End of an expedition, end of a chapter
Conclusions and lessons from an Icelandic travel and a five-year journey.
V. Confrontations
In summer 2019, I leave on a five-month trip through Scotland and Iceland. I travel on foot and by bicycle on large wilderness, mineral deserts, inhospitable environments and face the elements in search of a return to simplicity through physical effort. In Scotland, I walk for five weeks on the West Highland Way, the Hebridean Way and the Skye Trail. I walk through ruin, swamps and green mountains, ears lulled by the singing tones of the Gaelic language. Then I embark on an expedition to Iceland. Wind is my worst enemy and my best teacher there. It keeps me from advancing and destroys my strength. It teaches me to get rid of my vanity and my pride. To accept unpredictability and impermanence, to discover beauty in every second. I pedal and walk for almost three months, my mind on the alert in this very different world. On this island the landscapes are so raw, so pure that I feel on another planet.
Keywords: wind, effort, nature, hiking, cycling, wide open spaces, solitude, magnificence, volcanoes, bogs, talking to myself, mass tourism, raw
Conclusions and lessons from an Icelandic travel and a five-year journey.
Iconic landscapes of Iceland. Landscapes of a rough, inhospitable and beautiful island.
End of my trip to Iceland. I travel for the last time the extraordinary landscapes of the island.
Where I question relationships between people, loneliness and the impact of language.
Two weeks of volunteering at a dairy farm near Búðardalur.
Selection of photographs during my cycling and hiking travel around Iceland.
Last kilometers by bicycle around the Snæfellsnes peninsula.
Bicycle crossing of the Westfjords from Ísafjörður to Stykkishólmur.
Reflection on the Icelandic wind and climate and how it impacts my trip.
Four days hike through the Hornstrandir nature reserve.
Through kilometers of lava fields to reach the invisible caldera, hiking from Herbubreidarlindir to Askjà.
Three days of hiking on the Kerlingarfjöll Trail.
Cycling through the mineral desert from Reykholt to Hunaver.
Reflection on mass tourism and my approach to travel.
Hiking through the Highlands, from Skogar to Landmannalaugar.
First week cycling along the south coast of Iceland, from Keflavik to Svinafell.
Last days in Scotland. A short tour of Loch Ness following the Great Glen Way and a visit to Inverness.
The Isle of Skye, located in northwestern Scotland, is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides archipelago.
Just four days on Skye Island to go for day hikes along the Skye Trail.
The Outer Hebrides are an archipelago of islands east of Scotland that I crossed on foot following the Hebridean Way.
Last days on the Outer Hebrides to discover its history and traditions.
Last part on the Hebridean Way through Harris and Lewis. An end of a hike full of discoveries and encounters.
Part two on the Hebridean Way through the charming little islands in the center of the archipelago.
First part of my hike on the Hebridean Way through the Outer Hebrides archipelago.
Selection of my best photos taken during my 156km walk through the Scottish Highlands.
Part two on the West Highland Way. The return of the sun, a feeling of accomplishment and the great green mountains.
A week of hiking on the West Highland Way. First part across the Highlands, in the rain and with a head full of questions.
Conclusions and lessons from an Icelandic travel and a five-year journey.
Iconic landscapes of Iceland. Landscapes of a rough, inhospitable and beautiful island.
End of my trip to Iceland. I travel for the last time the extraordinary landscapes of the island.
Where I question relationships between people, loneliness and the impact of language.
Two weeks of volunteering at a dairy farm near Búðardalur.
Selection of photographs during my cycling and hiking travel around Iceland.
Last kilometers by bicycle around the Snæfellsnes peninsula.
Bicycle crossing of the Westfjords from Ísafjörður to Stykkishólmur.
Reflection on the Icelandic wind and climate and how it impacts my trip.
Four days hike through the Hornstrandir nature reserve.
Through kilometers of lava fields to reach the invisible caldera, hiking from Herbubreidarlindir to Askjà.
Three days of hiking on the Kerlingarfjöll Trail.
Cycling through the mineral desert from Reykholt to Hunaver.
Reflection on mass tourism and my approach to travel.
Hiking through the Highlands, from Skogar to Landmannalaugar.
First week cycling along the south coast of Iceland, from Keflavik to Svinafell.
Last days in Scotland. A short tour of Loch Ness following the Great Glen Way and a visit to Inverness.
The Isle of Skye, located in northwestern Scotland, is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides archipelago.
Just four days on Skye Island to go for day hikes along the Skye Trail.
The Outer Hebrides are an archipelago of islands east of Scotland that I crossed on foot following the Hebridean Way.
Last days on the Outer Hebrides to discover its history and traditions.
Last part on the Hebridean Way through Harris and Lewis. An end of a hike full of discoveries and encounters.
Part two on the Hebridean Way through the charming little islands in the center of the archipelago.
First part of my hike on the Hebridean Way through the Outer Hebrides archipelago.
Selection of my best photos taken during my 156km walk through the Scottish Highlands.
Part two on the West Highland Way. The return of the sun, a feeling of accomplishment and the great green mountains.
A week of hiking on the West Highland Way. First part across the Highlands, in the rain and with a head full of questions.