Iceland by KAVU
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Iceland

By: Mark Matthews Photos: Scott Bell

KAVU
By KAVU

Let me tell you about the Icelandic mountain biking scene— it’s on the rise!

These riders and trail builders are straight-up legends, pushing hard for more trail access despite the huge challenges they face, like limited resources and strict environmental restrictions. They're on a mission to create new mountain biking opportunities.... and their passion is absolutely contagious!

Back in 2018, I rolled into Iceland like a 'wannabe Viking'....ready to conquer the trails. But, I caught some heat for riding in ecologically sensitive zones. Fast forward four years, and I'm back with a very exciting and rewarding project to showcase Iceland's small, but powerful mountain bike community. You see, these local riders face all kinds of challenges that restrict their access to beautiful landscapes, and us outsiders often visit without a clue about their situation. And, our actions can seriously mess with their ability to shred in their own backyard.

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Now, in many parts of Iceland, there aren't a ton of purpose-built trails for mountain biking.

But guess what? These riders have found a way to make it happen by using sheep trails. Yeah, you heard me right.

Sheep trails!

Those furry dudes have been shaping trails across the country for ages, and now they're providing access to amazing back country zones. Who knew sheep were trailblazing pioneers?

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Shortly after our visit to the Icebike Trail Center, we had a super fun crew from Icebike Adventures come out to show us around!

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Antoine, Dagur, Andri, and Kati gave us a tour of their typical ride in Landmannalaugar.

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It was a mind-blowing ride in Landmannalaugar.

Picture this: vibrant rhyolite mountains, geothermal hotspots that could cook a mean Icelandic hotdog, and jaw-dropping peaks everywhere you look. It's like you've been teleported to a dimension where the laws of awesomeness reign supreme!

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But let me tell you, once you venture into the Icelandic highlands, you'll quickly realize that dedicated mountain bike trails are a rare sight. And there are legit reasons for this.

Iceland's small population and limited resources make it a challenge to build new trails. Plus, the delicate ecosystem here is on high alert, and mountain biking can be pretty intimidating to the environmental agency of Iceland.

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Building up bigger and steeper berms in Husavik.

Props to groups like 640 MTB in Húsavík and the crew running Hlioarfjall Bike Park—they're relentlessly working towards sustainable trail development. They're showing how mountain biking and Iceland's environment can vibe together, no problemo.

Advocating for more mountain bike trails in Iceland isn’t easy. Local riders face a ton of challenges, from securing land access to getting permission to build new trails. The whole process can feel like navigating a maze of bureaucracy, dealing with government agencies and landowners. It's a wild ride, for sure.

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Northern towns like Húsavík and Akureyri have the strongest mountain bike communities in the entire country. It’s here you will find mountain bike specific trails.

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This epic trail dog lent us a hand at Hlíðarfjall Bike Park.
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Adding to the difficulties, Iceland's tourism industry places greater emphasis on hiking and other outdoor activities, often overshadowing mountain biking. Which, makes it harder for their mountain bike community to gain recognition and support for their cause, as the value placed on the sport is not as high.

When I dove deeper into the local riding scene on my return to Iceland, I discovered a small but rad community of mountain bikers.

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In order from upper left to lower right: Antoine Daures - Guide and Photographer, Katarina - Guide, Magne Kvam - Icebike Adventures Founder and Trailbuilder, Aõalgeir Óskarsson - Trailbuilder, Gunnólfur Sveinsson - Trailbuilder, Gunnar Jarl - Trailbuilder

These folks are on a purposeful mission. They're overcoming the obstacles, respecting Iceland's unique environment, and developing progressive trails. Huge shout-out to all the Icelanders who opened up to us and showed us their world.

You guys rock!

#KAVUDAYS

Note: Just stay on the trails;-))


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