Biking through Norway to the North Cape: Chapter 2

From Tromsø to the North Cape

On Wednesday, June 25th, I get up at 5:00 a.m. after a wonderful night's sleep, do some final work on my bike, and repack my panniers. Then I have breakfast.

I set off at 7:30 a.m. and first have to cross the high bridge again and over the hills of Tromsø, then over another high bridge until, after an hour and a lot of energy spent, I finally reach the start of my stage. The road leads through the suburbs of Tromsø and, with a fresh headwind, there are many uphill and downhill sections, making it a challenging ride. The E6, where the route continues, is fraught with traffic.

At 10 a.m., I take an hour-long break to eat in my bivouac bag on a small patch of grass, as the grass is wet and there's a light drizzle. From the turnoff from the E6 to the ferry to Breivikeidet, it's mostly uphill, but at least I'm no longer facing a headwind. At around 2 p.m., I take a lunch break at a spot where I am plagued by small biting flies from the outset. And then it starts to rain heavily, so I hastily pack everything up, put on my rain gear, and finish eating. Not only the rain, but also the cold wind and the mountains covered in snow far below impressively show me that I am in Arctic latitudes beyond 70 degrees north. At 3:30 p.m., I'm on the ferry, where I drink coffee in the warm lounge.

Info: Ferries that connect two roads across the sea are usually free of charge for all users.

With renewed energy and a tailwind, I continue on National Road 91. The sky is getting darker and darker, with only the distant mountain peaks catching the sun. The wind blows coldly down from the snow-capped mountains. Only the exertion of cycling and my rain gear keep me warm. Around 6 p.m., I reach the next ferry. After about 10 minutes, the ship arrives (Picture 1) and takes on an entire tanker truckload of fuel, so we don't reach the other side until 7:20 p.m. Because of the strong, cold north wind, I'm quite cold by now, so I head to the campsite at the pier, where I rent a simple cabin (Picture 4), as it's too cold for me in my tent with my sleeping bag, which is only warm enough to 10°C. After a hot shower and settling in, I eat, chat with a Swiss man camping who's cycled everywhere since May 1st, and send a WhatsApp message to my family. I go to bed at 11 p.m., but have a bit of trouble falling asleep. I've cycled 100 km in over seven hours, but because of the detours, I've only managed half of the stage I'd planned for the first day.

When I get up briefly at midnight, I see that the sun is shining, so I go outside and see the midnight sun rising above the road along Lynger Fjord. A magnificent sight I've dreamed of for 65 years.