Fire, Ice and Mountain Biking……

I clearly remember growing up with an insatiable thirst for BMX action as a kid, riding with my cousins and other 2 wheel addicted kids around my hometown in regional Queensland. We would spend countless hours looking for the next ‘unintentional’ man made ramp that we could test our aerial BMX skills on. Sometimes a newly built street gutter would suffice; on other occasions a ‘jump’ would reveal itself in the form of a storm water drain. Looking back, our adolescent creativity and persistence back then was quite something.

To the best of my knowledge, we have all pretty much maintained a keen interest in mountain biking, cycling or in a lot of cases, both. This coupled with the continued exponential growth in both forms of these 2 wheel sports; we have and continue to search for world-class biking and cycling destinations.

It didn’t take long for Iceland to pop up on our radar when searching for the world’s best mountain biking destinations. No wonder, because Iceland is actually the top of a submerged ‘mountain’. It also holds the crown as the world’s largest volcanic island. Iceland’s submerged foundations form part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where American and Eurasian tectonic plates drift apart. What you get is spectacular raw newly formed landscapes, from intimidating basalt mountains, endless lava fields, gigantic glaciers and roaring waterfalls.

Iceland’s unique geography provides the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable international biking experience. You will ride over black volcanic sand, through warm water streams, soak in hot springs and lodge in remote cabins. The rewards are well worth the trip to this remote part of the world and it’s really more than just a biking holiday. Not a lot of people have seen this rare region and its people are some of friendliest to grace mother earth.

When to Go: Not surprisingly the best time to visit is summer, between June and August. Our trips are available during these times.

Getting There: The shortest route from Australia is usually to Copenhagen via Singapore, then through to Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik.

More Iceland Facts:

  • Iceland only has a population of around 330,000 people.
  • Ice accounts for ¼ of Iceland’s landmass.
  • The months of June and July have 24hrs of sunlight.
  • Iceland is home to Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull.
  • 85% of Iceland’s energy is from renewable sources.

You can learn more about our Icelandic and Mountain Biking Experiences here.

Mates’ Escapes

Back to Blog