FIRE & ICE: The Ultimate Iceland Road Trip

“When you travel as much as I do and get to see some of the planet’s most incredible landscapes, you get spoiled eventually. But Iceland is genuinely my dream destination. I’ve been there at least ten times. But I’ve never done it with a camper van that is built for going anywhere. Iceland throws the harshest conditions at you. I knew this would be the ultimate test for the IBEX.”

Denis has the spirit of a modern-day explorer. He’s drawn to remote places. He spent three consecutive years in Antarctica. Travelled China from south to north. He seeks connection with people and cultures, eager to hear, learn, and understand new perspectives. All of this made him the perfect IBEX person for us. We wanted him to take our special concept car out there, test its capabilities – but above all, collect unforgettable memories.

“Iceland is also called the land of fire and ice. And without planning that became the theme of our trip. From the ferry, we drove straight to an active volcano. We found a small road that brought us right up close to the crater.

The wind carried heat waves toward us. Amid this black landscape, glowing red lava shot upward, making the earth steam and clouds of vapor rise. We fell asleep to those sounds and woke up in that scenery. We could barely tear ourselves away.”

Denis knows Iceland well, but he’d never experienced it like this before. Many of the roads here require four-wheel drive. Anyone wanting to go off the beaten path needs the right vehicle or hops aboard with local off-road tour operators. We designed the IBEX for exactly these places: it feels at home where others turn back. Fully geared for off-road, with a raised suspension and powerful build – it’s anything but fragile.

“Fire was followed by ice. But when we reached the glaciers, a brutal storm rolled in. At base camp, parts of tourist trucks were flying through the air. We weren’t gently rocked to sleep – it was more like being on rough seas. And yet it was incredible to be in the midst of these forces of nature. It’s such an immediate experience, so intense, so direct – it does something to you.”

The next day, the 32-year-old actually takes the IBEX onto the ice. After black dust, moss, and mud, now the white of the glacier. But following the days Denis spends glacier hiking and ice climbing, there’s still one element left. The filmmaker has his eye on a waterfall.

“I’ve seen people lose their trucks in water time and time again. In Iceland too, there was a crossing in the Highlands that people underestimated. You have to traverse in the morning, before the sun has had time to melt the snow and send even more water downstream. And when possible, I always cross rivers barefoot first to assess the current and the ground conditions.”

Denis makes it. The IBEX pushes through the river above the waterfall – surrounded by this surreally beautiful treeless landscape that makes us feel like Iceland can hardly be of this world.

“Iceland is another planet. A planet of epic landscapes. The mighty glaciers, the fuming hot earth, the deep black expanses that suddenly glow green. On the main roads, you’ve got all the famous spots. But with the IBEX, we could go anywhere. For days, we didn’t see a soul. We fell asleep to the rush of waterfalls and the waves of the sea. It leaves you feeling so close to the essence of life itself.”