We are from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
We flew into Keflavík International Airport and took bus transportation to Reykjavík. From Reykjavík, we travelled by bus to Akureyri, where we prepared for the start of our north-to-south coast traverse. We planned and dialed in our packs at the starting point.
On August 30, 2026 midnight (12:00 am), we began the traverse from North Coast.
From the start of the attempt, we carried everything required for the crossing in our packs, including all food, gear, clothing, sleep set up, safety equipment, electronics, and other gear. Our packs weighed approximately 65 lbs.
We did not receive any outside assistance during the traverse. No support crew, no food or equipment caches, no resupply deliveries and no pre-arranged assistance anywhere along route. We did not purchase or receive food or equipment during the attempt. No one paced, hiked or travelled with us for any portion of the route.
Water was collected along the route from natural water sources and filtered where necessary. We carried the equipment required to obtain and treat our own water.
We travelled continuously south through Iceland using a combination of remote highland terrain, mountain trails and F-roads. The route included river crossings, volcanic terrain, significant elevation change and long sections through isolated areas of the Icelandic highlands.
Conditions varied considerably throughout the attempt. We were hit hard with rain, strong winds, below freezing temperatures, difficult terrain and extended periods of movement with very minimal sleep. We carried our shelter and sleeping equipment with us throughout the traverse and remained responsible for all of our own needs from start to finish.
Blisters 20km in, sore tired and demoralized by 30km talked about quitting ultimately made a plan to push through, 29hrs of sleep In total, 60km winds with gusts of 80km on a mountain while 4 scrambling on thin ridge line with 100’s of ft drop, pulled groin, busted up knees, swollen painful feet, lots of limping, numerous water crossings one we went halfway in it was deep found out later it went up to neck (would’ve been swept away if we went any farther), hallucinations from sleep deprivation, not enough food, caught in snow storm, raining and cold for 4 out of 5 days, feet constantly wet.
We remained together throughout and completed the entire route having no one but ourselves to rely on.
We carried a ZOLEO satellite communicator for safety, communication and location check-ins. It was used to provide location updates and track our movement as other map tracking used too much battery power. GPS tracking and satellite check-ins, along with photos from throughout the route, have been included as supporting documentation.
After 400 km and 12,000 metres of elevation gain and descend, we touched down at the south coast near Landeyjahöfn on September 4, 2026 at 2:47:02 pm.
Our total elapsed time from start to finish was: 5 days, 14 hours, 47 minutes, 2 seconds.
Editor: This FKT was flagged due to difficult verification and the effort ended at a different location on the south coast.