Bikepacking the length of Iceland with a Total Beginner

The Iceland Divide is one of the toughest bikepacking routes in the world. A full traverse of the island requires unsupported cyclists to carry 10 days of food, as well as all the equipment needed to survive the notoriously dangerous weather conditions of the harsh Icelandic Highlands. It presents a serious challenge even to experienced riders, but for this trip I was teaming up with Tom, one of my oldest friends, someone with virtually zero bikepacking experience. We planned to traverse the island from the south coast at Vík to the north coast at Akureyri, but as you’ll see, the Icelandic weather and the sheer difficulty of the terrain meant things didn’t exactly go according to plan. If you are planning a trip cycling across Iceland or are just here to see if we survive the Highlands, this film documents the brutal reality of expedition bikepacking.