After I had left my bike in Cape Town August 2015, I got a new bike from the garbidge which i fixed up. I tested it as commuting bike in winter time but decided to test it on a 3000 km trip during my vacation in July 2016. My plan was to explore southern South America from October 2016 until march 2017 and wanted to get some practice in similar landscape and conditions.
The trip was amazing with an epic scenery of high steep mountains, fjords, bridges and tunnels. Out of 646 pics in my dropbox today i chose about 70 with a little text around. If you want to see them all feel free to click on my dropbox but ask me before spreading them.
This is the first picture not far from Stockholm after the first night in my tent. You can see my 20 year old Monark Trekking with 21 speeds. One of my front panniers fell in pieces in Africa so I decided to just have the other one and attach it in the middle of the bicycle frame. To get more weight on the front wheel I attached two watterbottles on the fork.
In Sala (120 km NW of Stockholm) I met Stella and Dave who also planned to ride to Lofoten. We had different plans to visit some friends along the road so we decided to keep in touch and meet up somewhere some time.
By the way:
After I got home Stella had the idea that we could meet up on New Years Eve in Puerto Montt in Chile to ride together along the Careterra Australe during January 2017. So this is our plan right now. Careterra Australe is a 1200 km long unpaved scienc road through Patagonia, where you meet almost more touring bicyclists than cars. It is on the bucket list of every long distance bicyclist. So this is our plan now... But Stella does not ride all te way to Chile, she takes an aircraft from Stockholm.
In Falun, Dalarna I came to an area where it had been hailig some minutes before
It was a strange feeling to ride through a white landscape in July
In Hälsingland I enjoyed the freedom with my life in nature!
I had a little problem with my knees. The first day my right knee ached but the pain disappeared day two. The same day my left knee started to ache. As the pain would not dissappear after a week I decided to cut off my wooly stockings and used a part around my aching knee. After some hours my
pain dissappeared!
In Östersund for the first time I saw the snowy mountain Åreskutan.
Here you can see it a little closer.
Between Åre and the Norwegian border I visited Tännforsen, Swedens largest waterfall
At the border to Norway there was nothing but a sign.
Soon for the first time I saw the Trondheim Fjord.
Close to the fjord I spent the night in my tent.
Next day I had some showers of rain.
The scenery was beautiful!
At resting areas I watched Norwegians filleng their waterbottles directly from the rivers.
One night I found a nice shelter at a resting area close to a lake. I decided not to sleep in my tent but to watch the scenery through the night.
Half an hour before midnight the colours of the sky changed to pink!
Soon I arrived in Mosjoen, i nice little town in the beginning of a fjord.
One night I found a nice shelter at a resting area close to a lake. I decided not to sleep in my tent but to watch the scenery through the night.
Half an hour before midnight the colours of the sky changed to pink!
Soon I arrived in Mosjoen, i nice little town in the beginning of a fjord.
Somehow I had the feeling to be mooved back in time... I decided to leave route E6 and take the famous route 17 which goes close to the coast over fjords, bridges, tunnels and ferries.
The mountains became steeper and steeper.
And beneath the glacier Svartisen the water was coloured turquoise.
It was very beautiful!
At one place I stopped one hour or so and watched seagulls hunting fish.
Many of the houses had grass on the roofes
At one place I stopped one hour or so and watched seagulls hunting fish.
Many of the houses had grass on the roofes
I loved the landscape!
And I always found nice spaces for my tent.
The mountans were giant..
...and the road made long bents around every fjord.
I met many touring bicyclists along the road.
The most remarkable meeting was when I overtook a German family. When I passed them I heard a dog barking from their closed trailer. I asked if they had only a dog in their trailer or even a baby? The guy answered "We have three dogs in our trailer!"
And I always found nice spaces for my tent.
The mountans were giant..
...and the road made long bents around every fjord.
I met many touring bicyclists along the road.
The most remarkable meeting was when I overtook a German family. When I passed them I heard a dog barking from their closed trailer. I asked if they had only a dog in their trailer or even a baby? The guy answered "We have three dogs in our trailer!"
Soon after that meeting I came to Bodö
Ther was a festival week for wooden ships
My plan was to take a ferry to Lofoten and was not the only touring bicyclist on the ferry.
The ferry brought me to the outermost island of Lofoten peninsula.
Ther was a festival week for wooden ships
My plan was to take a ferry to Lofoten and was not the only touring bicyclist on the ferry.
The ferry brought me to the outermost island of Lofoten peninsula.
It was beautiful but it rained a lot.
Finaly I in the village Å I found a shelter from the strong western wind and the heavy rain: An old fisk drying factory. The only bad thing was the seagulls. They hunted fish and screamed hysterically all through the night.
This was the view from my tent.
And this as well
Finaly I in the village Å I found a shelter from the strong western wind and the heavy rain: An old fisk drying factory. The only bad thing was the seagulls. They hunted fish and screamed hysterically all through the night.
This was the view from my tent.
And this as well
Next morning I dried my clothes in the warm bacary in Å.
Despite the rain I decided to climb a mountain not far from Å and had company that day with a very nice couple from Texas.
Here are som pics from the mountain.
In the afternoon I went back to the ferry to meet Dave and Stella from Stockholm, who I had met in Sala.
Together we rode to Fredvang, where we spent the night in our tents.
Next morning we went over a mountain to come to a famous beautiful bay called Kvalvika.
It is famous because the waves are good for surfers. And of course because it is very beautiful.
We found a lot of tents amongst the grazing sheep down at the beach.
The sand had different colours and the waves mixed them in a beautiful pattern
Finally we found the cabin built of the surfers who med the documentary "North of the sun"
They built it out of drift wood and garbidge they found on the beach.
They lived here for eight months which means even partly through the polar night.
Now it is open for everyone...
... who wants to stay for a rest or some nights.
We rested a little and then we went back to our bikes.
Here are som pics from the mountain.
In the afternoon I went back to the ferry to meet Dave and Stella from Stockholm, who I had met in Sala.
Together we rode to Fredvang, where we spent the night in our tents.
Next morning we went over a mountain to come to a famous beautiful bay called Kvalvika.
It is famous because the waves are good for surfers. And of course because it is very beautiful.
We found a lot of tents amongst the grazing sheep down at the beach.
The sand had different colours and the waves mixed them in a beautiful pattern
Finally we found the cabin built of the surfers who med the documentary "North of the sun"
They built it out of drift wood and garbidge they found on the beach.
They lived here for eight months which means even partly through the polar night.
Now it is open for everyone...
... who wants to stay for a rest or some nights.
We rested a little and then we went back to our bikes.
We rode east towards Narvik.
The mountains around were like taken from paintings.
The mountains around were like taken from paintings.
And I met many more touring bicyclists.
Finally the clouds dissapeared
and the weather became really nice
Finally the clouds dissapeared
and the weather became really nice
I took a several ferries
and enjoyed nice views
One evening I met my friend Fred from France
Together we rode the last day towards Narvik
It was one of the best days on my trip.
Isn´t that a nice mountain?
and isn´t that a nice fjord?
Finally we reached the bay of Narvik, where we found a nice place for our tents.
Next day I continued towards the Swedish border alone.
It was probably the hotest day of the year for the area, locally about 30 degrees. So I was very happy to find a waterfall in the 30km uphill...
and enjoyed nice views
One evening I met my friend Fred from France
Together we rode the last day towards Narvik
It was one of the best days on my trip.
Isn´t that a nice mountain?
and isn´t that a nice fjord?
Finally we reached the bay of Narvik, where we found a nice place for our tents.
Next day I continued towards the Swedish border alone.
It was probably the hotest day of the year for the area, locally about 30 degrees. So I was very happy to find a waterfall in the 30km uphill...
...to the swedish border.
There I also was able to take a bath in a field of snow.
There I also was able to take a bath in a field of snow.
At Stortäsket in Abisko National Park I made a hike on a mountain.
Then I rode some more kilometers
To the entrance of a long hiking trail called Kungsleden.
I started early next morning and hiked 13 km south and back again.
Then I rode trowards Kiruna and further to Umeå
In Umeå I decided to make a little detour to Vasa, Finland by ferry.
From Vasa it is only 350 km to Turku (Åbo)
from where I took a ferry back to Stockholm.
In Stockholm I went back to work and worked some months until the middle of October.
Then I took my bike again and started my trip to South America.
Today I am resting in my Köln in my sisters house. It took me 11 days to ride here, you can read more about them in my next post. If you follow me on Facebook you will learn to know earlier!
In Stockholm I went back to work and worked some months until the middle of October.
Then I took my bike again and started my trip to South America.
Today I am resting in my Köln in my sisters house. It took me 11 days to ride here, you can read more about them in my next post. If you follow me on Facebook you will learn to know earlier!
Here you can see a map. The part between Mosjoen and Bodö is not exact. I rode closer to the coast but that was to complicated for Google Maps. I also chose another route between Kiruna and Umeå.
