Horace Dall (1901-1986) of Luton, England made the inaugural overland journey through the Sprengisandur wilderness of Iceland by bicycle in 1933. Â Along the way he kept a photo journal of his trials and tribulations with written descriptions on the backs of the photos. Â One that seems to describe the journey well is,Â
“The first day gave a taste of the rough stuff – rocks, gullies, sand and swamps, and I quickly realised that my hopes of making thirty percent use of the bicycle were to be disappointed.”
Mr. Dall traveled with no tent, just a sleeping bag to protect him from the elements. Â For nutrition he carried very simple foods including sucrose and pemmican. Â His only assistance along the journey came at the very start where he made use of a boat to cross the large river putting him into the wilderness. Â From there it was a seven day trip, five days of which he saw no one else. Â