2nd internet access in Iceland
Hi! This is Freya again...
Sure, we are not looking for internet every night, as usually lighthouses on headlands don*t provide much of that luxury, but on Monday night we needed to turn into the small village of Bakkagerdi to spend obviously two or three days weather bound.
It is really stormy here! Force 7 or so blowing heavy rain allover, although from a tempting following North-Easterly direction, but what is too much is too much. We even had to take out tent down after the first night on a "civilized" campsite in town...
Thanks for Karel from Isreal to work out the daily weather updates to our Sat-phone, together with Steini.
Steini and Karel did a great job so far in staying in contact with us! Thanks to both!
Anyway, after our "rescue" story we started to contact the coastguard every day about our well-being...and they were obviously interested and happy to hear from us every day.
Twice they seemed to play the "see if you can find those guys!" - game, as after our VHF-call with GPposition we saw a helicopter flying over our heads - they seem to have found a target to practise on!
We were texting messages to Derrick every night, too, to update our blog, but obviously the communication virus is still somehow up :( After the first posts about our "rescue" stuff he didn*t seem to get any daily text anymore! We*ll try to work that out now...
You*ll find some stuff posted on Wendys blog, as she obviously stays in personal phone contact with Steini and other Icelanders like Halldor (sorry we had to pass your place, but I hope we*ll meet after the thing is done!!). Thanks to Wendy for her update work!
So first I try to update our daily positions and progress now, and whoever is capable to put that into a nice little map would be doing the greatest job on earth! Internet time now and my skills are limited, sorry...
Starting the trip at Gardskagi Lighthouse, close to Kaflavik airport, jumping out of the plane the previous night at 11.30 pm...:
Day 01 Saturday 09.06.07 to Malarif lighthouse, x-ing Faxafloi Bay - 90 km
Day 02 Sunday 10.06.07 to Melanes, x-ing Breidafjordur - 100 km
Day 03 Monday 11.06.07 no paddling, as we arrived at 8.30 am...
Day 04 Tuesday 12.06.07 to Kopaflaga headland lighthouse/hut - 70 km
Day 05 W.day 13.06.07 to a hut at Bolungarvik headland - 60 km
Day 06 Thursday14.07.06 to the Horn close to the Arctic circle - 65 km
Day 07 Friday 15.06.07 to Geirolfsnupur hut - 40 km
Day 08 Saturday 16.06.07 to the hot pool at Krossness beach!!! - 30 km
Day 09 Sunday 17.06.07 to Skagata lighthouse x-ing Hunafloi bay - 70 km
Day 10 Monday 18.06.07 to Siglufjordur town - 65 km
Day 11 Tuesday 19.06.07 no paddling, relax, sleep, shopping, internet, pool....
Day 12 W.day 20.06.07 to Flatey island - 55 km
Day 13 Thursday 21.07.06 to Raudinupur lighthouse - 65 km
Day 14 Friday 22.06.07 to Heidi on Laganes peninsula - 75 km
Day 15 Saturday 23.06.07 no paddling on a bad weather day, hiking
Day 16 Sunday 24.06.07 to Svartanes lighthouse, - 70 km
Day 17 Monday 25.06.07 to Bakkagerdi village - 80 km
Day 18 Tuesday 26.06.07 no paddling on a bad weather day
Day 19 W.day 27.06.07 no paddling on a bad weather day
Overall distance so far: 935 km
Distance left: ca. 600 km
Paddling days: 14
Days off: 5
Average per day: 66.8 km
So that*s it with statistics so far!
We found internet in the friendly house of Helga and Kari, who also made it possible we could take our soaked tent down from the campsite and stay in a nice loft. Thanks to both!
We hope the weather calms down tomorrow, but latest on Friday. Three days to Hoefn, then the South coast starts...
Our paddling days were mainly blessed so far with calm to moderate weather (well, besides that 2nd night...), just Sunday afternoon we really had to fight strong headwinds at night to reach the destination. But we were rewarded then with a great campsite at the bottom of a lighthouse and a great view of the midnight sun!
Monday was the greatest paddling day ever! Waves 2-3 m, mostly following winds with force 4-5 - it felt like flying! But if you check the GPS speed, you are doing good, but far less than it feels :(
We were lucky to have a land stop this time at Gullborg island, as the usual "living" in the kayak all day with eating, drinking and peeing whilst staying in the kayak was not really possible today...
We saw offshore a great sandstorm going on the Heradssandur, and were happy we decided to still cut across rather than going into that bay...we*ll get enough sandurs soon!
Close to Bakkagerdi between Osfles, a small offshore island and the Brimnes lighthouse at the headland before Borgafjordur leading to Bakkagerdi I had the ultimate seasickness test - choppy waters about 2-3 m, not nicely rolling waves anymore, but just reflective up and down, plus the "icing of the cake" 100 dreds of low flying seabirds around your kayak adding to the roller coaster feeling - I was really glad to be through soon and turning into the sheltered bay...
Reaching Bakkagerdi, we were looking for the "official" campsite in town, saw a van paking and assumed the right spot for landing. Checking the campsite fully dressed, we found the hot shower and jumped both under it - still fully geared up! A hot shower never felt that good! And I think the gear appreciated a sweet water rinse, too, as much as we did after that 80 km ride!
Our open palm mitts we are using are doing a great job, but when it comes to frequently bracing into the cold water, they start to get to their protection limits...and your body heat goes down...
Enjoying the cooking facilities on the campsite, we gathered freshly showered, but again a bit overtired in the kitchen at midnight, ready for a late dinner, and jumped into our bags soon.
Sleeping in long, shopping the next day, the stormy weather was getting even worse. At night heavy rain was added to an even more gusty wind, which made us picking the split paddle from the boat at 3 am to support the tent from inside...
We usually both sleep with some "sleeping masks" on the face to get some rest in darkness, how nice a "real" night feels...just what you don*t have you start to yearn for mostly again...
We really appreciated the next morning Helga*s invitation to stay in that loft! The tent was really close to it*s limits in that wind, and the bottom started to be soaked over the night...the whole meadow looked at noon more like a swamp than a campsite! We were still warm and dry over the night in our bags on our pads, but the pads soon started to get afloat coming closer to the morning... :))
We were the last tent put down...just happy *that* storm didn*t reach us staying at those sandy areas! But we*ll see how the South Coast likes us...
Iceland has sooooo much more to see besides the really impressive coastline! When I was reading the guidebook the last day, I guessed after this trip is done, I*ll need to be back one day to really see the inland! You can*t do everything on one trip...
We even felt sorry we decided to rather go fast around than to stop by all those nice places where paddlers living along th coast - Steini, Halldor, Ari, Ingolfur - we apologize for that decision! We hope to be around soon, and then to spend a few days with you guys! Seems we all need to meet in Anglesey again, where all this madness started...
Sure, we are not looking for internet every night, as usually lighthouses on headlands don*t provide much of that luxury, but on Monday night we needed to turn into the small village of Bakkagerdi to spend obviously two or three days weather bound.
It is really stormy here! Force 7 or so blowing heavy rain allover, although from a tempting following North-Easterly direction, but what is too much is too much. We even had to take out tent down after the first night on a "civilized" campsite in town...
Thanks for Karel from Isreal to work out the daily weather updates to our Sat-phone, together with Steini.
Steini and Karel did a great job so far in staying in contact with us! Thanks to both!
Anyway, after our "rescue" story we started to contact the coastguard every day about our well-being...and they were obviously interested and happy to hear from us every day.
Twice they seemed to play the "see if you can find those guys!" - game, as after our VHF-call with GPposition we saw a helicopter flying over our heads - they seem to have found a target to practise on!
We were texting messages to Derrick every night, too, to update our blog, but obviously the communication virus is still somehow up :( After the first posts about our "rescue" stuff he didn*t seem to get any daily text anymore! We*ll try to work that out now...
You*ll find some stuff posted on Wendys blog, as she obviously stays in personal phone contact with Steini and other Icelanders like Halldor (sorry we had to pass your place, but I hope we*ll meet after the thing is done!!). Thanks to Wendy for her update work!
So first I try to update our daily positions and progress now, and whoever is capable to put that into a nice little map would be doing the greatest job on earth! Internet time now and my skills are limited, sorry...
Starting the trip at Gardskagi Lighthouse, close to Kaflavik airport, jumping out of the plane the previous night at 11.30 pm...:
Day 01 Saturday 09.06.07 to Malarif lighthouse, x-ing Faxafloi Bay - 90 km
Day 02 Sunday 10.06.07 to Melanes, x-ing Breidafjordur - 100 km
Day 03 Monday 11.06.07 no paddling, as we arrived at 8.30 am...
Day 04 Tuesday 12.06.07 to Kopaflaga headland lighthouse/hut - 70 km
Day 05 W.day 13.06.07 to a hut at Bolungarvik headland - 60 km
Day 06 Thursday14.07.06 to the Horn close to the Arctic circle - 65 km
Day 07 Friday 15.06.07 to Geirolfsnupur hut - 40 km
Day 08 Saturday 16.06.07 to the hot pool at Krossness beach!!! - 30 km
Day 09 Sunday 17.06.07 to Skagata lighthouse x-ing Hunafloi bay - 70 km
Day 10 Monday 18.06.07 to Siglufjordur town - 65 km
Day 11 Tuesday 19.06.07 no paddling, relax, sleep, shopping, internet, pool....
Day 12 W.day 20.06.07 to Flatey island - 55 km
Day 13 Thursday 21.07.06 to Raudinupur lighthouse - 65 km
Day 14 Friday 22.06.07 to Heidi on Laganes peninsula - 75 km
Day 15 Saturday 23.06.07 no paddling on a bad weather day, hiking
Day 16 Sunday 24.06.07 to Svartanes lighthouse, - 70 km
Day 17 Monday 25.06.07 to Bakkagerdi village - 80 km
Day 18 Tuesday 26.06.07 no paddling on a bad weather day
Day 19 W.day 27.06.07 no paddling on a bad weather day
Overall distance so far: 935 km
Distance left: ca. 600 km
Paddling days: 14
Days off: 5
Average per day: 66.8 km
So that*s it with statistics so far!
We found internet in the friendly house of Helga and Kari, who also made it possible we could take our soaked tent down from the campsite and stay in a nice loft. Thanks to both!
We hope the weather calms down tomorrow, but latest on Friday. Three days to Hoefn, then the South coast starts...
Our paddling days were mainly blessed so far with calm to moderate weather (well, besides that 2nd night...), just Sunday afternoon we really had to fight strong headwinds at night to reach the destination. But we were rewarded then with a great campsite at the bottom of a lighthouse and a great view of the midnight sun!
Monday was the greatest paddling day ever! Waves 2-3 m, mostly following winds with force 4-5 - it felt like flying! But if you check the GPS speed, you are doing good, but far less than it feels :(
We were lucky to have a land stop this time at Gullborg island, as the usual "living" in the kayak all day with eating, drinking and peeing whilst staying in the kayak was not really possible today...
We saw offshore a great sandstorm going on the Heradssandur, and were happy we decided to still cut across rather than going into that bay...we*ll get enough sandurs soon!
Close to Bakkagerdi between Osfles, a small offshore island and the Brimnes lighthouse at the headland before Borgafjordur leading to Bakkagerdi I had the ultimate seasickness test - choppy waters about 2-3 m, not nicely rolling waves anymore, but just reflective up and down, plus the "icing of the cake" 100 dreds of low flying seabirds around your kayak adding to the roller coaster feeling - I was really glad to be through soon and turning into the sheltered bay...
Reaching Bakkagerdi, we were looking for the "official" campsite in town, saw a van paking and assumed the right spot for landing. Checking the campsite fully dressed, we found the hot shower and jumped both under it - still fully geared up! A hot shower never felt that good! And I think the gear appreciated a sweet water rinse, too, as much as we did after that 80 km ride!
Our open palm mitts we are using are doing a great job, but when it comes to frequently bracing into the cold water, they start to get to their protection limits...and your body heat goes down...
Enjoying the cooking facilities on the campsite, we gathered freshly showered, but again a bit overtired in the kitchen at midnight, ready for a late dinner, and jumped into our bags soon.
Sleeping in long, shopping the next day, the stormy weather was getting even worse. At night heavy rain was added to an even more gusty wind, which made us picking the split paddle from the boat at 3 am to support the tent from inside...
We usually both sleep with some "sleeping masks" on the face to get some rest in darkness, how nice a "real" night feels...just what you don*t have you start to yearn for mostly again...
We really appreciated the next morning Helga*s invitation to stay in that loft! The tent was really close to it*s limits in that wind, and the bottom started to be soaked over the night...the whole meadow looked at noon more like a swamp than a campsite! We were still warm and dry over the night in our bags on our pads, but the pads soon started to get afloat coming closer to the morning... :))
We were the last tent put down...just happy *that* storm didn*t reach us staying at those sandy areas! But we*ll see how the South Coast likes us...
Iceland has sooooo much more to see besides the really impressive coastline! When I was reading the guidebook the last day, I guessed after this trip is done, I*ll need to be back one day to really see the inland! You can*t do everything on one trip...
We even felt sorry we decided to rather go fast around than to stop by all those nice places where paddlers living along th coast - Steini, Halldor, Ari, Ingolfur - we apologize for that decision! We hope to be around soon, and then to spend a few days with you guys! Seems we all need to meet in Anglesey again, where all this madness started...
posted by Freya Hoffmeister at 17:10
2 Comments:
Way to go Freya and Greg. Safe paddling and enjoy the journey. I'll post a map on my blog:
http://kayakwendy.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the updates! Much appreciated. I just spent a few days paddling in the Burgeo area. It was interesting to get a taste of a section of your paddle last year. Best of luck on the next leg, Greg & Freya!
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