Route taken

Map of Iceland with camping stops numbered to correspond to schedule below.

Nigel and Geoff paddled clockwise around Iceland, starting and finishing at Seydhisfjordur on the east coast. Here is a rough day-by-day progress report produced from Nigel's journal. The numbers in red refer to the positions on the map at the bottom of the page, marking places we camped on the way.

11 June. Set off from Seydisfjord

12 June arrived Sandvik, (1) slept, then... Vattarnes... Kirkjubol. (2)

13 June to Hvalnes (Eystrahorn) (3)

14, 15, 16 June. Wind-bound

17 June Hvalnes to Hofn, then to Skinneyjarhofdhi (4)

18 June to near Breidabolsstadaros (5)

19 June Iceberg river... Jokulsa then to Ingolfshofdhi. (6)

19th June, Jokulsa, (nigel foster image 1985)

20 June. Stayed at Ingolshofdhi. Tried to repair stove

20th June, view of the sand from Ingolfshofdhi

21 June as far as between the river outlets Hvalsiki and Veidios... shipwreck shelter. (7)

22 June failed to get out through the surf break, returned to land.

23 June waded inland to nearest farm, hitch-hiked to village to buy food...

24 June launched successfully. Stopped to camp by jaw-bone of whale... somewhere along the sand! (8)

24th June 1977 Geoff relaxing in a whale skull

25 June Windy. lazy day at the whale bone.

26 June as far as refuge hut beyond Myrantangi (9)

27 June to Vik. (10)

27 June 1977, Vik

28 June to Eyjafjallasandur... strong wind. invited to farm for shelter. Efstu-Grund. (11)

Karl Sigurljonsson with the kayaks and dogs at Efstu-Grund.

29,30, June, 1,2,3 July Storm-bound.

4 July to Haemay Island (12)

5 July Hiking day on volcano

5 July Geoff, left and Nigel camping on a Haemay beach awoken by photographer

Sigurgeir Jonasson, reporting for the Reykjavik paper, where this image soon appeared.

6 July Haemay to Thorlakshofn. (13)

7 July landed before Isolfsskali (14)

8 July short distance to just past Stadur, which is west of Grindavik (15)

9-10 July overnight paddle to Keflavik. (16)

11 July Sightseeing

12 July 9.30 pm depart, stopped by golf course in Reykjavik! (17)

13 July walked into Reykjavik to try to fix stove.

14 July Reykjavik to Akranes (18)

15 July To Akrar (19)

16 July to Fulavik (20)

17 July on-land day

18 July to Hellissandur, north Snaefellsjokull (21)

19 July crossed Breidafjordur to Raudasandur (22)

20 July to Kollsvik (23)

21 July to Sudureyri (24)

22,23,24 July storm-bound at Sudureyri

Gudmunder, the only kayaker we met in Iceland, in a Vyneck, Sudureyri, 24 July 1977.

25 July to Rekavik near tip of NW peninsula (25)

26 July Rounded Hornbjarg, landed by lighthouse. (26)

27 July to near Gjogur. (27)

27 July 1977 Gjogr

28, 29 July wind-bound. Helped on farm at Gjogur

Axel and his son, at Gjogur July 1977

30 July, rounded Skagata on Skagaheidi peninsula (28)

31 July to Siglufjordur (29)

1 August to Flatey Island (30)

Old tractor, Flatey Island, fresh snow on mainland, August 1977

2,3,4,5,August storm-bound on Flatey Island

Nigel with old Willis Jeep (Geoff Hunter image)

6 August to Kopasker (31)

7, 8 August bad weather day

9 August to just past Hagans, NW Melrakkasletta, on the N shore. (32)

10 August to Melrakkanes. (33)

11 August bad weather day

12 August to Skoruvik near end of Langanes. (34)

12 August 1977 near end of Langanes

13 August to Bakkafjordur. (35)

14 August to Strandhofn (36)

15 August to Brunavik. (37)

16 August. Last day, into Seydisfjord.

Geoff entering Seydisfjord 16th August 1977

Sketch map of Iceland drawn by Nigel after the trip

A breakdown of the journey: an average of about 30 miles each day we paddled, or taking account of the days we spent on land an overall average of just over 21 miles per day.