It's been two months since I returned for Iceland, and it still feels like a dream. It was truly one of the most formidable experiences of my life, however it comes with a warning, think twice before going in the winter. The weather there, is just fucking batshit insane. Every two or three days, we were absolutely POUNDED by storms, 100-160kmh winds, snow, ice. -2 doesn't sound bad, but when it's cold, humid North Atlantic air, pounding your face with snow at 100kmh, -15 in Montreal feels like summer.
Just a sample of how intense the weather can get, one day, we just wanted to go from the capital city to Keflavik and the Reyjkanes peninsuala. These are the most travelled and well maintained rounds in the country, by far. That was the only day I didn't check the weather before leaving, because it's such a high traffic area. Well, we got caught in a shitstorm weather, the wind was blowing so hard, the highway was icy, that I decided to pull off, I felt that any gust slightly more powerful would simply blow us off the road. I pulled off the highway, parked in a bus stop about 50 meters away from the highway, somewhat sheltered from the wind, and we stayed there for 4 hours, getting POUNDED by wind, snow and sleet. After the whiteout ended, just in our fields of vision, there were dozens of trucks and buses blown off the road on the highway. We drove back onto the highway (they had closed off access to it in Reyjkavik and Keflavik for hours by now), so we were alone on the road, except for hundreds of vehicles that were blown off the road every few meters. Search and rescue vehicles had passes hours ago to pick up the passengers, so it was like driving through an apocalypse. I had made the right decision by pulling over, and I gained massive respect for the weather over there. Even hundreds of locals got caught by suprise in that storm.
Weather aside, it was one of the most wonderful places I've ever been to. Outside of the capital area, the population was so sparse, that you could drive for an hour, and not pass a single farm, person, restaurant, just NOTHING. And when you did meet someone, they were so nice, polite, and willing to help you in any way they could. I've never met a culture so willing to go above and beyond for another person like Icelanders. I guess when you live in a place where the weather is this hostile, you have no choice but to have a helping spirit.
Here's a few pics:
Thermal water near blue lagoon:
Some central plains. The wind was battering us, further down there intense whiteouts. If you don't have a good 4x4, you don't venture out here in the winter
A little further down the road
One minute later, visibility almost none, you have to follow the yellow markers. Winds were about 100kmh, and the road was a skating rink.
Mid-atlantic ridge, the European and American continents splitting apart right here
In the middle of fucking nowhere.
Just a sample of how intense the weather can get, one day, we just wanted to go from the capital city to Keflavik and the Reyjkanes peninsuala. These are the most travelled and well maintained rounds in the country, by far. That was the only day I didn't check the weather before leaving, because it's such a high traffic area. Well, we got caught in a shitstorm weather, the wind was blowing so hard, the highway was icy, that I decided to pull off, I felt that any gust slightly more powerful would simply blow us off the road. I pulled off the highway, parked in a bus stop about 50 meters away from the highway, somewhat sheltered from the wind, and we stayed there for 4 hours, getting POUNDED by wind, snow and sleet. After the whiteout ended, just in our fields of vision, there were dozens of trucks and buses blown off the road on the highway. We drove back onto the highway (they had closed off access to it in Reyjkavik and Keflavik for hours by now), so we were alone on the road, except for hundreds of vehicles that were blown off the road every few meters. Search and rescue vehicles had passes hours ago to pick up the passengers, so it was like driving through an apocalypse. I had made the right decision by pulling over, and I gained massive respect for the weather over there. Even hundreds of locals got caught by suprise in that storm.
Weather aside, it was one of the most wonderful places I've ever been to. Outside of the capital area, the population was so sparse, that you could drive for an hour, and not pass a single farm, person, restaurant, just NOTHING. And when you did meet someone, they were so nice, polite, and willing to help you in any way they could. I've never met a culture so willing to go above and beyond for another person like Icelanders. I guess when you live in a place where the weather is this hostile, you have no choice but to have a helping spirit.
Here's a few pics:
Thermal water near blue lagoon:
Some central plains. The wind was battering us, further down there intense whiteouts. If you don't have a good 4x4, you don't venture out here in the winter
A little further down the road
One minute later, visibility almost none, you have to follow the yellow markers. Winds were about 100kmh, and the road was a skating rink.
Mid-atlantic ridge, the European and American continents splitting apart right here
In the middle of fucking nowhere.
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![[Ef]saceone[sF]](/forums/data/avatars/m/0/880.jpg?1701035840){kind=avatar}
I always want it to go back during winter time... 
