[Ducati]

RIDING SUB-ZERO, PART 1: ICELAND

2 years ago | Words: Matt Holmes, Alessandro Broglia, Alessandro Mollo | Photos: Ducati Media House

Winter may be hitting hard through southern Australia, but it’s a far cry from the frigid northern hemisphere at peak of winter. Our relatively mild temps means snow falls at serious elevation, so there’s not many of us who have had the chance to ride thousands of kilometres in snow and ice. Enter two Italians who took it upon themselves to navigate their way around the desolate beauty of Iceland.

Friends, Alessandro Broglia and Alessandro Mollo, head to Iceland – a country that is more than four times the size of their home (and Ducati’s), the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, but with a total population smaller than that of the city of Bologna alone. Almost two thirds of its inhabitants are concentrated in the capital of Reykjavík and the built-up areas that immediately surround it. Upon arrival, they realise the weather will likely be their judge, jury and possibly executioner as they face ridiculously strong winds, heavy snow mixed with mud and ice plus all that the Icelandic landscape and weather can throw at them.

Check out the images and commentary of the boys’ amazing ride right here…

THE ROUTE…

DAY 0: BIKE PREP AT DUCATI

Our ‘day zero’ comes three weeks before departure in Borgo Panigale. The guys at the Vehicle Reliability Service centre help us prepare the bikes for shipping and, for the first time, we are able to see the brand-new aluminium cases for ourselves – prototypes (the result of thorough research and reliability tests) that will shortly be put into production. So as to best prepare for our adventure, we spend the rest of the day practicing how to apply the Best Grip studs to the Pirelli Scorpion Rally tyres and it’s not long before we have blistered hands. We’re ready to leave and will be reunited with our Multistrada V4 bikes when we arrive in Iceland!

DAY 1: LANDING IN ICELAND

Having landed at the international airport of Keflavík, we head to the Ducati store in the capital and are immediately warned as to the rather unfavourable weather conditions expected over the next few weeks. The winds are violent, and we have the vague but persistent feeling that we’ve perhaps taken on too much this time. But we’re here now, and as the famous Icelandic saying goes, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes”. And so it is with this spirit that we prepare for our adventure.

DAY 2: FROM REYKJAVIK TO VIK

The following day, and meticulously kitted out, we are finally ready to travel. The sun is shining, and the wind seems like a distant memory. The Multistradas can unleash their 170hp, or less if we want to use Enduro mode. In this way, they can safely tackle terrain that is a lot more treacherous than asphalt, like snow for example.

By evening we reach Vík í Mýrdal, a narrow village nestled between the sea and the glaciers that, with its 320 residents, stands out as one of the most densely populated centres of the island’s entire south coast.

We base ourselves in Vík í Mýrdal for two nights, enjoying ourselves as we exploit the Multistrada V4 bikes and delve into Icelandic nature, which never ceases to amaze with its magical landscapes. Sea stacks and cliffs that the waves seem to want to devour, sandy beaches as black as coal, waterfalls that look like something out of a fantasy novel.

DAY 3: TAKING A BREAK AT JÖKULSÁRLÓN, THE GLACIER LAGOON

We set off eastwards. In this area, the temperatures are not too bad (between -8 and +2°C), but we have to deal with a general feeling of instability and precariousness caused by deep snow and battle a wind so strong that we struggle to ride in a straight line. We break up the 260km stretch separating us from the port town of Höfn by stopping at Jökulsárlón, a lagoon that contains hundreds of floating icebergs, a breathtaking blue in colour, which break away from one of the branches of the Vatnajökull, Europe’s biggest glacier. Not far away is the so-called “Diamond Beach” on which the same ice masses are deposited after having reached the open sea and been reduced to tiny fragments, similar to precious stones, by the currents.

DAY 4: NORTH OF HOFN, TOWARDS THE HVALNES LIGHTHOUSE

From Hofn, we head north, following the irregular coastline indented with fjords. We chance upon a snow-covered beach on which there are obvious tyre tracks and so we decide to have some fun with our Multistrada V4s. Atop this white blanket, we soon appreciate the importance of a chassis that always responds so calmly and courteously, thanks also to the great work Ducati has done on the suspension. The fresh snow is very similar to sand and, if you trust in the bike, you find yourself floating at incredible speeds and fully enjoying the riding that only this type of maxi enduro can offer.

DAY 5: UNFAVOURABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS, ON COURSE FOR REYKJAVÍK

On day five, we are rudely awakened from our innocent sleep. A bad storm is expected in the next few hours. We ready our weapons and baggage and, as we head in the direction of Reykjavík, we stop off in Grindavík, just south of the capital, exhausted after covering almost 600km in just one day.

DAYS 6, 7 & 8: OUTSIDE REYKJAVÍK

Our plan was to set off to towards Vesturland, a region located in the central-western part of the country, but the weather plays another cruel trick, bringing a red alert and a forecast of gusts exceeding 150km/h. In a short space of time, the storm swallows the entire island.

Having been held hostage by the bad weather for two days, we are finally able to head back out but decide to remain in the area around Reykjavík, exploring some wonderful off-road routes and adventuring via the thermal springs and lava fields. One thing is now clear: the Multistradas can take you anywhere, but if Iceland and its unpredictable guardians decide to get in the way, then there is no traction control that can save you.

SOME FINAL POSTCARDS FROM OUR TRIP…

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