Damages caused by a group of French travelers in Kerlingafjöll mountains in the Central Highland will be less visible, thanks to the work of volunteers from a local Mountain Truck club, Ferðaklúbburuinn 4×4. Members of the club took it upon themselves to repair the tracks left by the destructive off-road driving which ended with the two trucks driven by the French travelers getting stuck in the wet heath.
Despite the best efforts of the volunteers the tracks are still very much visible. It will take decades before the vegetation has covered the track, returning the landscape to its original pristine state. The before and after photos show that even after the repair the tracks left by the off-roading adventurers are very visible. The danger with these kinds of tracks is that other travelers will mistake them for a road or trail, or assume they are an invitation to drive off-road. Repairing damage is therefore extremely important to stop the destruction from continuing and spreading.
Fines not enough, damages must be repaired
Sveinbjörn Halldórsson, the chairman of Ferðaklúbburinn 4×4, told the local news site Vísir that the goal of the club is promote the enjoyment of Icelandic nature, and to protect it. Fighting off-road driving is crucial for this goal. Off-road driving is one of the greatest threats posed by tourism to Icelandic nature, as damage caused by even brief off-road driving takes decades to disappear. The short, cold and wet summers mean vegetation is very fragile. Off-road driving in wetlands leaves permanent deep tracks which must be repaired by hand.
Sveinbjörn criticizes the government for collecting fines from travelers who are caught off-road driving, but for failing to repair the damages. It is therefore up to volunteers to clean up the mess and destruction left by the off-roading offenders.
Damages caused by a group of French travelers in Kerlingafjöll mountains in the Central Highland will be less visible, thanks to the work of volunteers from a local Mountain Truck club, Ferðaklúbburuinn 4×4. Members of the club took it upon themselves to repair the tracks left by the destructive off-road driving which ended with the two trucks driven by the French travelers getting stuck in the wet heath.
Despite the best efforts of the volunteers the tracks are still very much visible. It will take decades before the vegetation has covered the track, returning the landscape to its original pristine state. The before and after photos show that even after the repair the tracks left by the off-roading adventurers are very visible. The danger with these kinds of tracks is that other travelers will mistake them for a road or trail, or assume they are an invitation to drive off-road. Repairing damage is therefore extremely important to stop the destruction from continuing and spreading.
Fines not enough, damages must be repaired
Sveinbjörn Halldórsson, the chairman of Ferðaklúbburinn 4×4, told the local news site Vísir that the goal of the club is promote the enjoyment of Icelandic nature, and to protect it. Fighting off-road driving is crucial for this goal. Off-road driving is one of the greatest threats posed by tourism to Icelandic nature, as damage caused by even brief off-road driving takes decades to disappear. The short, cold and wet summers mean vegetation is very fragile. Off-road driving in wetlands leaves permanent deep tracks which must be repaired by hand.
Sveinbjörn criticizes the government for collecting fines from travelers who are caught off-road driving, but for failing to repair the damages. It is therefore up to volunteers to clean up the mess and destruction left by the off-roading offenders.
