Sunday 10th August, exploring the Dyrafjordur Alps

Awelina of Sweden
James Collier
Mon 11 Aug 2014 12:00
The Orange Birch Boletus, a sort of inferior cep, we'd collected on our walk yesterday evening doesn't seem to have had any ill effect, and neither has the beef which has rather exceeded the length of time we thought it would keep and is getting just slightly iffy.
 
As arranged with the cafe we turned up at 10am to collect the two bikes, which Peter identified as very superior models costing thousands of pounds. Armed with a hip flask of whisky and roast beef sandwiches we set off to cycle round the peninsular. It starts by taking the valley up to a pass at nearly 600m just under the Kaldbakur peak and then descends to sea level in the fjord south of here, then winding around the peninsular back to Þingeyri; 56 km in all, plus hills.
 
At the end we were just slightly sick of Icelandic roads which at points are a case of simply follow the high tide mark on pebble beaches. However expensive, all bicycles have the same damnably hard, un-sprung and un-padded saddles! But the disc brakes were admittedly good and essential, getting almost red hot at times. It took about 7 hrs which was rather longer than we expected for the distance! But it was a grand day of healthy exercise in the fresh air, and it was sunny although quite windy.
 
Stupidly, James had left behind his camera, so we only had Peter's iPhone.
 
mountain
Nearly at the summit. Peter in front of a micro-glacier.
 
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Phew! We could, and perhaps should, have walked the extra 400m ascent up to the peak of Kaldbakur at 998m but it was in the cloud and jolly cold and windy.
 
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Whereas the view down all the way to a new fjord in the sunshine seemed the more attractive option.
 
When we got back we decided to eat in the cafe and made it a comparatively early night. Tomorrow we intend to set off again, perhaps to Suðureyri.