will include hostels, guesthouses, cabins and mountain-huts. Because there are no hotels, gasoline stations or restaurants in Iceland’s interior we’ll bring our own sleeping bags, and food to cook ourselves. The mountain cabins are well equipped and some of them have a “hot-spring” (natural warm water well) where you can relax and enjoy after a long day in the saddle. When staying in a hotel or guesthouse, breakfast is included. 12 WHICH TYPE OF MOTORCYCLE? We ride the Iceland Experience on our own motorcycle or on a rental bike (BMW GS’s). Adventure / all-road bikes like Tiger 800XC, BMW GS (all types), Yamaha Ténéré, KTM 1190/990, Honda Transalp, Africa Twin, etc. are very suitable for this trip. If you’re unsure whether your bike is suitable, just ask us! Own bike The age of your motorcycle is not that important. It should be in a good technical state, with appropriate tires (TKC 80, Karoo 3, Heidenau K60 Scout). The following bikes aren’t suitable for the Iceland Experience due to the terrain, roads and planned routes such as: motor-cross and enduro-bikes (125-250 cc), choppers, custom-, tour- and sport-motorbikes. Rental We make use of BMW GS motorcycles. This great allrounder is perfect on tarmac and can handle the tougher sections in the Highlands without a problem. Please ask us for pricing (depending on type of motorcycle). 10 13 TRANSPORT TO ICELAND You can fly directly from many international airports in Europe and the USA to Keflavik International airport, which is lying 50 km. from Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital. You are responsible for booking your flight ticket yourself. Make sure that you arrive latest on day 1 (arrival day). There are several airlines flying directly and daily to Reykjavik (Icelandic air, SAS, Wowair, Norwegian). There are good means of transport between the airport and Reykjavik (airport coach). 10 14 ICELAND Iceland is volcanic and the landscape varies enormously and has astonishing views! It is not a coincidence that so many films like Prometheus, Tomb Raider, Die Another Day, and Batman Begins have been shot in this magical place. With a surface of 103,000 km2 and only 319,000 inhabitants, of whom 200,000 live in Reykjavik and its surroundings, there is plenty of room to explore this enchanting country. Europe’s largest glacier is on Iceland: Vatnajökull, which measures 8100 km2, and also Europe’s largest waterfall, Dettifoss (in volume). We will combine fantastic motorcycle riding with these magnificent nature experiences! Iceland has only a short motorbike season, which starts in July and ends in early September. Not only in terms of temperature, but also with regard to the likelihood of gravel roads in the highlands are open and passable. Summer in Iceland means long days and short nights. Rain, strong winds and even snow could be part of our adventure when we drive in the mountains in the interior of Iceland. With active volcanoes, massive glaciers, vast lava deserts, countless waterfalls, exquisite scenery and fantastic off-road paths, Iceland has everything the adventurous motorcyclist wishes for! 15 9 Gasoline There are enough gas stations along the coast (ring-road no. 1), but not in the interior of Iceland. Because of this, we’ll bring extra gasoline in our support vehicle. Gasoline costs an average of € 1,50 per litre (Sep 2014). Mobile phone / Internet You have coverage virtually all over Iceland (depending on the operator). Some of the hostels, guesthouses have Wi-Fi (not in the interior of Iceland). It’s possible to buy a pre-paid card with 3G connection. Payments in Iceland/ATMs You can pay with credit card almost everywhere (VISA, MasterCard) and nearly every village has an ATM. Currency: 1000 ISK is approximately € 6,50 / $ 8.45 (September 2014). 16 TOUR PACKAGE WHEN / NOT INCLUDED: 30 JULY – 11 AUGUST 2015 13 – 25 AUGUST 2015 × Flight tickets × Food (besides mentioned above). We’ll create a “kitty” (a common pot for food & drinks) and cook our own food and we’ll bring lunch and snacks. × Gasoline × Additional excursions/entry fees like whale watching, visiting “the blue lagoon”, etc. × Travel-insurance (mandatory), transport- and cancellation insurance (recommended) × Transport to/from the harbor in country of origin (when riding your own bike) PRICE / Price rider: € 3.250 / SEK 29.900 (own bike)*. It’s not possible to drive “two-up” with the Iceland all-road Experience. A limited amount of people can join this tour the support-vehicle, a rented 4-WD (€ 2.275 / SEK 20.900). Ask for prices for the rental bikes (depending on which type). INCLUDED: ✓ 13 days holiday IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO: ✓ 11 days adventure riding • ✓ Transport of your motorbike by sea-container Arrange your personal travel-insurance, (European) health-insurance, etc. ✓ Accommodation • ✓ Experienced MC-guide on Iceland Check if your motorbike insurance covers Iceland (including recoverycosts) ✓ Support-vehicle, 4-WD with trailer • ✓ Emergency equipment: repair-kit for punctures, tools, 1st Aid kit. Make sure you have got a valid motorcycle driver’s license and a valid passport ✓ SPOT-(GPS)emergency system; min. one per group • ✓ Jerry cans for extra fuel Make sure you are in a good physical state and do not overestimate your own (riding) capacities ✓ Meals as described above • ✓ GPS-waypoints/routes and (waterproof) Iceland map Follow the (local) traffic rules, laws and regulations as well the tour leader’s instructions. ✓ Guided tour on a glacier • ✓ Transport from Keflavik Airport – Reykjavik by airport coach Maintain your own equipment and motorcycle. Explore360° will whenever possible help, but cannot be held responsible for any costs for recovery and such. All prices are per person and are subject to change depending on accommodations, shipping and applicable taxes, currency changes or VAT. 17 TASTE OF ICELAND 18 19 20 “ICELAND IS NOT JUST A COUNTRY. FOR MANY REASONS I HAVE LEFT SOME OF MYSELF UP THERE, AND WHEN IT ALL HAPPENS IN A GROUP OF WONDERFUL PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ATTITUDE, THEN YOU RETURN HOME FEELING RICHER INSIDE”. JES BUUS / DENMARK ICELAND EXPERIENCE 2014 21 © EXPLORE360° 2014 (PICTURES BY / KYLE JOHNSON, STEFAN JONSSON, JES BUUS & CHRIS WILTHUIS) 22 EXPLORE360° Adventure motorcycle experiences CHRIS WILTHUIS M: + 46 (0) 72 015 05 70 E: [email protected] W: www.explore360.nu F: facebook.com/explore360degrees 23