The Arctic Rider

Hello, Wow, how is it day 14 of this trip already! That 2/3 of my trip done. On one hand it feels like only a few days ago I had my great send off from the lighthouse! But at the same time when I speak to Kirsty it feels like I've been on the road 2 months, not 2 weeks! This morning I took the exec decision to head South via Norway rather than the planned route through Sweden and Finland. This was taken due to the weather. Norway was forecast to be dry and sunny, the other route thunderstorms for 2 days. Even though the Sweden/Finland route is the know 'quicker' one and I'm on a time limit to get home, I knew I could make better time and enjoy it more if I went through Norway. I consulted Kirsty and some Dutch bikers I met at the Alta campsite and came to the decision. A key factor was also my love of Norway. Easily the best country in mainland Europe :P This route would mean 3 BIG days down to Trondhiem to keep on schedule. So I got an early start and was on the road b...

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...

Hey! Welcome to Day 12 of my Arctic Ride blog. I've been on the road so long now I'm forgetting the week days and the day numbers of my trip! I arrived in Alta about 7pm and set up camp for the night next to a fjord with some Dutch and German bikers next to me. It's obvious I'm getting close to Nordkapp as the number of tourists is rocketing and campsites are getting full. This morning, with a heavy heart, I said goodbye to the amazing city of Tromsø (don't worry, I'll be back), and my hosts and new friends. It was great to get back on the bike after a rest day and I felt fully refreshed. Making use of the local knowledge, Geir suggested I take the scenic route East via the Lyngen Alps, and my it was worth the detour. Geir and Anniken road the first 30 miles with me to my first (quick) ferry, which was great fun. I then spent the next few hours riding and stoping frequently in awe of the high mountains which were simply stunning. As I carried onto Alta I passed ...

Hi everyone, Welcome to the Day 11 blog of Arctic Ride 2014! So I'm at the half way point of my adventure now and I scheduled in a rest day. I've ridden nearly 3,000miles in 10 days and it has taken its toll on my body and my mind, so my rest day is to recharge my batteries and just be off the bike. Luckily I'm staying with Geir and his family in Tromsø meaning that I have had my own personal tour guides for the day. My first stop was Tronsø's famous cable car which, once at the top, gives the best view of the island city. 🚡 The weather was again marvellous with little wind and about 25 degrees in the sun. I've truely been blessed with the weather here in Norway on the first part of my trip. And long may it continue. After the cable car I took a tour of the city centre by car before heading out to the surrounding fjords and a nice stop at a beach (yes they have beaches, yes they are awesome).  With snow capped mountains in the background this was easily in my top 5...

Hi everyone, Day 10's blog is here. That's me at the halfway point of my trip and I've still got two days riding until I reach Nordkapp!! Norway is one biiiig country! I arrived at tea time in Tromso, the Paris of the North, to nice weather and light traffic. Although, for my readers from the UK, on route into the city centre I went into a tunnel to discover a roundabout. An underground tunnel roundabout! I very much wasn't expecting that and nearly shat myself when bombing through the tunnel. I set off this morning from my camping site with a quick detour into town to visit a WW2 museum. I'm into my WW2 history but had no idea what went on during Germany's 5 year occupation of Norway. To sum up, it was pretty much the same as everywhere else except the German's couldn't hack the arctic, unlike me :) I stopped for a quick bite of lunch (Gouda sandwich, chocolate, and a banana) before hitting the road for Tromso. With every mile I rode I was getting furth...

Hi everyone! Wow, Day 9 is done and dusted already! Where are the days going?! I'm currently set up camp outside the town of Narvik in Northern Norway. My day started by saying goodbye to my hosts and getting back onto the E6, The Arctic Highway. I set up for the day with a brunch of coffee, pizza slice, and petrol (for the bike of course). The morning brought me my first proper rain in a week and, to be honest, it's not much fun riding twisty roads in the wet. My only respite came in the form of tunnels, and lots of them. I must have ridden a dozen tunnels on the Arctic Highway today, and they were anything from a few hundred metres to 6,7,8 km long. And they're not like the tunnels back in the UK. The tunnels here are dark, wet, and narrow. After riding in the rain for a good hour and no sign of blue skies at all, I entered a long tunnel and was thinking of taking a break to let the worst of the weather pass. I then came out of the tunnel in a different fjord to the one I...

Hi everyone, Welcome to Day 8 of my Arctic Ride blog! I can't believe I've been on the road 1 week and I'm still not turning around yet! Most bikes trips last for a few days so it's weird to still be travelling North. I started my day departing my cosy cabin in Nesna on the West coast before riding another stunning mountain pass through to Mo I Rana to meet Hallvard. One thing I have noticed as I travel further North is that the roads are getting harder and harder to ride. As they get smaller, the surface becomes poorer, and more gravel enters the scene. A few times this morning I felt the back end start to go on the gravel so I had to ease up and adjust my position. I headed to Mo I Rana to meet my friends and guides Hallvard, Roy, and Aud who rode with me yesterday. We started the day by having a coffee and a bite at a cafe that Hallvard said I would like the name of... Bimbo's... Maybe it means something different in Norwegian. I knew I was going to be heading in...