I’m not exactly sure when the idea of a longer bikepacking trip in Scandinavia first came to me. But I know that feeling, the one that creeps in while researching potential bike destinations, when something clicks and you realize: this is where I’m going. Although I must say I was a bit surprised about my own choice, as growing up in the south of Germany and now living so close to the Italian border in Innsbruck, the idea of heading north for a potential cold and rainy vacation is not something that usually appeals to me. But I also remember Norway from a long-ago hiking trip and remember the solitude and connection to nature that we experienced there. I had to remind myself that it can get warmer than 10 degrees there, with actual sunshine! And that is certainly how it turned out!

Text and photos by Anna Nußrainer, a Bikepacker from Germany

My friend Julia whom I know from Innsbruck and recently moved back home to northern Germany was convinced easily for the idea. Before meeting her in Oslo to start a two-weeks cycling trip together, I planned on attending a festival in south of Sweden, where I´d meet up with some friends from Spain. 

So my trip already began mid-July ´25 in Gothenburg, where I arrived by ferry and I want to (a bit off-topic) wave the flag for Sweden as a cycling destination. Despite their weird no bikes on the train policy, they have phenomenal, sparsely frequented routes up there. More out of the necessity to reach the festival in the north of Karlstad, I ended up cycling parts of the “Vänerleden” which circles around this massive lake “Vänern” and the “Unionsleiden” which takes you from Karlstad up to Moss in Norway – bringing us back to the actual scope of this blog.

Getting to Oslo

Getting to Oslo is dedicated to a separate chapter, as public transportation of bikes still seems to be a big hustle in 21st-century Europe. Julia and I were scheduled to meet on Sunday in Oslo to start our roughly planned route up north (see full route). Coming from Germany via Sweden, Julia struggled with Swedish train policies. And myself – thinking about being really smart, I cycled across the Norwegian border to catch a train from Kongsvegen to Oslo, but unfortunately, the train track was closed, and so I ended up cycling most of the way, mainly following the Oslo – Villmarks – Birken – Route to catch the first suburban train. Lucky me – because this turned out to be an incredibly scenic and rewarding ride.

Stage 1

We finally made it – one day delayed – but the moment we met at Oslo station all struggles from getting there were forgotten. After some catch-up and washing laundry, easily combined @cafelaundromatoslo, we left town via Sognsvann and found us immediately immersed in nature. At first with some suburban vibes but soon changing into peaceful, empty stretches of forest and lakes. After barely 20km of cycling, we stumbled upon a wild camping spot, so perfect to be true, that I still think it is a setup by Norway´s tourism agency: A small spit of land stretched into an immaculate lake, smooth stone steps leading into the water and a perfectly flat spot for the tent. No way could we ride past it. While making dinner a group of guys suddenly appeared out of nowhere, launching their canoes into the lake. We learned that this was part of a well-known canoe crossing through the Nordmarka, usually done in about 3 days. Suddenly, the people we’d seen earlier hauling canoes on two-wheeled trailers made sense.

Stage 2

We continued the route as planned through the Nordmarka, enjoying all these first impressions of the country, and cooling off in the endless number of lakes along the way, offering a welcome refreshment from the heatwave currently sweeping through Scandinavia.

After a beautiful descent to Hønefoss and some stocking up of supplies, we tried to find a place to stay for the night. Already pretty exhausted from the day, we ran out of options and ended up in a situation that we later would only refer to as “the CCTV incident” (or not really because we speak German, but that would be a quite bulky and unsexy word: “Überwachungskameravorfall”).

We made it up to the Ådalselva natural reservoir with a beautiful river running through. Unfortunately, this river couldn’t be accessed in any other way than through private property. Desperately wanting to wash up a bit and get water for cooking, we pitched our tent near an obviously uninhabited cabin and passed through their garden to reach the water. Already slightly uncomfortable about the situation, we had just sat down to eat when a car pulled up. It turned out to be the owner´s son, sent to check on us after his parents got an alert – and a live video feed of us skinny dipping into the river, thanks to the cabin’s security cameras which we hadn´t noticed. Thankfully they were more amused than upset and fine with us camping there. Trying to break the awkwardness of the moment, I found myself asking if he wanted to join us for dinner (canned fish and soft bread). Still not sure why he politely declined that offer.

Stage 3 and 4

These stages took us through the stunning and remote Vikerfjell nature reserve down into the Hedalen valley The route included sections with rough gravel and sand, giving us the chance to practice our balance on the loaded bikes. We restocked again at the local supermarket, which also has a coffee corner in the back, where you can grab a cup and sit on the terrace, overlooking the valley framed by mountains. We’ve settled in a bit, not just for recharging electronic devices, but also because of Ali – a retired seafarer originally from Turkey, who captivated us with wild, fascinating stories from his life at sea. When we eventually made it out of this supermarket, we discovered that the real sights of Hedalen valley are supposed to be the small outdoor museum Bautahausen Samlinger and the 12th-century Hedalen stave church. But for sure, neither would have been as entertaining as Ali’s stories. 

We continued on the Hedalslvegen, which is a toll road leading out of the valley up to a highland plateau full of cabins. We pitched the tent next to a peaceful lake and enjoyed the evening sun over dinner.

Stage 5 and 6

This was the day of single trails – thanks to some questionable Komoot navigation, we ended up on them more than once. Beautiful, no doubt, but certainly more fun with suspension and without kilos of luggage. 

We got a first little taste of rain, as we turned off the gravel roads lined with summer cabins, onto an old farm road a welcoming refreshment for the steep climb up to another windy plateau. What followed were a few more wrong turns on single trails and a long, rewarding descent into Tisleidalen, where a friendly Warmshowers host awaited us, and where we planned to rest our legs for a day.

Our host Morten lives in one of the countless cabins scattered around Tisleidalen. Cabins really are a big deal here – I am sure every Norwegian owns at least two of them. And for a short time, we had the privilege to join that club: Morten – proving my theory right – had two cabins himself and generously let us stay in the micro version of his. It was pure luxury, an actual bed, fully compliant access to a river, and that was not it – we had also arrived in bike maintenance paradise. A high-pressure washer, cleaning supplies and even a spare tire for my rear wheel, which I had to keep patching up along the way.

Morten is a Norwegian veteran who has co-founded SIOPS – an association dedicated to supporting veterans who´ve been physically or mentally injured, sometimes both, in international operations. Beyond their political and social engagement, they organize events and recreational activities, creating safe spaces for wounded veterans to support their recovery. In this context, Morten offers flyfishing courses, of which we also got a taste when trying to catch some fish in the river. Without success, unfortunately. 

Moreover, Yoga classes are offered to veterans at the close by Nøsen Yoga Resort, which we paid a visit to as we continued our journey. It’s a short detour from the official Mjølkevegen bike route, and you can get some small refreshments there with an incredible view of the adjacent lake. 

After saying goodbye to Morten, who was accompanying us some part of the road, we left the Mjølkevegen again and turned onto an apparently dead-end road. Morten had tipped us off about this route, which includes a shorter push-section on a single trail, after which you can continue cycling through one of Norway´s most beautiful valleys Smådaln. At least it was the highlight of our trip with a mind-blowing view and a thrilling downhill towards an inland fjord and further to Vang. 

A bit on a high by all the impressions and adrenalin, we had our first proper meal in days (no fish-cans, no soft bread) at a small restaurant next to the campsite in Vang, where we also met Eva and her 12-year-old son Vittorio – two passionate bikepackers themselves. They were on holidays in their nearby cabin (of course), but Vittorio actually prefers being on the bike to the comfort of the cabin – what a nice kid. 

Stage 7

To reach Beitostølen, where another friendly Warmshowers host was expecting us, we decided to skip the steep climb to Slettefjellet. On one hand, the idea of taking that exposed south-facing route (yes – it was still hot) wasn´t exactly appealing. On the other hand, the alternative route would take us past along Eva´s and Vittorios’s cabin, for a quick visit over coffee. However, this bypass has not proven to be much better in terms of elevation gain and effort. Another option would have been the Bygdin loop, which includes a boat crossing. The prices are high, and since they charge barely the same amount for a bike as for a person, we ended up ruling that option out.

At the end of the day, a heavy thunderstorm caught up with us and we arrived soaking wet at Jade´s (@jade_inthewilderness) and Lucas´s (@lucaslepage_adventurer) place. The smell of banana bread and two lovely Huskies welcomed us, and we instantly felt like visiting old friends. We were treated with home-made Pizza and incredible stories about their bike/packraft trip through Madagaskar and their work at the local Beito Huskey Tours, where they care for and train a pack of 64 dogs. Some people´s way of life is truly inspiring.

Stage 8

After a long, nice sleep, we were now again following the official Mjølkevegen where I got the bikepacking experience I´d been still missing – cycling a mountain pass, busy with cars, or more accurately with vans and campers. This experience became even more exciting with a strong straight-in-your-face north wind pushing against us. But we were rewarded with waffles and hot coffee at the charmingly old-fashioned Bygdin Høyfjellshotel, which we enjoyed in the “Damensalon” because- of course – we are ladies! 

Shortly after Bygdin, we left the main road and turned onto a farm road that finally matched my imagination of a peaceful Milky Way. This road was busy merely with goats and sheep. Things got a bit creepy, though, when a herd of goats decided to chase us. We really had to speed up just to outrun them – but maybe they just wanted to join us on our trip. Who could blame them?

The weather has finally shifted. Up on this exposed plateau, the wind was so strong and no sheltered spot to pitch our tent in sight. The only option in this area is the Haugseter Fjellstue where the cheapest accommodation was a cabin for 1700 NOK. Out of options, we accepted but, in the end, it was worth every penny, because the wind was so strong that night, even the cabin was shaken.

Stage 9

The last day of our cycling together, took us further through the magical landscapes between Bygdin and Vinstra. The foggy, slightly rainy weather only added to the atmosphere. 

The second decent meal of this journey awaited us at the Ruten Fjellstue in Espedalen: Fish burgers and waffles with homemade marmalade – pure delight. They also brew their own beer, which is as tasty as their food. Unfortunately, we were not quite aware that over 400m of elevation and around 50km were still ahead of us. Well-fed and a bit tipsy from the beer, we pressed on the cycling route through rolling hills and farmhouses. From Vinstra, we cycled up to Kvam, following a river, the color reminded me of the Soča in Slovenia. We spent the night at a youth hostel.

Getting back to Oslo

The next day Julia said her goodbyes to catch a ferry back to Germany. I was torn between doing an additional loop – either through the Rondane national park or the Peer-Gynt Seterveg gravel loop. But in the end, I decided to slowly ease out of the adventure and leisurely ride the Peer-Gynt Vegen (again Peer – he seems to be everywhere) towards Lillehammer, where I’d catch a train back to Oslo, then a plane to Munich. On the way I passed Gåla, which was surprisingly busy for a ski resort in the summer – turns out it, it was due to the Peer-Gynt Festival! Now I finally checked the story of this guy – a fictional character who spent his life chasing adventures, avoiding responsibility and at the end – Spoiler alert – returning home, old and empty-handed. What a bummer – let´s hope this is not always the result when wandering aimlessly.

I spent a night at a shelter near Gåla, sharing it with a group of Danish motorbikers (yes, engines — not pedals!). A true test of two-wheeled tolerance. ?

On the last few kilometres before Lillehammer, I finally ticked the last thing on my Norway bucket list: Spotting an elk. The entire trip, Julia and I had been desperately on the lookout for elks hiding in the woods. And now this guy just jumped over a quiet, unexciting road and ran alongside me through the fields. I wanted to capture this moment for Julia and thought I was about to shoot the video of a lifetime… but, of course, I forgot to press record. All I ended up with was a close-up of my thigh. Classic.

Lillehammer was crowded with other bikepackers, as the “Mother North” – a self-supported 1000km gravel race with 16.000m of elevation gain – was about to kick off. I couldn´t help but thinking that some of the participants most likely ride on one day what Julia and I did in 9. 

But abstract metrics and benchmarks were not what our trip was about. We´d taken our time, immersing in the raw reality of nature and enjoying all the unexpected moments with wonderful people along our way. For sure, it won´t be the last time I´ll go through the effort of getting to the north. Bikepacking is the ultimate sense of freedom for me, and so far, nowhere in Europe have I felt it unfold quite as intensely as in the remoteness and wildness of Norway’s landscape.