words and photos by Joffrey Maluski
After a three-month summer cycling trip across Iceland with friends in 2021, the idea of returning to pedal across the country in winter, in its wildest form, took root in me. Two years later, I found myself carving a path through the snow, from Seydisfjordur in the far east to Bjargtangar in the far west, passing north of the island’s three biggest glaciers: Vatnajökull, Hofsjökull, and Langjökull.
This 1,000-kilometer journey took months of preparation: studying maps, identifying rivers to cross, locating potential bridges and shelters, planning backup routes, and selecting the most suitable gear to face the snowstorms, cold, and violent winds that define the Highlands—some of the most remote and spectacular regions of Iceland.
In March, I set out with a fat bike towing a pulka, a format that allowed me to lighten the bike for riding on snow and to pull both the sled and bike on foot if conditions became too challenging for cycling. After returning, I immersed myself in the adventure again through hundreds of photos and hours of footage to create a film and write a book, sharing every step of the expedition in detail.
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