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Category: Cycling trip to the North Cape 2010

Published: 07 January 2015

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Cycle trip to the North Cape 2010 - Chapter 1

To save time I could not drive directly from Leonberg by the bike. I only had four weeks for this travel. Up to this trip I had also not really a real feeling for how such long trips can be accomplished. Sure, I had the great hope to get to the North Cape, but up to there lay a few thousand kilometers and many heights before me.
Because I was not sure whether I could make such a route at all, I did not think much about the return journey before the departure. Sure, I've been informed where the trains leave, with which I may return when the trip has to be skipped. But if you want to go to the Nordkapp, you think first of all to get there and in the back of the head a little bit on the return journey.

So it went from Leonberg with the train to Kiel. Then continue by ferry to Gothenburg.
Well and then you are once there at the port with your stuff. The backpack filled with provisions, the trailer packed with everything you think it will be needed in the next few weeks and lots of tingling in the belly, because it can finally go. Some rain does not really bother you.

The direction is clear: North!
Only in the city is it not always easy to keep the orientation. The maps, which I have with me are of large scale and therefore in cities half-usable. However, I almost land on a highway. I admit that I did not look at the cards as thoroughly as I should have. But on the other hand it does not make much sense to plan the entire route to the North Cape from the outset. There are many ways to go north. Which is the best way, you know only when you have already driven the others.

Right at the beginning of my tour I also laid a fall.
I wanted to take another look at the map and just briefly stopped. I forget that I'm with the shoe still hooked in the pedal and fall in the booth. Because it was downhill at the site, I was quite injured: shoulder and right knee bleed pretty much. I did not hurt my hands because of the cycling gloves. The painful shoulder will plague me the next time while sleeping in the tent on the sleeping pad and the wound at the knee needs after the journey still a few weeks until everything is healed. The wound is so unfavorable that it always hurts when I come to my knees in the tent or elsewhere. The constant movement during the craning does not make the wound heal faster.

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Cycle trip to the North Cape 2010 - Chapter 2

A bike tour is a must in the tent.
With my "Hotel Hilleberg" I am quite well equipped. I gave the name to the tent because of the price. Hilleberg is not just the cheapest supplier of tents. But because the climate in the north of Europe can be rough, I did not want to go out with a tent from the Discounter.
On the other hand, the hotel Hilleberg also has plenty of space to spend a rainy day, so it must be. There is enough room to spread. In addition, you feel really safe in the rain. Even in the strong continuous rain I had so far never worried that water can get into the tent. Such a thing is very important!

Camping in summer in Northern Europe means first of all to get used to the constant brightness. Because in the summer it is even bright at 3 o'clock. It depends, of course, whether you are traveling in the south, or far up north.

The roads in Sweden are relatively easy to classify: Motorways, country roads, gravel roads and mud.

The motorways are of course not for bicycles. And the country roads differ in the number of the numbers in their numbering:
 1-digit -> Very well developed, very much traffic and noise
 2-digit -> Fixed flooring, but less traffic
 3-digit -> Mostly solid flooring, now and then gravel pieces, little traffic
 Without number -> Usually gravel, many pot holes, mud or dust, but very little traffic

I have tried to use the route for the next day usually on the 3-digit roads. They simply seemed to me the best compromise between traffic density and road conditions.
After the planning was done, it was usually time for a cozy beer. In Sweden and Norway there is only a beer with an alcohol content of 3.5%. Everything else is only available in the restaurant or in special liquor stores. The prices for the "strong oil" are then however with 5 to 7 euro beyond good and evil.
I am not here because of the beer in Sweden, but to drive to Nordkapp by bicycle!

Since in Sweden the "everybody's right" applies, one can camp on all meadows, etc., which are not fenced for a night. I have used this right now and then. On the whole, unpleasant surprises have lain. Every now and then, people have dived in the night, but soon disappeared again. There were never any problems. Nevertheless, I have to say that the camping alone in the Pampa is not quite my favourite. Whatever the reason, I feel more comfortable at the campsite. But I have noticed that it is a habit, too. You have to do it often enough, then the wild camping is no longer disturbed and you sleep in peace.
If rain was in sight, then I have however also gladly creeped into a Stuga.

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Cycle trip to the North Cape 2010 - Chapter 3

The further you get to the north, the rugged is the landscape.
The best thing to do in Sweden is to look at the forest:
In the south, the forest is very dense everywhere. The spruces have very dense needles and are very close together. However, the farther north you get, the firmer the firs and the trees are also far apart from each other. The forests themselves are by no means so dense as in the south.
Until then comes the point at which the trees have completely disappeared and only grassland (or tundra) occurs.

Because the settlement density also decreases towards the north, the animals are not so shy here. And so I meet the first reindeers shortly after the border with Lapland. Somehow it seemed to me as if the animals had been ordered, because really shortly behind the sign to the regional boundary the first appeared. I was impressed by the reluctance of the reindeers before the people. And so I could take some pictures of them. I almost fell off the bike, because from the excitement of the reindeers I would have almost forgotten to stop the bike before I took the camera out of my backpack. But the reindeers have patiently waited until a few photos have landed on the memory card.
Only in the context of road traffic are the reindeers not quite as predictable as one might expect. In short, the critters are really totally hollow ...
So they stand in a pack in the middle of the road. If a car comes, then they first run apart in all directions. But just to change seconds later the direction and again cross the road to the other reindeers. Most of the time it is save enough that there are no accidents, but I saw a few killed in the ditch. I guess, the longwood trucks are not quite as ruthless as the car drivers. As a cyclist, you are almost in the same category as the reindeers.
Probably there are more trouble because of overrun cyclists and therefore the trucks do not hold on them as on the reindeers. But it's tight from time to time. Even if the trucks meet, they usually drive very fast. I would not feel comfortable at that speed, but time is probably cash. If such a truck meets a narrow distance, then the pressure wave, which pushes the truck ahead of you, is really almost as if you were driving against a wall. I always try to make myself quite small so that the force is not so great.

These long tours are definitely an exhausting experience. And if you are on the road all day, you need to feed quite a lot of food. The energy has to come somewhere. I noticed that in one day also very clearly. Because McDonalds and Co. in North Sweden are not exactly at every corner, I have provisions in my backpack. And because I'm too lazy to cook, the food usually consists of bread, cheese, (sausage), corn and some sweets. Because this is also a bit one-sided, I decided one morning to make an extremely healthy breakfast. There was ananass, milk, some muesli, grapes and a few other healthy things. Of course no sweets, because I wanted to leave out. With this "tank content" I have however not come 30 kilometers far. Then there was no more wheel. Actually it was already quite sluggish during the 30 kilometers. I was quite frightened about it, and I took a break. I have eaten bread and cheese, a can of corn and because I was somewhat frustrated still a decent portion of chocolate cookies (=Doppelkekse). After a little break in the sun, I tried again. "... Maybe it's better now," I thought, when I got back on the bike. And lo and behold: After a few kilometers I had again really pace on it and drove to the Nordkapp with full force forward.
 Since that day, I know that muesli and fruit are definitely still very healthy, but if you want to take the bike 100 kilometers or more, it needs other things that supply energy. However, I consider "energy bars" and Co. for expensive nonsense. Double biscuits rock in any case better than the things.

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Cycle trip to the North Cape 2010 - Chapter 4

"However you do it, go to the f *** ing North ...!"
(Whatever you do, you MUST be in the north ...!)

These were the words of a very drunken soldier, whom I have met very far down in the south of Sweden. At first I was somewhat annoyed at his rather drastic words. But with every kilometer I drove north of the Polarkreis I understood his words more and more. If I met him again, I would like to tell him how f *** ing he was right!

The Jockfall is one of the biggest waterfalls I have ever seen. An unbelievable natural spectacle, in which every second gigantic water masses fall to the valley. But it is not just this beautiful natural act that impresses me so much, it is also the landscape, which has already changed very much. There are only a few trees and the tundra predominates gradually. There are endless distances and on the horizon heaven and earth become one. As a small person, only on the road by bike, one could quickly get lost in this landscape. But with nieces! The tundra is not a desolate area, but also full of plants, some of which bloom in very beautiful colors.

At the very back of the horizon, the first mountains emerge. By bike, an almost endless route is not a waste. With a regular energy supply in the form of double biscuits, it is proceeding rapidly. Much traffic is no longer on the roads up here in the north. That's why I can also drive 2-digit roads every now and then, because the 3-digit now almost have become exclusively gravel roads (and my butt declines them categorically...)

A short trip to Finland brings me the realization that the Finns have the Euro-Zone (sorry, that I have not researched before ...) and that there is normal beer in 1 liter cans which is quite cheap to buy. Of course, I could not quite resist and bought a small supply for the next evening.

The following tour days then went on in Norway. The villages were gradually becoming less and less frequent. For safety I increase my provisions. For one night or another I spend again with wild camping. The weather is now also showing off its rough side. Rain and partly very strong wind make the stages partly very exhausting. It is simply the test, which one must take off, if one with the bike wants to cycle to the Northcape. You do not just drive out of a beer whisper ...!
The mountains, which I have seen on the horizon a few days ago, are now snow-covered. But also in the mountains there are always places to relax. So after a few rainy days on the bike and lame nights in the tent I found a shelter in "Engholms Husky Lodge". One of the most beautiful places I have ever slept. I'm just glad I did not hear the howling of the dogs that somehow sounded like a wolf, on the nights before I camped somewhere in the tundra ...The Northcape is gradually approaching. The first fjords show that it can not be far. The weather is improving and so there is really only one major hurdle to take: the Northcape tunnel.
Every bike forum on the Internet has a different history. But I have to go through this tunnel to get to the Northcape. The one writes that you can not go there by bike. It's way too dangerous. The others say it would be possible. All in all, therefore, no very bright prospects for my last leg. Finally, on a Sunday morning, I made my way to the tunnel at about 4 o'clock. My hope was that at this time traffic is little and thus I can pass through the tunnel without great problems . In fact, there was nothing else but a big hole in the mountain and no one to stop me. 

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Cycling trip to the North Cape 2010 - Chapter 5

The last kilometers to Northcape were anything but easy to drive. In the tunnel, I have simply given a little too much gas, which cost me a lot of energy.

But then I see my goal, for which I have been traveling so many miles and days:

Through the windows of the "Nordkapphalle" you can see the big world globe.

The world globe is located at 71 ° 10 '16 "north latitude, marking the" almost "northernmost point in Europe. (There is only a few kilometers farther away the really northern point, but it is not easy to get there).

When I am at the world globe, I can not believe it at first. I actually did it by bike. A thousand thoughts and images of the past days and weeks rushing through my head. For a brief moment, the feelings overwhelm me. It is so incredible to stand here. What at first was just a small thought has become reality and I am standing here on a slate plateau in the Arctic Ocean at the northernmost point of Europe. From here it is just 2100 kilometers to the North Pole. How it will go on behind the horizon ...?

While the last few days the weather up here seems to have been horrible, and the visibility was zero, I took the bad weather a little farther south. Now I am rewarded with the most beautiful sunshine: the sun shines warmly from the steel-blue sky. It's eleven o'clock in the morning. I'll have to wait another 13 hours before midnight sun. I've been on the road for so long, and I'm not going to miss this show. The weather in the night should be good.
Now that I have a lot of time, a certain void is quickly spreading. I have arrived at the finish line. From here I can not go further north. Funny: Make the "Feierabend" already at noon. This is not my thing at all. I did not drive so much today !?

I gradually notice how cold the wind is up here, despite the sun. I'm looking for a warm place in the North Cape hall and have a cup of hot water. I try to dissolve the instant wine that I have taken home from for the moment. The result tastes terrible. Why should it always be alcohol ?! During the day there is very little going on in the hall. I'm really wondering that to this tourist magnet no more people come. There are only a few people outside. That changes towards the evening very visibly. In the minute cycle buses arrive and unload a lot of touris, which partly go straight on a climbing tour into the world globe. Is not it enough to just watch the thing? Probably the photos for family albums are all the more impressive if you climb into the world globe instead of just standing in front of it ...

Around midnight it is freezing cold and people are crowded in the hall. I go to a grotto that belongs to the hall. Here there is a huge, but completely darkened glass front exactly north. The grotto is illuminated with candles and a few weak lights. A German tourist asked the lady at the bar, which is to be seen here. I am interested in hearing that the blackout is open at midnight. Completely bewildered, the tourist asked whether this is all? "Yes, we just raise the curtain ..."
There the tourist was quicker away than I could say "ah..ha".

Well, unfortunately, the tourist will probably never know what the remaining visitors and I could experience when the curtains went up. The whole grotto was suddenly flooded by the warm, yellowish light of the midnight sun. There was a whispering through the grotto, as eyes had grown accustomed to the brightness, and outside the glass front the sun could be seen only a few meters above the ice. In all its greatness and beauty.
It is just the simple things in life that inspire and fascinate you. Although the sun goes up and down every day, is a beautiful sunrise or a sunset not always a special kind of nature play?

One thing I can say now is that the saying "The sun is going up in Easter, in the south it takes its course, in the west it will go down and in the north it is never to be seen", I can not stand any longer. Who has been up here, knows what I mean!

After the sun has once again moved eastwards, I make my way back to Honningsvag. Even if the midnight sun is shining, it does not give a bit warm. On the bike it is ice cold. I am glad when I am on the Hurtigruten ferry in the morning. It is the first time in weeks that I drive without stepping into the pedals myself. This makes a nice diesel engine for me. The route to Hammerfest is very nice. The fog, which partly hangs in the fjords, is very nice to look at.

In Hammerfest I change my original plan to drive southwards as far as possible with the Hurtigruten. The thing is just very expensive. A cheap flight connection brings me to Oslo and from there to Berlin.
The Wacken-Open-Air should have been my goal when I arrived in the far north of Germany. But after the weeks of nature and silence, switching to a heavy-metal open air with 80,000 visitors would surely have been a shock. So Wacken will probably have to wait (if I am old and sit in a wheelchair, hopefully someone will be there, who pushes me to the stage ...).
Instead of Wacken, I will visit our THW youth group at the camp in Wolfsburg on the way to southern Germany. The girls and boys represented "the Ländle" on the national competition of the youth groups. I have to keep my fingers crossed. Unfortunately it was not quite enough for a victory but a respectable 6th place!

A coach then took me back to Leonberg. The last kilometers from THW accommodation to home were sort of funny: Everything familiar, but somehow became strange ...

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