We have seen a number of great Icelandic road trip videos of adventurers in the past year, pretty much all follow the adventurers around Iceland on car. But past August two of the world’s best known mountain bikers, Hans Rey and Steve Peat, went on a different kind of road trip – an epic bike ride across Iceland. Taking to trails and paths which are off limits to motorized vehicles, the video offers a unique view of what travelling through Icelandic nature and scenery looks like.
The two were followed by local guide Rúnar Ómarsson, a bike guide, and trailed by a photographer and filmmaker. The team biked for six days across the highland from north to south in August, crossing by some stunning natural wonders, waterfalls and mountain ranges. The video, which was released on Friday gives us a glimpse of what this adventure feels like.
Rúnar’s role was to ensure Steve and Hans stayed on approved trails and paths. Rúnar tells the local news site visir.is that the two mountain bikers wanted to ride the less trodden paths rather than regular roads: Sheep paths and walking trails. But many such paths are not open to traffic, even on non-motorized vehicles like mountain bikes. Knowing which trails are open and which are not is therefore crucial.
“You could say Iceland is a dream destination for mountain bikers”, Rúnar tells visir.is. He notes, however, that foreign mountainbikers usually see the weather and the price as the biggest challenges. “But that’s just how it is”, he adds. If you can afford the price ticket and are willing to brace the weather, Iceland is a great destination for mountain bikers Rúnar says. But increased influx of mountain bikers offers unique challenges, as recognizing where you can ride.
“There are trails which are only really open a couple of days each year, so you cannot ride wherever you want, whenever you want,” Rúnar tells vísir.is, adding that “nobody wants to damage the nature. People come to enjoy the natural beauty and therefore they want to protect it.”
We have seen a number of great Icelandic road trip videos of adventurers in the past year, pretty much all follow the adventurers around Iceland on car. But past August two of the world’s best known mountain bikers, Hans Rey and Steve Peat, went on a different kind of road trip – an epic bike ride across Iceland. Taking to trails and paths which are off limits to motorized vehicles, the video offers a unique view of what travelling through Icelandic nature and scenery looks like.
The two were followed by local guide Rúnar Ómarsson, a bike guide, and trailed by a photographer and filmmaker. The team biked for six days across the highland from north to south in August, crossing by some stunning natural wonders, waterfalls and mountain ranges. The video, which was released on Friday gives us a glimpse of what this adventure feels like.
Rúnar’s role was to ensure Steve and Hans stayed on approved trails and paths. Rúnar tells the local news site visir.is that the two mountain bikers wanted to ride the less trodden paths rather than regular roads: Sheep paths and walking trails. But many such paths are not open to traffic, even on non-motorized vehicles like mountain bikes. Knowing which trails are open and which are not is therefore crucial.
“You could say Iceland is a dream destination for mountain bikers”, Rúnar tells visir.is. He notes, however, that foreign mountainbikers usually see the weather and the price as the biggest challenges. “But that’s just how it is”, he adds. If you can afford the price ticket and are willing to brace the weather, Iceland is a great destination for mountain bikers Rúnar says. But increased influx of mountain bikers offers unique challenges, as recognizing where you can ride.
“There are trails which are only really open a couple of days each year, so you cannot ride wherever you want, whenever you want,” Rúnar tells vísir.is, adding that “nobody wants to damage the nature. People come to enjoy the natural beauty and therefore they want to protect it.”
