The Iceland Traverse
Four friends embark on an epic journey across Iceland, attempting a completely self-supported crossing by bike from the east to west coast.
the story
“The first of its kind. A route that no one has ridden before.” While travelling the world together in early 2020, Chris Burkard, Emily Batty, Adam Morka and Eric Batty began planning a bikepacking trip across Iceland. Emily and her husband Adam had never been bikepacking before, but were accomplished mountain bikers. Eric, Emily’s brother, had been on many diverse expeditions before. Chris, their mutual friend, had bikepacked in Iceland several times prior. To their knowledge, nobody had ridden from the furthest eastern point, across the heart of the interior, to the western-most point. The challenge was there and they all accepted.
"This is what this whole bikepacking expedition has been about for me. A stripped down experience of connecting with the landscape, its people and history through human effort." - Chris Burkard
Eric, Chris, Emily and Adam (from left to right).
the route
The date to begin their trip is set for August 19, 2020.
This route brings on some serious challenges for the team. They are carrying all of the gear and food required to complete the trip without any external support. They will have a production team joining them at specific locations to film during the journey. Food is a significant challenge to overcome in both weight and caloric intake - none of the team members have the carrying capacity to meet their daily calorie expenditure. Their goal is to complete the entire route over eight days, but there is a strong possibility that it could be extended to ten days if they encounter significant wind storms, heavy rain, or river crossings with lengthy detours to cross safely. The physical and mental capacity required is enormous.
The team powering down a gravel road, surrounded by stunning landscape.
On any first ascent, special attention, preparation and consultation must be given when crossing technical terrain. The team consulted with river guides, farmers, SAR and had an Icelandic production team help them build the route to ensure safety and compliance with environmental standards.
the training
Emily: At the beginning of 2020, Emily was training for upcoming races, the Lenzerheide World Cup and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. When the pandemic hit, her racing schedule was all but cancelled. Building on the level of fitness she had achieved from training for both Iceland and her races, Emily continued training, but this time more with friends and family. She kept pushing the limits and gradually increasing the workload as the bikepacking trip got closer.
Adam: Adam created a training regimen for each of the team members to follow. He trained with both Emily Batty and Eric Batty, as well as with a local mountain bike club (the Durham Shredders).
Eric: In the months prior to the trip, Eric aimed for one long (6-8 hour) ride per week at a minimum, which was generally on gravel or mixed terrain. Having one day of intense riding was important in his training. In each of the other days, his goal was to rack up time on his bike, usually riding on gravel or mountain biking. Overall, he averaged 12-14 hours of training per week. Eric had a large base in terms of fitness from an expedition he was on in April, so he tried to carry that over as best he could to this trip. His work as an arborist kept him in shape strength-wise, so that was not a major focus of his training.
Chris: To prepare for the trip, Chris rode about 2 hours every day. He typically did most of the climbs in a slightly heavy gear. In addition to this, he trained for 1 hour per day focusing on upper body strength and conditioning to get his body used to the bumps and vibrations of the mountain bike. He also did a lot of yoga to strengthen his lower back in preparation for long days of sitting in the saddle.
Eric Batty in training mode (see post here ).
the gear
Emily: Trek Supercaliber bike // SRAM AXS electronic shifting // Revelate bags // Tailfin rack // Black Diamond backpack // Rapha bib
Adam: Trek 1120 bike // full Shimano XT groupset and wheels // Shimano Pro accessories, bar, stem post // Schwalbe Knobby Nick 2.6" tires // Revelate bags // Tailfin rack // Black Diamond backpack // Rapha bib
Eric: Trek 1120 bike // full Shimano XT groupset and wheels // Shimano Pro accessories, bar, stem post // Schwalbe Knobby Nick 2.6" tires // Revelate bags // Tailfin rack // Black Diamond backpack // Rapha bib
Chris: 2019 Specialized S-Works Epic Hardtail bike // SRAM Eagle AXS 10-50 electronic shifting // SRAM brakes // Schwalbe Knobby Nick 2.6" (front) & Schwalbe Rock Razor 2.35" (back) tires // Zipp 3Zero wheels // Revelate bags // Tailfin rack // Black Diamond backpack // Rapha bib // watch the video here
Emily loading and adjusting her bike before departing on Day 1.
Each of their bikes are outfitted with as many bikepacking bags as possible, with each team member also carrying a backpack while they ride. All members of the team will use 2.4 – 2.6" tires to maximize their footprint for the sandy sections on the west side of the island. Their hope is that by the time they hit the west side of the island, the bikes will be significantly lighter.
Each team member has enough portable lithium battery packs to keep their devices charged. Lululemon provides all of their camp clothing, and Santini provides their riding clothing. They each have the essentials to complete the trip, but nothing more: two chamois, three pairs of socks, one riding jacket, booties, gloves, lightweight sleeping bags, camping pads, and some essential camp clothing to change into each day.
Everything the team brought along on their journey across Iceland.
the athletes
Click on the left and right arrows to navigate through each athlete's profile.
explore the route
The map below details the route that the team took across Iceland, along with each overnight stop and several points of interest. Clicking on a section of the route, an overnight stop or a point of interest will reveal more information within the map, such as images and daily stats.
The route taken by the team across Iceland. Click on the lines or points to see more information.
day-by-day
Each day of the journey brings the team new challenges and rewards. They are set to start their traverse at the eastern-most point of Iceland, in Dalatangi.
Adam, Emily, Chris and Eric pose with their loaded bikes before setting off on Day 1.
Scroll through the content below to view photos, locations and a daily recap of their adventures. To view additional photos for each day, click on the right and left arrows on the images.
01 / 09
1
Day 1
aug 19 • 6:45:02 • 130 km
And.. they’re off! The team started their 971 km journey with the production crew in tow. The first few hours involved mandatory pit stops and numerous bike fixes and adjustments. The team discovered that Adam’s bike weighed 90lbs in total (the other bikes were not far off). They passed by a gorgeous fjord en route to their first large climb of the trip, which ended up being a 2000 ft climb out of the valley. This was followed by a big descent into Egilsstaðir. After passing through the town, the team sped through Hallormsstaður National Forest , the largest national forest in Iceland.
The next thing they knew, they were prepping for the next big climb into Iceland’s highlands plateau. The climb was approximately 6000 ft, which was challenging with the loaded bikes. Upon reaching the top, they found themselves entering a vast land of dirt, sand and amazing landscapes: Iceland’s interior.
After refilling their water at a lake and a few more hours of pedalling, the team reached their first hut. Despite the overwhelming amount of gravel on the interior roads, it had been a great day. All of the bikes were still functional, and the team was in good spirits. After unpacking the bikes, they relaxed in a hot spring near the hut. Snacks were divided into ‘rideable, edible chunks’ and the team prepared for the next day.
130 km down, 841 km to go.
2
Day 2
aug 20 • 7:50:42 • 127 km
Rise and shine! The team was sad to leave their amazing accommodations, but it was time to go. Not long after starting their ride, they passed by the Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant , which draws power from five dams altogether and connects three reservoirs.
After putting the dam behind them, the team started with a climb. The official paved road was now at an end, and they began their traverse across the rocky terrain towards Askja Lake. The day had been cold so far and their hands and feet were feeling the chill. Ahead of them were river crossings and rocky roads filled with gravel and sand. The terrain was a very moon-like environment, one that NASA had actually used for astronaut training in the past. It was an awe-inspiring landscape.
The team had to air down their tires for biking on sand. They made it to the F road after being on the dirt track, and were pleased to have the assistance of a strong tail wind to push them along. However, they were running out of water, and there were no river crossings in the immediate road ahead.
After biking for hours with empty water bottles, they finally passed a running stream. Everyone decided to go for it and filter the glacial water (this is generally not a good idea since the minerals destroy your water filter).
After a tiring day, the team made it to their Askja Lake accommodations (Laugarfell). The team went over the route as a group. Tomorrow could potentially be their hardest day.
257 km down, 714 km to go.
3
Day 3
aug 21 • 4:51:12 • 53 km
The journey awaits! Today, the route will involve a long stretch of pushing the bikes through sand, and possibly a large stretch without any water. Adam woke up with discomfort in one of his knees (Advil to the rescue).
The team started off by heading towards the massive glacier known as Vatnajökull . Since they were biking in sand, they had to air down their tires to 12 PSI. The team ended up pushing their bikes through the sand for about 15 miles. Along the way, they passed by the Holuhraun lava field , which was the site of a volcanic eruption in 2014 that created the largest lava field in Iceland since 1783. It was so cold in that area that all of the river beds were dry.
Eventually, the terrain got less sandy and became easier to bike on. The team traversed through their first braided river, which was frozen over when they arrived. However, as the land started to warm up, the river broke through and started to flow. A small 2 inch tidal wave began filling up the river bed at a very fast rate. The team bypassed the river system before it flooded.
Out of the desert and into the glacier. The team made the climb up to their third hut (Kistufell), which, after looking at the desolate landscape around them, they aptly named 'the Star Wars Hut’. Many of the rivers had been either dry or muddy throughout the day, so it was a great discovery to find that the hut had an emergency water supply. The hut is maintained by SAR (search and rescue) and Icelandic mountain clubs. All in all, it was cozy and the team was able to finally get warm. It was a relief after biking through strong, cold winds and dusty roads throughout the day.
Emily cooked dinner, and everyone hung their gear inside and outside of the hut. The team scoped out the next day’s route, which did not look easy. Chris enjoyed the quirky outhouse near the hut.
310 km down, 661 km to go.
4
Day 4
aug 22 • 6:13:42 • 96 km
Brrrrr! The team woke up to a light dusting of snow outside and a beautiful sunrise. They had an early start in order to beat the rivers - that is, cross them before the land heated up enough to release more water into the rivers. They packed up their bikes in the cold and set out.
The sun came out in full, which made for great biking weather. The team travelled on light snow for a while, but needed to put on thicker gloves due to the chilly air. They made it down the glacier, slowly approaching several rivers they aimed to cross.
The landscape made everyone feel like they were in the middle of nowhere. There was an endless track as far as you could see, with a large glacier in the distance. The isolation and lack of natural barriers left the team very exposed and vulnerable to the cutting wind. More importantly, Chris ran out of gummies.
Finally the moment came: their first proper river crossing. They all waded knee-deep into the freezing cold water and pushed their bikes across the river. Luckily, beyond the river, they came across smoother dirt and had a good ride to the hut (Laugafell). Naturally, going into the hot springs was a must. Everything was hung up to dry (or attempted to dry) in the cool wind. They were now at the geographical centre of Iceland.
The next day's route was going to be a tough decision. When the route was scouted the week prior to the trip, it was completely impassable (even for a “super” jeep). The team, along with their support crew, developed a workaround that added 100 km, but this was a significant amount to add to an already massive distance. The decision to keep the original route or use the workaround was to be made the next morning. Everyone was fairly apprehensive for the day ahead.
406 km down, 565 km to go.
5
Day 5
aug 23 • 6:50:43 • 98 km
When morning came, the team decided on their route. Due to the cold weather, they opted for the more ‘pure’ straight line around the north side of Hofsjökull glacier, which was their original route. This would take them through the deeper rivers. They didn't know if the route would be passable, but they planned to take every precaution when crossing the rivers.
The first river crossing occurred at 6:30am. Unfortunately, this meant that everyone's feet were soaked and frozen from that point onward. After the crossing, the team passed by a warning sign for quicksand - Chris’s shoes were almost taken multiple times, so they were constantly on the lookout.
The team reached the crux of the day - a serious river crossing. The conditions had changed in the past few days and the river was now passable. This river was deeper and had a stronger current than any they had crossed before. Eric did a rudimentary rock throw depth check to see if it struck the bottom and if there were any holes (random deep spots). Chris went in for the first human depth check and found that the water was about thigh deep. Currents in glacial rivers are generally stronger than normal rivers (due to the amount of sediment in the water), so it was important to have a solid safety plan in place.
The team members each took a turn. One by one, they hoisted their 80+lb bikes on their backs, bent their knees and braced themselves against the current as they waded through the turbid cold water. They had to simultaneously balance their bikes while fighting the current and dealing with milky water, loose slippery boulders and large holes in the riverbed.
The whole team had a tense but successful crossing. Everyone let their feet dry out for a while and then started to ride again. Nature was not willing to give their feet a break, however; they were challenged with numerous other river crossings throughout the day. As one team member commented, “Every time we cross a river, it’s like a chess game trying to get the right track… we have to take turns going first.” Needless to say, the whole team had wet feet the entire day.
For the remainder of the day, the team saw a few adventurous trucks pass by, but otherwise, the surrounding landscape was devoid of civilization. It was dry and dusty between the rivers, and everyone accumulated a lot of small rocks in their shoes.
All in all, it turned out to be a massive day by the time they reached their cabin for the night (Hveravellir). They had crossed a multitude of rivers of various sizes throughout the day. They had made it past the halfway point of the trip. The cabin was beautiful and had neighbouring hot springs, which the team gladly took advantage of. They were able to enjoy a nice meal, slow down and relax. They were rewarded by an amazing sunset and views of sheep grazing near the hot springs.
504 km down, 467 km to go.
6
Day 6
aug 24 • 6:19:11 • 117 km
Up and at ‘em! The plan today was to head up north from the highlands before cutting over towards the Westjfords. It was the last crux of the route, with several extremely rocky sections.
The team set out for what ended up being a challenging ride. They could hardly document anything with their phones due to the exceptionally technical sharp lava rock, which was some of their hardest terrain yet. There was a mutual fear of slicing tires and the bikes were starting to take a beating. Luckily, their derailleurs held up even in the face of volcanic ash. Once through the technical section, everyone had a well-deserved break, took some Advil and had a snack.
After a few more surprises along the route, including another river crossing, the road finally became manageable again. The team did a 10 km descent and managed to catch up to some “Icelandic local traffic”, aka Icelandic horses and sheep running on the road. They were back near farmland now.
Suddenly, they saw a small aircraft headed in their direction. Haraldur Diego ( @volcanopilot ) had seen their GPS location and flew by to say hello. He turned around for another fly-by, this time dropping a package from the sky containing gummies and candy. Haraldur had seen Chris’s Instagram story about running out of gummies, and, like a true friend, had taken up the challenge to resupply them in a spectacular fashion. Although tempted to eat the candy right away, the team wanted to keep their journey within the standards of “self-supported”. They decided to open the goodie bag at their next on-route resupply point (a gas station) the following day, about 30 km away.
Finally they were back in the lowlands, at the edge of the Westfjords. They stayed in a cabin for the night (Hvammstangi).
621 km down, 350 km to go.
7
Day 7
aug 25 • 5:53:43 • 128 km
Time to hit the road! The team started their day with a mix of fog and sun (including a fog-bow sighting). It was a great morning to ride. Their route was going to take them into the exciting and stunning Westfjords.
The team encountered their first sign of pavement after 7 days as well as the resupply gas station - needless to say, they were a little bit excited. A few team members (without naming names) ingested a lot of sugar very quickly when presented with their candy supply and dessert offering at the gas station. They resupplied a few other items and went to a pharmacy to get some painkillers, then hit the road again.
As the team biked into the Westfjords, the landscapes were absolutely breathtaking. The weather was incredible and their bodies were grateful for the pavement. They stopped and picked wild blueberries on the side of the road several times. The weather continued to behave when they got to the hut (Mýrartunga). There, they were greeted by a cute dog.
749 km down, 222 km to go.
8
Day 8
aug 26 • 6:12:11 • 126 km
Coffee time! The team was pretty tired when they started Day 8. Although the weather was a bit overcast, they did manage to see a rainbow.
Over the course of the day, the team encountered several steep climbs - some larger than expected. The landscape was beautiful, but the gravel road turned into mud when it started to rain and the weather got much cooler. After awhile, the rain stopped and the team took a break to pick some more wild blueberries on the side of the road.
After a great descent to end the day and a quick water refill at a small waterfall, the team arrived at their camping spot where they pitched their tents (Flókalundur). They had biked further than the original plan, since they wanted to get as close to the finish line as possible. The tents had originally been brought for situations involving emergency weather or waiting out a river, but luckily, they hadn’t been needed until now. The team got a hot spring all to themselves and also had enough time to do some minor bike maintenance.
875 km down, 96 km to go.
9
The End: Bjargtangar
aug 27 • 5:12:18 • 96 km
Final day! After 9 days of hard riding, dehydration and improper nutrition, the trip had taken a toll on the team’s bodies. Eric woke up with a slightly swollen face, and everyone was very tired. Even some of their gear had broken, especially the dry bags. Regardless, the team got ready for their final 90 km push with positive attitudes.
They started out the day with a great descent. Along the way, they stopped at a 108-year-old beached ship named Garðar BA 64 , the oldest steel ship in Iceland. After a few shenanigans around the ship, they departed with 40 km to go.
The last section of the route was brutal, as the road turned into dirt again. They were headed to Iceland’s tallest sea cliffs and had one more 1000 ft climb left. But the route had a few nice surprises left in store. They passed by beautiful white sand beaches as well as an old, broken down US Navy plane.
The final climb. The team made a friend with an Icelandic sheep on the side of the road near the finish, and a whole squad of sheep came over to say hello.
Finally, after a Herculean effort, the team made it to Bjargtangar, the western-most part of Iceland. They were tired but elated. There were no flats, no mechanical breakdowns, and endless bags of gummies consumed. Their collective thoughts while sitting at the lighthouse at the end: “We’re so thankful. We can’t believe we made it!”
The team and production crew had a dinner celebration in Patreksfjördur. A local restaurant opened up for them (Flak) and served roasted potatoes and bacalao, with fresh local blueberry skyr cake and chocolate drizzle for dessert.
This trip was indeed the first of its kind. Armed with positivity, humour, strength and willpower, each team member met the challenges of the route head on and pushed through the countless number of obstacles that arose along the way. In total, the team rode a mind-blowing 971 km, with 30 692 ft of elevation gain, in 56 hours and 17 minutes. The first east-to-west self-supported crossing of Iceland was a success!
journey's end
The team celebrating the end of their journey at Bjargtangar.
Eric Batty: "What a trip! I can’t think of a bikepacking trip that would ever be able to top this one. Reality is setting in that it’s over and that it went so smoothly, especially given the location and terrain we travelled through. We definitely had luck on our side for this one as we were treated with very favourable weather, wind, river crossings and very few mechanicals on our bikes. Coming into this trip I was sure we would be riding for 10 days, in the wind, while pouring rain. It only rained a bit on us towards the end in the west fjords, which was very easily managed. I couldn’t have asked for better people to share the route with than my sister Emily Batty, my brother-in-law Adam Morka and my friend Chris Burkard. The amount of fun we had was unquantifiable! Huge thanks to all of our supporters." (read here )
Adam Morka: "Happy mind, tired body. We completed the most burly bikepacking route across Iceland. Months of planning came together more perfect than we could have imagined despite my knee blowing up on day two. Couldn’t ask for a better crew on and off the bike and I can’t wait for everyone to see the documentary and what the team is able to pull together. More photos and videos to come. I sleep now…" (read here )
Emily Batty: "9 days, 975km, 40,000ft of climbing, 78 hours of riding, ten bags of candy consumed and countless bars and other calorie sources. Iceland was a trip, what a dream team. And the crew! (Dadi Jonsson, Elli Thor Magnusson, Jordan Rosen, The Empire (company).... The route was deemed impassable by many locals and even the weeks before, the rivers were far too high for us to cross safely by bike. Luck was on our side and as we made our way into the highlands, the weather continued to improve, making day 5 and 6 a success without much margin for error to spare. Plans for the next bikepacking trip have already been tossed around, but for now I’ll continue reflecting on our incredible journey across Iceland and the memories made along the way." (read here and here )
Chris Burkard: "It goes! 9 days and 975km of dirt, snow, volcanic ash, river crossings, sand, rock and tarmac from the furthest East to West point. A beautiful line straight through the heart of Iceland’s most rugged and formidable landscape - as close as you can get to all the major glaciers. I’m so proud of the whole team - Emily Batty, Eric Batty, and Adam Morka, for absolutely making this one of the best trips of my life. After a year of planning, scheming and mapping this route, I am so grateful and humbled we were given a perfect weather window to complete it. We had massive workarounds, contingency plans and safety protocols in place… but in the end, it all went smoothly as possible with no mechanicals and shockingly no real flats - the landscape was challenging enough and I am grateful we didn’t get the full brunt of Iceland’s weather on top of that. Pushing and pedalling a 90lb bike is something we will not soon forget. Our only hope is that this route is worthy of people going back and repeating it." (read here )
media
The production crew who was in charge of filming and documenting the journey will be releasing a documentary in the near future. Stay tuned!
Complete gear overview by Chris Burkard - click here to watch!
