Franskur ævintýramaður á ferðinni

Hi all.

It would be nice to keep the posts here in English. Our friend is following the thread and is not quite good enough in Icelandic yet, but working on it. David, you can easily create an account here on the site and post directly to the forum.

This is a short translation of the first answer (fortunately it is pretty polite)

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Obviously a lively guy and an exciting trip. Still I put a question mark to the solo paddling in the Icelandic highlands. If I remember correctly a solo French guy did the Markarfljot canyons 2000 or 2001 - but he was not quite normal.

I have been checking out a few pack-raft videos on the internet and must say that some guys are doing serious stuff in them, but they are usually skilled white water kayakers. Maybe we are seeing the next hit in Iceland ?

I don't know all the places he mentions, I'll maybe take a look at a map tonight and try to figure them out.

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And the last reply from David:
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thank you very much for your help.

I've seen on your forum than somebody has yet answer. Nice but it's definitively too difficult for me to understand your language. shame on me.
I must learn icelandic to integrate fully "your family"...

nice pictures, thank you for the link.
one of my future projects is to make the round from the Hornstrandir with this kind of miniraft to explore the cliffs from the sea and also walk on the glacier. but it's an other story...



I've read yesterday ther is a jokulhaup on the Skafta. If I have well understood, it seems there is an other lake under the glacier ready to flow in the river at any moment.
then maybe the project is over before his beginning.

I have an other project (planned before the raft idea) from Askja to the south, joining the described plan at jokulheimar, avoiding then the Skafta.
I still don't know...


When I think I was on the Skaftarjokull last year... I have ices in my back (french expression to say fear)...in retrospect...


friendly

David Abadie

Púff!!

Greinilega hress gaur og spennandi ferdalag. Ég set samt spurningarmerki vid sóló-ródra langt inni á hálendinu. Minnir ad einn "straumfrakki" hafi sólóad Markarfljótsgljúfrin hér um árid - 2000 eda 2001 - en hann var ekki alveg í lagi

Ég er búinn ad skoda slatta af svona pack-raft vídjóum á netinu og menn eru svo sem ad róa alvöru stöff á thessu - en their eru í flestöllum tilvikum vanir straumkajakmenn. Kannski verdur thetta næsta hit á Íslandi - hver veit?

Held thad sé adeins of langt sídan ég var inni á hálendinu til ad geta út talad mig um alla stadine sem hann nefnir. Kíki kannski á kortid í kvöld og reyni ad átta mig á theim.

Fékk póst frá David nokkrum sem er búinn að ganga um Ísland síðastliðin sumur. Hann er að spá í ráðleggingar varðandi næstu ferð sína í ágúst þar sem hann langar að komast yfir nokkrar ár sem verða á leið hans á mini raft ... Ég geri mér ekki grein fyrir hvort þetta sé fífldirfska eða bærileg hugmynd.

Ef þið nennið megið þið gjarna kíkja á þetta, læt póstinn hans fylgja. Er búinn að segja honum að ég hafi sett þennan texta á korkinn og hann megi búast við svörum frá miklum spekingum.

Orginal hugmynd hjá honum hverju sem öðru líður,

pg

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hi,

First, I'm sorry to do not use icelandic language but it's definitively too difficult for me (I just can read a little).
you'll see my english is yet very average (usual for a french guy)


I'm falled in love with Iceland some years ago.
In 2007, a classic travel and an usual trek from Asbirgy to Askja.
In 2008, more original, a 15 days solo trek from Kerlingarfjoll to Askja (The place i prefer in Iceland, for the moment) by the Þjorsarver and the Mulajökull... (terrible tempete of snow on the Gæsavotnleið, I staed three days in the Kistufell hut)
In 2009, walk from Þorsmörk to Skaftafell (12 days in full autonomie like every year) along the Lakagigar, the Skafta, later across Siðujokull and Skeiðararjökull, and to close it the ascent of the Blatindur.

But I have a regret in this 2009 year, do not have to try the crossing of a ford on the Skafta between Langisjor and Lakagigar. Everybody said to me on my way it was impossible to do it.
So I've changed my plans and I've decided to cross the Skafta on the bridge at Buland on the south. Strutivegur and Langisjor were cancelled from my plans.
When I was at Tröllhamar, I've seen it was possible to try the ford between this place and Grasver on the other side.

But this check has given to me a fantastic idea.
Mix walk and raft for my next trip in august 2010. I'll use this miniraft
My ambition is just go down easy rivers and do not attempt to face whiterivers (never up class III). I'm not a champion and I'll carry an heavy package

I join you a kml file about my project.

Some words to explain it...

first river: Skafta... I'm sure it's easy on the upper part of the river. Firstable, I projected to go down it until the Sveinstindur hut (until the rope over the river) but I'm a little afraid by the flow of the river. I know I've no right to the mistake in this area. It's why I've decided to stop earlier. In any case, the main project is to discover the Langisjor this year.


Second river: Tungnaa... I still hesitate. First, I wanted to go down from the beginning of the river at Jokulheimar until Skiggnisvatn (I've seen crazy pictures from this lake). A long descent. A great feeling I think but I'm not sure about the pleasure to navigate on this brown flow everytime. So, I've changed a little and project now to stop at the middle part of the river, and walk to north east along the Veiðivotn area until the Fontur crater (I find it amazing on google earth) and go down after on the Vatnakvisl until Skiggnisvatn.
Is there an interest to go down this river rather than the Tungnaa.
I founded it was funny to go to Landmannalaugar in boat .


Third river: Markarfljot... After some days discovering in depth the Torfajökull area (is there an interest to go down the Jokulgil from Torfajökull to Landmannalaugar? I've never seen this area), I project to follow the Markarfljot from the beginnig to the Krokur hut (with some stops at Laufafell, ljosa valley or Hrafntinnuhraun).
Some contacts say it is not very interesting before Laufafell. The river is not deep and I'll touch often many rocks. At Dalakofinn, I must stop absolutly before the waterfall under the Laufafell and I can just continue after the Ljosa confluence until Krokur.
I've no informations about the canyon just before Krokur. It seems easy on google earth but I know by experience it's always more impressive when you are in front of the animal )

Some guys say it's possible to navigate still a little until Alftavotn (Torfahlaup), some it's very dangerous (death risk). Then I don't know (I must be careful).


Fourth river: Fiska and Eystri-Ranga... Is there an interest to navigate on the Fiska? I'm afraid this river was to narrow (and I've noticed some waterfalls on the map).
After the confluence, I want to continue (just for the fun) until the ocean on the Eystri-Ranga. With these many S, I think it's very easy in the lower part until the N°1 road (I don't remember when I was with my car on the bridge) but I have some doubts after the N°1 with the confluence between the two Ranga. Is not too many flow now?


Finally, I think it's a very nice and original travel.
What do you think about it?
Thank you for any remark to improve my project.

Friendly,

David ABADIE - siagne@hotmail.fr

1/ if you read some french... the story of my different travels in Iceland.
bigfoot.over-blog.org


2/ I'm very sorry do to not be able to use icelandic language