The Kjölur road begins at a waterfall, which seems about right. Gullfoss, on the Hvítá river, marks the end of the busy Golden Circle and the start of a track into the empty middle of Iceland, a road called the Kjölur, or keel, because it runs like the ridge of a boat between two great glaciers. Behind you lie coach parks and cafes. Ahead, after the last farm, there is nothing but moorland, lava and sky.
The highland road is a different kind of riding. It is a gravel F-road, not paved, with corrugations that rattle fillings, loose stones in the corners and long straight stretches where the wind blows from every direction at once. It is open only in the summer, typically from some time in June until September, depending on snow, and conditions change from week to week, so check the road authority's information before you set out. This is a road for a bike and a rider who are ready for gravel, not for a loaded tourer on road tyres.
The country it crosses has a history of its own. For centuries this was a route across the interior for travellers going between the north and south of the country, used by farmers, outlaws and people fleeing the law. Stories of ghosts and trolls are told about the lava fields, and the old cairns that mark the way are still there beside the track. In the nineteenth century, a few brave travellers began to cross it for pleasure, and the modern road was only built in the twentieth century.
The landscape is stark and beautiful. To the west is the flat white dome of Langjökull, Iceland's second largest glacier, and to the east lies Hofsjökull. Between them the plateau is a mix of black sand, moss and scree, with the occasional blue lake. The air is thin and cold, with a mineral smell.
There are no towns on the track, so bring what you need and tell someone where you are going. The nearest facilities lie at the falls behind you, and in the summer at a highland hut ahead. Take it slowly, and enjoy the quiet.