Skip to main content

Day 13 - Nordkapp

Hi everyone,

So I did it!! 13 days after departing from Whitley Bay I arrived at Nordkapp, the top of Europe and as far North as you can go by motorbike.

I'm not really sure how to feel! It's amazing and I feel great but part of me can't actually believe I have done it!


Last night I was camped at Alta and while it's REALLY far North it was still a 4 hour ride to get up to Nordkapp. So I set off at 7.30am this morning to beat the rush.

The ride was great, twisty roads, bright sunshine however again the road was littered with reindeer, the mountain passes were more than cold, and I rode 15km worth of long, dark, and freezing tunnels.


I feel like my body is almost at breaking point. Usually on a 4 hour ride I wouldn't feel these things as much. But I'm no longer fresh and I'm feeling every bump, cold spot, and wind that comes my way. 


When I arrived at Nordkapp it took me a good 15minutea to take it in. I was here. The place of my dreams for the best part of 4 years. The place I had mentioned on every interview, every conversation with work colleagues, and what Kirsty probably feels like every hour for the last 14 months.




Before I darted straight to the metal globe which personifies Nordkapp, I went and read about Nordkapp's key role in WW2 navy convoys and pain my respects to the lost Allied sailors.

Then I went to globe and got my photo taken. As great as it was to reach the globe (it was great!) the moment that got me was looking out onto the Barents Sea, onto the Arctic Oceon. There was nothing between me and North Pole but water and ice... THAT was a great feeling.


I then did my tourists bits and informed social media of where I was. But after just sat outside for 20 minutes or so looking out onto the water. I have done it.

After that I then had the ride back. The start of my next journey... The journey home!

I had planned to get to Filnand before stopping but after such an early start and another 4 hours on the road by time I returned to Alta I was done!

I stopped at the same camp for the night, got myself a pizza to celebrate, and chilled out. 


Ride safe,

Gordon 

Popular posts from this blog

Suzuki GSX650F review

Hello there, And welcome to another edition of the Arctic Ride blog! My trip might be a distant memory (last year in fact) but there is still plenty to come from me both for Arctic Ride 2014 post trip (like this blog) and future adventures. I'm pleased to announce that earlier this week my blog reached 45,000 views which I am both pleased and humbled about. So with this blog I wanted to share my thoughts on the bike I rode on my ride to the Arctic this year, the Suzuki GSX650F. I've had many people ask me to review the bike and, well, here it is. My GSX 650F and I at the Arctic Circle in Norway As a background in my 9 years of riding I've ridden a smallish cross section of bikes, but I feel it has been enough for me to put some context behind my views on the GSX650F. An example of some of the bikes I have ridden include my first bike, Suzuki Marauder 125, a Yamaha Virago 535, Kawasaki ER5, SV650S, BMW LT 1200, Harley Davidson Street Glide 1800, and a Kawasaki ...
Read more

Why is the Dalton so dangerous?

Welcome to The Arctic Rider blog, Its now less than a year until I start my quest to conquer The Dalton Highway in Alaska, one of the worlds' most dangerous roads. The new 'Arctic Ride Alaska' poster I've still got a lot of planing to do and I've been working away in the background to get a lot of things firmed up, but I probably won't know the key parts of the trip, such as the exact dates I'll be going and the bike I'll be riding, until the Autumn. Anything I know before then I'll be staring with all you loyal readers of my blog. In this blog, I'll be covering why The Dalton Highway is so dangerous , and why I'm hoping you will share some of your very hard earned Pounds (and other currencies for non-UK readers) in exchange for the danger and suffering I'll be putting myself in next year. Firstly though, I must say a huge thanks to an unnamed Devitt Insurance employee who very kindly donated their employee-of-the month priz...
Read more

The Great Arctic Motorbike Challenge

Greetings! Thanks for checking out The Arctic Rider blog. Whilst I'm planning for my Alaska challenge next year (June 2018) I've also been letting my mind wonder into the future of The Arctic Rider post-Alaska... and, well, I think I've managed the build a monster that is going to keep me busy (and penniless) for a long time.. Introducing... THE GREAT ARCTIC MOTORBIKE CHALLENGE The Great Arctic Motorbike Challenge is a personal ambition to cross The Arctic Circle in every country possible by motorbike . I've set no time limit for this challenge. The land within the Arctic Circle is divided among eight countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the United States (Alaska), Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut) Denmark (Greenland), and Iceland (where it passes through the small offshore island of Grímsey). I'm currently sitting at 1 of 8. Lots of work to do... This is how I plan to complete it and become the undisputed Arctic Rider . ...
Read more