There is something magical about reaching the end of the world – these words are so trivial and yet so true. I love exploring the planet, and it was just a matter of time before the idea to travel all the way up would hit me. The first idea connected to this trip was to leave home, close the door and start cycling as far north as I could. But I quickly understood this was not realistic: living just 100 km north of Helsinki and given my pace, it would take me more than a month to reach the goal. As I was more interested in seeing the North than in exploring the surroundings, the decision was made in favor of the northern part of the initial plan.

Text and photos by Zhenya Popov

Plan and logistics 

Just a few months before the adventure, I knew I had 2 weeks, no equipment and no experience in long rides. There are plenty of stories of seasoned bikers, tough adventurers doing all kinds of crazy trips. For me, these 2 weeks were also about seeing my limits. No previous experience in multi-day bicycle trips. No expensive specialized bicycle. Just a regular person wanting to see a distant part of the world, where nature is more pure, where the number of reindeer is higher than the number of people and where civilization hasn’t yet brought all the good and bad it eventually will. 

Stage 1: Define the list of equipment needed but missing and start purchasing it. My biggest fear was whether I have enough warm clothes and waterproof bags so that I can actually sustain a wide range of weather conditions. Stepping ahead, I was so lucky with the weather that I didn’t even need some clothes I took with me. Still, having it made me feel much more confident.

Stage 2: Define the route. The plan was to take the VR train to the northernmost train station in Finland, Kolari. The initial idea was to cycle to North Cape (Europe’s northernmost road-accessible point, and “road-accessible” here matters, as the real northernmost point of continental Europe requires a 25 km tough one-way hike and was out of scope for this adventure). After reading a few reports from cyclists who went to the North Cape, I found out that there might be quite a lot of traffic (for the far north, of course). So, after some research, the final destination was set, Slettnes Lighthouse, in the far north of Norway.

On the way back, to avoid cycling the same road, I used transportation:

• Ferry from Mehamn to Hammerfest (9.5 hours, 87 euro for 1 person + 1 bike, no cabin)
• Bus from Hammerfest to Alta (around 30 euro, bike included)
• Transfer by http://polarstartravel.fi/en/ from Alta to Kolari (169 euro)
• Train back home (depends on where your home is!)

Some international travelers I met took the same ferry from Mehamn but headed to Tromsø instead, to reach its big airport with a good variety of flights (still, with a layover in Oslo).

From point A to point B it was mostly asphalt (due to the nature of my bike, and also because I hoped the roads would be empty enough here), with some gravel sections.

Let’s get the journey started!

All the preparations are behind, everything that could have been done was done and now is the time to relax and hope for the best! 

Night 1. 

Train to Kolari. VR has nice cabins to sleep in, which can be reasonably priced when booked in advance, but in my case adding a cabin to the booking added an extra 200 euro, so a chair it is! Despite my assumption that a train going so far north would be completely empty, it was full, so full that there were zero free seats in my coach. Nevertheless, I was able to get a few hours of sleep.

Day 2. 

The first pedal pushes felt surprisingly hard for someone who had never ridden with bags (20+ kilos in total). During the first few hundred meters I kept asking myself how I would be able to cycle like this, but the feeling got exponentially better, and after a couple of days you barely remember that there is extra weight behind. The landscapes were relatively similar to south and central Finland at this point, and only the endless number of reindeer reminded me that I was already fairly far north. First day, easy day. Around 40 km to the nearest campsite in Äkäslompolo. Pizza, beer in a local restaurant, and a night of good sleep.

As always, arriving in Lapland, seeing the first reindeer was special to me. I know there are loads of them in the region, I know I am guaranteed to see them, and still, seeing this funny and gentle animal for the first time always feels special.

Day 3. 76 km to Raattama. Going through Ylläs–Pallas National Park, one of the most visited parks in Finland. For those looking for more of a challenge, a small detour can be done to ride all the way up to Ylläs Tunturi. The views were getting really beautiful here, and the gravel road was easy enough to take even with my hybrid bike with 38mm wheels. The temperature stayed around 23–25°C these days, and I was so happy about the chance to swim in the countless lakes along the way!

Day 4. 76 km to Enontekio. Tomorrow I will cross the border! At this point I was already pretty annoyed with mosquitoes. Luckily, my waterproof jacket and pants turned out to be mosquito-proof as well, and the hat with a net helped a lot during lunch breaks and while setting up or packing down the camp.

Day 5. 80 km following E45 to Kautokeino. For me, it was the most boring and overall worst day of the trip. A highway with heavy traffic, trucks, and German campervans overtaking me every single minute, if not more often. However, at this point this was pretty much the only road in the area to cross the border between Finland and Norway. Some MTB alternatives might be available, but those are definitely not suitable for a road or hybrid bike. After crossing the border, the landscape changed pretty drastically, and now one could tell for sure that I am in the far north. Less forest, more wide open areas with some hills on the horizon. Rivers became wider and rougher. Welcome to Norway!

Day 6. 70 km. The first part following E45 was just as boring as yesterday, but after the turn towards Karasjok, the views became better and the traffic lighter. For some reason, at this point I almost never saw reindeer, even though they were plentiful just 50–100 km to the south, on the Finnish side.

Day 7-8. 67 km to Karasjok + rest day. I definitely recommend rest days for everyone, we are here to enjoy it after all! Karasjok is a nice little town: Sami parliament with free walking tours, nice views, and restaurants (well, at least 1 restaurant for sure). 

Day 9. 80 km to Lakselv. On the way I was overtaken by a few crazy-fast cyclists, and from them I learned that these days (end of July – start of August), the well-known adventure race NorthCape 4000 was taking place. People start from northern Italy and finish in North Cape, some of them doing it in less than 2 weeks! From the very start of this morning, I could see mountains far away, and I was getting closer to them pretty much the whole day. This was a day of wonderful mountain and fjord views! It was getting more and more beautiful every day as I moved north. Lakselv was probably the last big enough town for the next few days, so it was good to take the opportunity to resupply.

Day 10. 70 km cycling day. Today the views were also incredible, yet different from the ones I enjoyed yesterday. A major part of my path ran close to fjords, a truly incredible experience! This is exactly how I pictured myself in this region. Or maybe even a bit better. 

Day 11. 95 km ending with yet another random stop, my farthest distance traveled in a single day on this trip. I had been very lucky with the weather so far, but now Norway finally started acting like Norway, and I experienced some showers and colder temperatures along the way. It’s good to feel prepared though, and it can’t ruin my spirits! 

Day 12, a.k.a. Fog Day. 81 km to Gamvik. Everything above 50 meters was covered in heavy mist. It was cold, and all the views were hidden. The hills and mountains were also getting bigger, which meant more elevation gain. The most annoying part was sweating on the way up and then being completely frozen on the way down. I live in a pretty flat region, and climbing over 1000 meters a day is way more than I’m used to. Lesson learned: don’t skip hill training!

Day 13. Rest day in Gamvik.

Not much physical activity today, just 10 km to the lighthouse and back, a few walks around the area, the museum, and the remains of WWII German defence constructions. I used this day as an opportunity to reflect on the whole trip, think about what it has given me, and enjoy the feeling of being cut off from the rest of the world.

Days 14-16. Heading back to Mehamn to catch the ferry. Long way home.

The initial plan was to cycle around 65 km per day and have 1 rest day, but it happened that on average I did more, so I got a 2nd rest day! Rest days were the real highlight of the trip, giving me time to relax, pause, and stop thinking about survival things, instead focusing on rest and insights.

Such a trip is not for everyone. Along with endless summer days, breathtaking views, and a deep connection with nature, it also brings long hours of loneliness, physical exhaustion, and the need to handle whatever life puts in front of you. But isn’t that the very definition of adventure? Some will enjoy such a journey, others won’t, but everyone will bring something valuable back home.

Highlights

My own highlights (aka best places) of the trip:

• Sami Parliament
  Nice architecture, free walking tours a few times every weekday. A great chance to enjoy the view and learn something about local history and culture.
• Silfar Canyon (https://maps.app.goo.gl/uxnu4xKNVbihRhFz8)
  A mountain-like river with crystal-clear water. One of the prettiest water sources on the way.
• Gamvik
  A little village at the top of the world. It’s nice to spend 2 days here doing nothing. The Gamvik museum is worth a visit, but you might need to call the keeper. 
• Slettnes Lighthouse
  The goal of the whole adventure! It has a nice café and even a hotel on the premises. It’s possible to climb to the top of the working lighthouse for 6 euro – you just need to ask. It’s not obvious, as there are no signs about it anywhere.

Accomodation

In theory it’s possible to plan the whole trip to stay at some hotels, but this requires really good planning and very precise plan execution. I would definitely recommend having a tent and camping gear.

Shops

Big groceries are available in all the towns along the way. The biggest stretch with no supermarkets is at the very end, from Lakselv to Mehamn (225 km). There are a couple of smaller shops on the way, but their opening times are shorter, and the assortment is limited. Still, you can definitely buy something there. Also, on the Norwegian side, most, if not all, shops are closed on Sunday. It makes sense to carry a 2–3 day food stock with you.