SAMPLE EXPEDITION
Iceland

Below is an itinerary from a recent  trip to Iceland - a great destination on all levels; adventure, landscape, nightlife, and driving if you wish. Visit Iceland on one of our future OEXpeditions and you'll see that the Icelanders know how to get around their fascinating nation without the need for asphalt. All our trips are similar in their detailed preparation, and greatly varied in their adventures.

First time--Independent trips

We now offer trips to Iceland that are not lead by Bruce Elfstrom.  These trips can be as long as you like with an many people as you choose.  They can be Self Drive guided, or just guided with you as a passager.  Self Drive Guided trips require at least one day of driver training at the OEX in CT.  Non-self drive require no training of course.  To inquire about this option please contact Bruce Elfstrom.  These trips are developed by Bruce and t you as a client.  They make use of the same fantastically modified vehicles and include glacier driving. This is the only true way to drive yourself in all condition in Iceland, no other company offer this inside or outside of Iceland.

Guests who register with us will receive advanced mailed itinerary options to select from.

Day 1 Arrive, Thingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss Lobster soup, Ranga Hotel

• Arrive at Keflavik Airport 7am.

• Pick up by Defenders. Drive to Thingvellir National Park. Here we will visit site of the worlds first Parliament established by the Vikings more than 1000 years ago. Snack break.

• Drive to Geysir and Gullfoss. Site of Geothermal water geysers and the massive Gullfoss waterfall.

• Drive south to the black beaches.

• Drive beaches to small fishing village, Stokkseyri. Here at Stokkseyri we have late lunch at a small local restaurant that serves the best Lobster soup found anywhere in the world.

• Drive to Hotel Ranga near Hella, check-in and drinks and dip in the "Hot Pot" (hot tubs outside on the plain).

• Lecture on Geology and Natural History of Iceland

• Short nap or take a ride on the famous Icelandic horses.

• Dinner at the hotel’s 4 Star restaurant

• Hope for a show of the Northern Lights.

Day 2 Landmannalaugar in Fjallabek Nature Reserve

• Breakfast at Ranga

• Presentation on driving techniques, general history, and geology.

• Head towards Mt. Hekla and the area of Landmannalaugar in Fjallabek Nature Reserve. This first step into the highlands will include challenging snow driving, mountain driving and, if clear, views of seven of Iceland’s Glaciers.

• Lunch on the mountaintop in your Defender. Manifold cooking is an option!

• Drive the difficult roads throughout the area, making our way to the night’s accommodations at Landmannalaugar Mountain Hut.

• Arrive at Landmannalaugar Mountain Hut. Have a barbecue dinner of fish, lamb, or burgers Icelandic style.

• After dinner, relax with drinks while listening to a  wealth of myths and magic of Iceland. Next to the hut are a series of natural hot springs coming directly out of the volcanic mountainside. Choose your spot and temperature for a great bath under the stars and Northern Lights.

Day 3 Landmannalaugar, Thorsmork and the Leirubakki Guesthouse

• Breakfast at Landmannalaugar Mountain Hut.

• Drive on the East side of Mt. Hekla toward the Thorsmork area. Here we drive a fantastic and challenging road between Torfajokull glacier and Myrdalsjokull glacier. We move down one side of a valley and back up to the other side to the area of Thorsmork. We will cross 20 or more rivers on this route, so estimated times will vary upon the number of winching/recovery events (if any)

• Lunch by hot springs or glacial lake

• On the way we will visit the medieval farm of Keldur to get an Historical idea of life in Iceland.

• Drive out of Thorsmork onto a paved road (not long) to the Leirubakki Guesthouse. This establishment has a museum about Mt. Hekla and the geology of the area as well as a Viking Turf Long House and geothermal pool.

• Dinner at Guest house—barbecue or pasta type meal

• Relax in the Viking Turf House while listening to a lecture on the Viking Sagas.

• End the night in the Turf house and Hot Pot

• Accommodations in Guesthouse

Day 4 Good Weather -----Glacier Langjokull

• Pre-dawn, a check on the weather will help us determine if we attempt a trans-glacier drive as our days course

• If the report is favorable, an early morning start after breakfast finds us on our way north northeast into the highlands and towards the glacier Langjokull. We will drive by the Kerlingarfjoll area into the southern end of the highland deserts and attempt to ascend the glacier at its most northern point. Once on the glacier we will (pure GPS navigation here) cross the glacier northeast to southwest (its longest point). This crossing could take from 2 to 7 hours in favorable conditions.

• After the crossing, we will drive a track southwest to the Húsafell area.

• Dinner and accommodation will be at Farm hotel. These Farm hotels can be found throughout Iceland. This particular one, Hálsasveit, offers dinner, Hot Pots, swimming pool, etc..

Day 4 Bad Weather -----Kerlingarfjoll mountain area, and Hallmundarhraun caves

• Pre-dawn, a check on the weather will help us determine if we attempt a trans-glacier drive as our days course

• Unfavorable weather conditions dictate a more moderate day’s events. We will follow the same route north into the inland desert and go through the spectacular Kerlingarfjoll mountain area. After this challenging route, we loop west around the northern top of the Langjokull glacier. We will stop and do some river fishing and ice fishing for a trout lunch cooked on an open fire lakeside.

• After lunch we will drive southwest to the Húsafell area and visit the waterfalls and Hallmundarhraun caves of the area.

• Dinner and accommodation will be at Farm hotel. These Farm hotels can be found throughout Iceland. This particular one, Hálsasveit, offers dinner, Hot Pots, swimming pool, etc.

Day 5 Good weather day 4 ----- Hallmundarhraun caves, Skjaldbreith area, Reykjavik

• Breakfast and early start from Hálsasveit

• The Schedule for this day is dependent on if we crossed the glacier or not on day 4.

• If we had good weather, we will follow the day 4 ‘bad weather’ schedule and explore the Húsafell area and in addition the Skjaldbreith area

• Time depending we will either dinner in Akrenes (pizza) and afterwards drive to Reykjavik; or drive straight into Reykjavik and check in at the Hotel Loftleithir. We can dinner at the Hotel or at any one of the hundreds of great restaurants throughout city

Day 5 Bad weather day 4 ----- Glacier Langjokull, Reykjavik

• Breakfast and early start from Hálsasveit

• Weather dependent we will attempt the glacier one of two ways.

1. If the weather is marginal, we will attempt to cross the glacier from its southwest slope, heading east over the glaciers highest point and descending near its southwest corner.

1. We will lunch on the glacier. After descending off the glacier, we will drive in and around the Skjaldbreith area just south of the glacier.

2. We will leave the Skjaldbreith area via Thingvellir and drive into Reykjavik and check into the Hotel Loftleithir

1. If the weather is very predictable, we will cross from southeast to northwest corners of the glacier. Lunch will be on the glacier.

1. After descending off the glacier, we will drive south back towards Húsafell. Time depending we will either dinner in Akrenes (pizza) and afterwards drive to Reykjavik; or drive straight into Reykjavik and check in at the Hotel Loftleithir. We can dinner at the Hotel or at any one of the hundreds of great restaurants throughout city.

Day 6 Reykjavik, Blue Lagoon<

Vehicles: 

Land Rover 110s 300tdi and TD5s.  

All the vehicle are highly modified expedition trucks (same basic vehicle modifications as the Trans-Antarctic Expedition).  

The vehicles used will be turbo diesels, with 38 inch to 44 inch tires.  

All are fitted with under drives and lower gearing suitable for glacier driving.   

The Land Rover Defender 110s, are completely expedition ready with GPS, roof racks, winches, etc.

See

Iceland Video I

Iceland Video II

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