Only in prolonged silence can you really hear yourself think

The central desert of this country is magnificent. Quiet, empty, moon like and very peaceful. It took me 3 days to cross it and other than a few passing cars I have seen no-one and spoken to no-one in that time - the silence has been incredible.

Rolling and undulating hills, glaciers, lakes and of course lots of sand and boulders. I have had all the weather imaginable, the most extreme being a sandstorm that I cycled into head on for 3 hours. I had to tape plastic bags to all the exposed parts of the front of my bike to ensure the paint wasn't stripped off. I wore a bandanna around my face to stop me from swallowing sand, but after an hour the lenses of my sun glasses were completely sandblasted and useless.

The first night I didn't stop until after 1am and cycled through a torrential downpour and sought shelter in an Emergency Hut on the side of the track. A 2 roomed affair with a simple bunk to lay my head. At least it was a place to dry off out of the wind and rain.

The road for the first day was a smooth gravel track and I made good progress, the 2nd day however the road deteriorated to a track that would switch from soft sand to large rocks, which is impossible to cycle through and therefore, I would either push or carry my bike (which meant un-hitching the trailer.) This type of terrain called for absolute concentration for every meter of travel and therefore I was lucky to average 4 mph.

The end of the 2nd night I wild camped by Hvita lake. A gorgeous evening with sun setting behind Langjokull Glacier, the wind had died down early and so the air was still and silent. I could hear the glacier cracking and groaning as it moved. I was enjoying being completely alone with my myself and my thoughts. I was no longer feeling any pain on the bike and now considered an 8 hour ride wasn't enough, as I didn't feel tired anymore at the end of the day.

The hour or so that I had looking out over the water and snow capped mountains was for me a very spiritual one - I reflected on how far I had come both in terms of distance but I also felt a much stronger person - I had pushed myself physically and therefore mentally far more than I had ever done in my life. Everyday I had moments when I had to overcome a problem I had not anticipated and everyday I had "short cuts" or "easy way outs" presented to me and I never took them. When I was feeling tired or in pain, I always pushed myself that little bit harder before I took a break or rested, I always took a break at the top of the next pass or mountain and never at the bottom.

That day I had passed the 1000 mile mark and was feeling very pleased with myself and for the first time content that I was alone experiencing this journey - I had grown used to my own company and became annoyed when surrounded by too many people.

I know that if you had plonked me down in the same amazing spot as I'm in now, but from a helicopter or car, without experiencing anything of what I had done over the last month - the moment wouldn't feel as special as it does now. I also knew I had to savour the moment and enjoy the cycle ride out of the desert tomorrow, as there were going to be a lot more people and the end would come to this simple solitude.