Joffrey Maluski is a photographer, videographer, and, above all, an adventurer with a passion for outdoor sports. Especially extreme cycling expeditions! We met Joffrey when he returned from Iceland, after 28 days and 1,000 km spent in the cold. Adrien wanted to meet him again to celebrate the release of his film—which you can watch at the bottom of this article.

Adrien : First question, what made you want to go on such an expedition? ;)

Joffrey : In the summer of 2021, I went to Iceland with two friends for a 3-month, 3,000-kilometer trip. We covered most of the island, visiting the famous spots along Route 1, exploring the west and east fjords, and crossing the highlands from north to south and east to west. When I returned, I had only one thing on my mind: to come back in winter, when Iceland reveals itself in its wildest form. Two years later, here I am, tracing a line through the snow, from Seydisfjordur in the far east, to Bjargtangar in the far west, passing north of the island's three major glaciers: Vatnajökull, Hofsjökull, and Langjökull.

Adrien : You had a 78 kg bike. How do you manage to drag that much weight?

Joffrey : You have to accept going slowly. On the first day, I left Egilsstadir for a round trip to Seydisfjordur, to really start by the sea. But to get there, I had to cross a 600 m pass. With 1200 m of elevation gain on the first day, it really got me into the swing of things! Then, in the Highlands, I used a fatbike with a pulka. This allowed me to lighten the bike for riding on snow and to pull the bike + pulka on foot if the conditions were too difficult.

Adrien : You say you're going slowly, what's your average speed in these conditions?

Joffrey : On the road, I was riding at an average of 10-11 km/h, while in the Highlands, it was very variable depending on the snow conditions. On ice, it rides really well. On hard snow, it doesn't go very fast, but it's a real pleasure! On the other hand, when the snow is soft, you have to push the bike... My fastest day in the Highlands was at an average of 5 km/h (46 km in 9 hours), and the two slowest days were at 2.1 km/h (20 km in 9 hours and 40 minutes and 18 km in 8 hours).

Adrien : And how do you navigate? Do you need any special knowledge in addition to a good GPS?

Joffrey : During the months of preparation, I refined every aspect of my itinerary, with the advantage of having already crossed the Highlands from east to west during the summer of 2021. I studied maps on Komoot and Google Maps Satellite to locate rivers and cabins, and anticipated emergency routes in case it was necessary to bypass a river that was too dangerous or to leave the Highlands more quickly.
Once there, I had a map, as well as the GPS track on my watch and in my satellite phone. As for snow conditions, I simply made sure not to take slopes that were too steep (risk of avalanches) or cross frozen lakes.

Adrien : Embarking on an adventure like this is bound to mean some setbacks and unexpected events. Which ones have left the biggest impression on you?

Joffrey : I didn't really have any unforeseen events, because I had worked a lot in advance on all the risks that could arise, in order to approach them with the greatest possible serenity. However, four main challenges arose: the rivers to cross, the fresh snow and the difference in altitude in the mountains north of the Vatnajökull glacier, the intense cold (-21°C on the thermometer) in the heart of Iceland, and finally, a windstorm north of the Langjökull glacier.

For the rest, there are ups and downs every day. When a difficult moment arises, you have to be patient, try to find joy in the little things, take the time to look at the landscape around you, remind yourself why you are here, that you know how to manage these moments and get through this phase, which remains temporary. And even when everything is going well, I think it is important to keep in mind that it may not last, to avoid euphoria and to prepare for the challenges to come by maintaining a good ability to adapt.

Adrien : I quote you, Iceland is "facing extreme temperatures, violent winds and snowstorms. Accepting uncertainty, the unknown and solitude." How do you experience all that? Do you have to have a masochistic side to get into it? ;)

Joffrey : I'm enjoying it because that's what I enjoy. I don't go there to hurt myself or for athletic performance, but rather with the perspective of a journey. I love the snowy landscapes, the intense cold, and the challenges that it entails. If I had to choose a particularly memorable moment, it would be when I came out of the mountains north of the Vatnajökull and Tungnafellsjökull glaciers. I was alone on my bike, in the middle of Iceland, under a perfect blue sky, with a bright sun and freezing cold. The surrounding landscapes were breathtaking, and I was riding at a good pace towards my next stop, Laugafell, where a hot spring awaited me.

Finding myself alone in my tent in the middle of a storm north of the Langjökull glacier, with the wind howling outside and the snow piling up around me, was an unforgettable experience. The sound of the wind on the canvas of my tent, the gusts shaking the walls, and the feeling of vulnerability forced me to stay calm and focused. I had to accept uncertainty and the unexpected, because everything could change in an instant. But it's also where you feel the beauty and power of nature.

Adrien : Finally, a question about equipment, how do you choose it for such adventures?

Joffrey : I equipped myself with the best possible equipment to face the snowstorms, the intense cold, the strong winds and to be self-sufficient during these 28 days and 1000 km. Most of the equipment had been tested before the expedition to have total confidence in it. I opted for a fat bike equipped with 4.5-inch studded tires and a pulka, a lightweight sled that looks like a toboggan, which allowed me to unload the bike to ride on the snow.

My gear also included a polar expedition tent, a -30°C sleeping bag, a gas stove, fishing overalls for crossing rivers dry, an ice axe to get out of them, and repair equipment for all my gear. Some equipment was doubled, like my gloves, my satellite phone, and my headlamp. The hardest part was choosing the gear to have everything I needed while maintaining an acceptable weight. My bike weighed 78 kg at the start, including 23 kg of food. To conclude on the Go'Lum, I had brought two Piom2s (in case I lost one) with three batteries. I was very pleasantly surprised by its autonomy and its resistance to the cold. In fact, I went back to Lapland with a Piom3 this winter, during the polar night, with temperatures as low as -30°C on the thermometer. It was on my helmet all day and it never let me down.



To pre-order Joffrey Maluski’s book about this epic: HERE
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