Crossing Norway In One Day – The Goldilocks Route
December 4, 2024
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It’s 10:00 at night, 19 hours since we began at a quiet Swedish border—a world away from the scene before us now. The wind howls
Story by Kevin Whitely (March 2023).
After 5 months in the hospital (with the aid of the most wonderful physiotherapists) I was able to walk out of the hospital, albeit on crutches. Before my Spinal Cord Injury, I used to cycle a lot, my average being about 70 miles per day, though sometimes up to 120. I wanted to cycle again and was eventually able to do so by riding a woman’s bicycle (I can’t raise my leg high enough to get on my usual bike (a Raleigh Royal) because of the top tube.
It was wonderful! I cycled roughly 20 miles a day (about 30km) and they were good miles. Each day I got to see different places. I went back to Flam, and from there I picked a route to the Atlantic Road Bridge. From there I went northwards through the islands to the Lofoten area, up to Tromso, then Alta, and eventually to Nordkapp.
I saw a mixture of everything. There were roads that went on and on but those roads always had wonderful views as compensation. There were some very long tunnels I sometimes had to brace myself to enter, but as I went further north, the tunnels became quite fun to go through as there were fewer cars.
I saw so many mountains, some of which I cycled over. There were wonderful fjords, the odd glacier, a cold, fresh feel in the air, and the odd signpost that led me further north. Island hopping was a fun thing to do. Each island was different, with its own personality, and on each island, I found a new piece of Norway I hadn’t seen before. There were remote areas to cycle in and one time I must have been very remote as there was a period of 15 days before I saw another cyclist.
There were times when I bumped into other cyclists, some heading my way, some heading south, and when we both stopped in the middle of a quiet road to chat, I knew I was meeting someone who was just as pleased with their journey as I was. Tips were passed between the two of us, such as where to camp and what to see.
For me, cycling has always been what I call my meditation time. When I am cycling, no matter what problems I feel there are, they were always sorted out by the end of the day. Cycling through wonderful scenery, meeting such friendly people, and wild camping at night in amazing locations was such an enjoyable thing to do.
I knew the whole trip was important to me. There were times when it was difficult when I cursed Norway and every Norse god I could think of, but those curses lasted only a minute or so. In general, the whole trip was enjoyable. When I finally approached Nordkapp- the most northerly point your bike can take you- and I physically saw the complex it was more emotional than I’d expected it to be. While I had thought it would just be a point to reach, I found it to have more significance than I had expected. There was a real sense of achievement.
I stayed at Nordkapp for a few days as I had made such an effort to get there, and that wasn’t the end of the journey. From there I ventured west into the Finnmark region. It was more of Norway to explore and cycling from Vardo down to Kauntokeino was just a bonus. It was a wonderful end to a trip that was important to me.
I cycled about 3,000 miles (about 5,000 km) over the course of 105 days. I had seen the most wonderful sights, had met the friendliest people I have ever known, and I felt so much better than I had 3 months before, both physically and mentally. Norway is a place that is inside me and will always stay that way.
The trip helped me in my recovery after being paralyzed from the neck down and it still continues to do so. Each time I dig out my diary I have memories of what those particular places were like.
I will be back in Norway later this year, exploring the south of Bergen, a place I missed last time, and I am expecting that area to be just as wonderful as my northerly trip had been.
It’s 10:00 at night, 19 hours since we began at a quiet Swedish border—a world away from the scene before us now. The wind howls
This story begins, as many great ideas do, over a beer. The year was 2012, and Norway was celebrating the 50th anniversary of Rondane, its
Text and Photos by Gjermund Gustavsen – Part 2 of 2 (Part 1 here) Picking up where yesterday left off, I continue my unpredictable journey
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