Daniel Hutton’s cycle tour of Iceland
Daniel Hutton’s account of his singing and fundraising cycle tour of Iceland in the Autumn of 2011.
“This is Daniel Hutton (who joined CycleSeven’s Yorkshire Dales 100m ride on Saturday 23 July), and my account of my solo tour round Iceland during August and September 2011 – fundraising for Carers’ Resource in Yorkshire and Ljósið in Iceland, and getting accommodation where possible by ‘singing for my supper’ en route! – asking host families to put me up in return for a solo singing recital. This blog will hopefully inspire, amuse and assist those tracking my progress in equal measure.
“Cycling – transport, fitness aid, time- or moneysaver, or a goal in itself? How many of us cycle because of its benefits, and how many cycle purely as a means of escape, a release, a way to open another door into a simpler world of freedom? How many of us don’t venture all that far from our home patch, riding into town or maybe a twenty-mile loop on a fine evening – and which of us actively use our bikes as a way of exploring places we’d never see otherwise? I’d guess these fields overlap by some margin. Many of us have plenty of reasons to ride.
“This trip however is definitely something that falls into the latter categories above – no-one has to go to Iceland, no-one has to travel the scenic route to connect two places – but without the chance to do so, and explore places we cannot describe until we’ve had the chance to go there, how much would we miss out on? Yes, there are roads where I am going, and campsites, towns, hostels, and cashpoints – but also gravel roads, incredible peaks, vast empty spaces, incessant wind and rain (I imagine), and sights that will stay with me for a lifetime. This is why I am going, and this is the story of my trip.”
Read the whole of Dan’s introductory article »
Dan’s tour of Iceland stage by stage
August 8th, 2011: let’s build a bike »
August 18th, 2011: first leg »
September 6th, 2011: halfway through the tour »
November 2nd, 2011: finished but not over »
January 15th, 2012: a few myths about Iceland »
