Icelands Central Desert

Gravel, sand, boulders, lakes (so many of them, they have never been counted.) Volcanoes, thermal pools, geysers and of course glaciers and ice caps - this desert accounts for 2 thirds of Icelands land mass and is completely unfit for habitation. I've cycled 130km to reach the start of the Kjolur route in the 24 hours and as the tarmac changes to a gravel road I am excited about what is to come.

This for me, is expected to be the highlight of this part of the journey and a good test of my endurance, fitness, survival skills and my planning thus far. No food or real shelter now for 3 days or so, and I should be prepared for snow, rain, wind, sand storms and baking sunshine. Aswell as a rough road and very few people, I should also be experiencing solitude, glorious raw scenery and clean crisp air.

Fixing a puncture in the desert.