{"id":159682,"date":"2026-09-04T18:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T18:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/159682\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T18:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T18:28:13","slug":"from-oman-to-iceland-a-43-day-ride-into-the-arctic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/159682\/","title":{"rendered":"From Oman to Iceland, a 43-day ride into the Arctic"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman circled the globe on motorcycles in Long Way Round, they had each other – someone to share the fear, the breakdowns, and the doubt. <\/p>\n

Loay bin Qais al Balushi had none of that. Just a BMW R 1250 GS Adventure, a stack of visas, and 43 days to ride from the deserts of Oman to the glaciers of Iceland, alone.<\/p>\n

By the time he rolled his bike onto Icelandic soil on July 30, 2026, he\u2019d crossed more than a dozen countries, fallen into a valley of near-freezing water, and become the first Omani ever to reach the Faroe Islands by motorcycle – and only the second Omani to ever ride across Iceland at all. What he found on the road, he says, changed him more than the destination did.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to represent Oman while experiencing different cultures, countries and landscapes on two wheels,\u201d Loay said. \u201cThis journey was not simply a trip for me. It was a personal challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

The plan crystallised after Loay watched a fellow Omani traveller\u2019s adventures unfold online. If someone else could turn the road into the story, why couldn\u2019t he? \u201cWhy not make the journey itself part of the adventure?\u201d he asked himself.<\/p>\n

Months of preparation followed – visas, insurance, border paperwork, and the choice of a machine built for exactly this kind of punishment: a BMW R 1250 GS Adventure, \u201ccapable of handling different types of roads and weather conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Loay<\/p>\n

Loay bin Qais al Balushi with his bike parked at the Faroe Islands.<\/p>\n

On July 5, 2026, Loay rolled out of Oman, riding through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq before angling north through T\u00fcrkiye, the Balkans and Central Europe.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving Oman was a very emotional moment,\u201d he recalled. \u201cThere was uncertainty. But I didn\u2019t let doubt stop me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not every mile was scenic. Somewhere along the route, disaster nearly struck. \u201cOne of the most difficult moments was when I fell into a valley,\u201d he said. \u201cThe water was extremely cold, around 2\u00b0C. But I managed to get myself through it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning back was never an option. \u201cWhenever something went wrong, I focused on solving the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hardship had a way of being softened by strangers. When his motorcycle\u2019s battery failed in Germany, someone he\u2019d never met pulled over to help.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t know me, but he still stopped,\u201d Loay said. \u201cKindness has no nationality.\u201d<\/p>\n

By July 24, Loay reached Denmark and boarded a ferry north. Two days later, he rode onto the Faroe Islands – a first for any Omani motorcyclist.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt proud because I was doing something that had never been done by an Omani motorcyclist before,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Pitching<\/p>\n

Pitching a tent in Austria with his BMW R 1250 GS Triple Black.<\/p>\n

On July 30, he reached Iceland – his ultimate destination, and the moment the whole journey had been building toward.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinally reaching Iceland felt like I had reached the destination of a dream,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He spent two weeks touring glaciers and black-sand beaches, and swam in Silfra, the fissure between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates – \u201csomething I had never experienced before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loay hopes his ride inspires young Omanis to take their own leaps of faith.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t wait until you feel completely ready – that moment may never come,\u201d he said. \u201cStart with what you have, and take the first step.\u201d<\/p>\n

His family wasn\u2019t fully on board at first. \u201cThey were worried about my safety, but they also knew how much I wanted to do it,\u201d he said. \u201cIn the end, they supported me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The distance, he added, sharpened his appreciation for home. \u201cYou start noticing the things about your country that you may have taken for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked to sum up the 43-day odyssey in one line, he didn\u2019t hesitate: \u201cDream big, start with what you have, and don\u2019t let fear decide your limits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loay\u2019s journey from Oman to Iceland ran from July 5 to August 13, 2026.<\/p>\n

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