Iceland traverse with a GR

Amazing photos and a great trip!! Hiking alone through the highlands must be something. I have been to the Faeroer Islands in summer 1986 and still remember the very special light.
 
Remarkable trek, remarkable images.

Can I ask what kind of gear you used on this trek? As in boots, clothing, what kind of layering? I'm fascinated by the choices made by real people doing treks, rather than what company marketing tells you that you need.
 
Archiver said:
Remarkable trek, remarkable images.

Can I ask what kind of gear you used on this trek? As in boots, clothing, what kind of layering? I'm fascinated by the choices made by real people doing treks, rather than what company marketing tells you that you need.
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Most of the stuff I used was gear I already had for personal and professional use at home in Tasmania (I was guiding commercially at the time). This meant that a lot of it was probably heavier than necessary as I had chosen it to cope with Tasmanian scrub and getting bashed around on commercial trips. A high-quality ultra-light kit would probably be more suitable, with some caveats...

Keep in mind that I generally run hot and on this trip I was perfectly comfortable with only base and mid-layer insulation. Someone who feels the cold would have definitely wanted something more substantial at times.

From memory:

Boots: Scarpa Delta GTX (worked well)
Pack: One Planet High Plains 76lt (worked well for the weight I was carrying)
Tent: Hilleberg Soulo (worked well - there's very little protection in the highlands so stability was important, and an enclosed inner was great with all the dust)
Stove: Soto Windmaster (struggled as it was very difficult to keep it clean and keep dust out of the o-rings)
Mat: Thermarest NeoAir X-Therm (excellent, comfortable and very warm, probably overkill though)
Sleeping bag: Sea to Summit Micro III and STS silk liner (excellent)
Clothing (walking): Asics running shorts (I find proper hiking shorts heavier than necessary and uncomfortable, and I don't like wearing long pants walking). Merino T. Merino long-sleeve leggings and top. Earth Sea Sky synthetic mid-layer top. Merino buff. Merino gloves. Mountain Designs GTX jacket (heavier than necessary). Wilderness Equipment Raindance waterproof pants (heavier than necessary).
Clothing (tent): As above, plus Earth Sea Sky fleece pants and Arcteryx Atom hoodie.

There were a few big gear lessons I got from Iceland:
- Ambient temp is not particularly cold, but the wind and moisture is brutal. Good wind protected is more important than insulation.
- Lava is very abrasive and when it turns to dust it gets in to everything.
- During summer it never gets dark - a headtorch isn't necessary and carry an eye-mask if you want to sleep (24hr daylight in a tent isn't much fun).
 
Thank you Nick. I have the Overland on a bucket list (or would you suggest a lesser known walk?), but have only ever managed one Oxfam 100k which took 32 hours straight, so this is quite spectacular...in scale and scenery.
 
jmilkins said:
I have the Overland on a bucket list (or would you suggest a lesser known walk?)
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Hi John, the Overland Track is exceptional and I would highly recommend it*. The booking system caps numbers, so even though it's very popular (especially during peak season) you will never have more than 35 people walking independently.

The Overland is incredibly diverse, and especially if you haven't spent much time in the Tasmanian wilderness it gives you a remarkable cross-section of everything that makes the landscape special. You move through alpine herb-fields, sub-alpine heath, dolerite peaks, buttongrass moors and an amazing mosaic of forests, with old growth cool-temperate rainforest, tall eucalypt, alpine eucalypt and ancient native conifers.

There are certainly other lesser-known walks in Tasmania which are great, but the Overland is a must-do.

Do it in Autumn (the most pleasant time to walk in the mountains in my opinion) and away from any public holidays and you should have it largely to yourself.

*I've walked the Overland 92 times at last count and may be biased :)
 
This is an amazing set of photos from what sounds like an amazing journey. Would it be any trouble for you to do something like a google map for us all and post a rough route of your hike?

Thanks for sharing!

Phil Forrest
 
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