Tour de Laponie in English

15.-28.7.2023, Ivalo – Inari – Sevettijärvi – Pykeijä – Annijoki – Ekkeröy – Vadsö - Vardö – Hamningberg – Vardö – Havoysund – Olderfjord – Lakselv – Karigasniemi – Tanssijoki – Kaamanen – Ivalo, 1133 km. 

A couple in their fifties on their first longer cycling trip. This text was written with the idea that, based on our experiences, someone might get inspired to cycle in Lapland or elsewhere, or that someone planning a trip to those regions might get some practical tips from the writings. Considering our age, we are in good physical shape, but neither of us has any cycling or other endurance sports background. So readers can assess the suitability of the experiences for themselves.

P.s. the title joke comes from the fact that the 2023 Tour de France was held at the same time as we were traveling, and the evening entertainment was to watch the Tour de France highlights from Youtube on our phone in the tent or in the room.

 

Far before the trip

The dream of a bike trip to Norwegian Lapland, and especially to the Varangian Fjord region, had been brewing for years before it came true. In addition to the landscapes and nature, we were also interested in the history of the area: the waves of Finns migrating to Norway from Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu in the 18th and 19th centuries. What would the still partly Finnish-speaking villages of Varangian be like? And it would be great to swim in the Arctic Ocean!

 

The main destination of the trip was the Varang Fjord. It was tempting to plan a circuit and use as many new roads as possible rather than driving the same roads back and forth. Since it is not really possible to go for a loop from the northern end of the Varang Fjord, and Hamningberg is more or less a dead end for hikers, we ended up combining the trip with a short Hurtigruten ferry connection.  The initial idea for the return route was to get off the ferry in Honningsvåg and visit Nordcap, but the tunnels on the E69 road didn't really appeal, so we ended up choosing the next stop, Havoysund, as our destination. (We only later discovered that the Havoysund - Russelv road has been named one of the most beautiful stretches of road in Norway.) We had also heard that the road along the Tenjoki River on the Finnish side was particularly beautiful and popular with cyclists, so we wanted to include it in the trip, even though a shorter route from Karigasniemi to Kaamasen would have been possible.

With these plans, we already accumulated so many kilometers that it was not possible to start cycling from the very south of Finland. We ended up choosing Ivalo airport as the starting and ending point of the trip and flying from Helsinki to Lapland as the mode of travel. Another way of traveling with the kids would have been by train to Rovaniemi and by bus to Ivalo, for example, but due to the limited vacation days, flying was a more attractive option. The good thing about the train-bus (in addition to being ecological) would have been that it would save you the hassle of unpacking, packing and assembling the bikes.

 

One day before departure

The day before the actual start went pretty smoothly in packing our things and bikes. For transporting the bikes on the plane, we had one hard-shell B&W transport bag and another soft-shell Evoc bag. The tires, pedals, handlebars and stem were removed and the saddle was in the low position, nothing special. Both bags were perfectly functional and the bikes arrived intact. So, a really workable solution is to travel longer distances by plane, if the disassembly and assembly of the bike goes smoothly. Of course, there are additional charges for the bikes to Finnair (64€/bike/way) and for storing the bags for two weeks at Ivalo airport to Finavia (20€ in total).

We packed the rest of our equipment in our backpacks, frame bags and saddlebags. A list of necessary (or less necessary) items helped us with packing, and by iterating according to the estimated necessity, we then eliminated the items that could not be included. The original plan was to use only commercial accommodation services, but we ended up taking a tent, sleeping bags and mats for security and flexibility. However, we did not take cooking utensils, partly due to the need for space, partly because we could not find gas bottles for our Campingaz gadgets in Inari, and the planes do not carry gas.
At the end of the text some more thoughts about necessary (and unnecessary) equipment.

We made a mistake when packing that we hadn't noticed the 23 kg weight limit for bicycles in the Finnair ticket information, and I had also packed frame and saddle bags and other things in another carry-on bag. The weight limit was quickly exceeded, and that cost us an extra 64€. (We were wiser on the return trip and only packed the bikes in the carry-on bags, which meant we barely stayed within the limit.)

Day 1: Ivalo airport – Inari, 55 km

Morning flight to Ivalo, departure at 6:00. On Saturday morning, the alarm clock rang at 3:30 and at 4 we left for the airport. Two bike bags won't fit in a regular car, so we had to be a bit nervous about what would happen with the Uber we ordered. The station wagon and helpful driver just managed to fit our luggage and us tourists in, and there were no problems with our luggage at Helsinki airport (apart from exceeding the weight limit).

 

At the Ivalo airport we assembled our bikes and other stuff.

 

We set off towards Inari after nine. The weather was nice, calm and partly cloudy. Shorts and thin shirts were fine.

 

The road between the villages of Ivalo and Inari turned out to be very beautiful. The magnificent lake landscapes and the majestic fells in the background followed one another, and the journey was easy thanks to the tailwind.

 

Reindeer were occasionally seen on the roadsides. There was quite a lot of traffic, but cars generally left plenty of space when passing, and there was no sense of danger.

 

In Myössäjärvi we stopped at the Karhunpesäkivi café. Many tourists had stopped at the café, in cars, camper vans, trailers and a German tourist bus. We seemed to be the only cyclists. Otherwise, we met quite a few cyclists at the beginning of the trip. Food and pastries would have been available at the café, but we had enough coffee and our own lunch.

At Karhunpesäkivi we also climbed the stairs to the viewpoint to admire the scenery. In addition to the beautiful weather, a pleasant surprise was the lack of mosquitoes.

The distance to the village of Inari was only a little over 10 km.

After arriving in Inari, we first went to see the Jäniskoski rapids.

 

Next we visited the Siida Museum, which presents a wide range of information about the nature, history and different Sámi cultures of Northern Lapland. The museum was interesting and comprehensive, and there would have been enough to see for several hours. A good introduction to the trip, as we were travelling to many important regions for the Sámi.

In the village of Inari, we stayed at the Wilderness Hotel Juutua, located in beautiful surroundings, and had a wonderful dinner at its award-winning Aanaar restaurant. This was the fine dining part of the trip. A really good experience, they know their stuff. The fish was good, the flavors were balanced in the portions and the presentation was great. The Forest Garden vegetarian menu was even innovative.  The sleep tasted good, since we had only slept a few hours the night before.

 

Day 2: Inari – Sevettijärvi, 114 km

After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we set off in a tailwind and sunshine towards Sevettijärvi. The Sevettijärvi road, which is in good condition and narrower and more winding than the E75, was very pleasant to drive, as there was considerably less traffic. There were no cafes, shops or restaurants, but we stopped a couple of times to eat snacks bought from the shop in the Inari village. There were plenty of beautiful lake views, but the beaches at the beginning of the journey were mainly privately owned, so there were few scenic stopping places.

However, we finally found a nice resting place by the bridge along a smaller road near Käyräniemi.

 

We also stopped later at the beautiful beach of the small Nitsijärvi camping area. The camping owners welcomed us warmly to eat some snacks and swim, even though we weren't coming as customers.

Closer to Sevettijärvi there were many nice sandy beaches on smaller clear-water lakes. Nice places to stop, and it would have been possible to camp there too if we had brought cooking utensils.

 

 

Now, however, we had to continue towards the Sevet bar, which was the only chance for a proper meal. There we ate a veggie burger and reindeer stew with mashed potatoes. The food was tasty and it was a nice surprise that there was also a vegan option available.

 

 

We stayed in a small cabin at Sevetinharju Camping. A peaceful and functional place, and everything you need was available in the area, i.e. showers, toilets, etc. The cabin also had cooking utensils.

 

We also went for an evening walk around Lake Sevettijärvi (there were quite enough mosquitoes this time).

 

 

 

Day 3: Sevettijärvi – Pykeija, 120 km

The first encounter of the morning was reindeer in the water at the corner of the Sevettijärvi cottage.

 Coffee and "porridge" for breakfast.

After breakfast we set off from Sevettijärvi towards Pykeija. North of Sevettijärvi the area becomes rockier and the views from the road are even more beautiful. Along the roads we could see varying bog landscapes and sand ridges as well as various types of devil's field and fragmented rock.

 

In Näätämö we went to the store to buy snacks, for the last time at Finnish prices: apples, chips, raisins and protein bars.

The border crossing was done by driving. Soon the scenery on the Norwegian side became more rugged. On the descent to the Neiden rapids, the hair was flowing and the brakes were put to a real test for the first time.

Our intention was to have lunch in Neiden, but both of the eateries we had looked at on Google Maps were closed. At this point, food or coffee would have been more than enough. Since we couldn't find any open cafes, we headed to the Neiden Skolt Sámi Museum, which turned out to be very well organized and we learned more about the Skolts' history and culture, as well as the geology of the area. And there we got coffee and cookies! As for food, the only thing that helped was to endure Näätämö's protein bars until Pykeija.

 

After Neiden, the scenery really started to change. One rugged mountain and one fjord after another. And for pedaling, that meant some hills. What goes up must come down. The good thing about long uphills is that they promise fast downhills. The descent to the shore of the Arctic Ocean was especially amazing.

 

Since it was our first time in the Arctic Ocean, we had to get it right away. We went for a swim at the first sandy beach. Pretty refreshing!

The road to Pykeija was even more hilly. When we got there, we were really hungry and went to eat at the Pykeija bistro. The fresh fish soup, the artfully prepared kapakala(dried cod) and the vegetarian option (baked potato with vegetable filling) were delicious.

After eating, we went looking for a place to pitch a tent, and a nice one was found on the shore of the Arctic Ocean, next to our previous swimming spot, about 10 km back from Pykeija.

 

At the Skoltefossen waterfalls in Neidenelva, we saw Atlantic salmon (that's what the wiser wilderness visitors there showed us from the water) and smaller sea trout (or humpback salmon?) rising and making amazing jumps.

Day 4: Pykeija – Annijoki, 82 km

The morning dawned sunny. We set up the tent and headed towards the Annijoki River.

The southern side of the Varangian Fjord continued to be mountainous, with long hills and tight turns. In cyclo-cross, it sometimes felt like the gears were running out of their limits in the small end. The weather turned rainier when we got to Varangerbotn for lunch at the Capri restaurant. On the recommendation of the host, we both ate pasta (reindeer and vegetable pasta). The food was good and the Sardinian couple who owned it were super friendly. After eating, we stayed in the restaurant to wait out the rain. After about half an hour of waiting, the rain had stopped and we continued our journey towards Annijoki.

Rest of the day was alternating sun and rain, at times both at the same time.

The northern side of the fjord was a more leisurely ride, a smoother, more beautiful road, small villages and farms. On the way, we stopped at the Sámi Museum and walked a few kilometers outside, along which the sites of Sámi Stone Age settlements were presented. We did not go inside the museum.

The open-air museum also had a reconstructed peat-roofed hut, or kammi.

In Annijoki we stayed at a B&B called Varangertunet. The house next to the main building had cooking facilities and we were able to fill up our energy reserves with a ready-made casserole made with soy grits. There was also a washing machine and dryer, so we could do our laundry.

 

Day 5: Annijoki – Ekkeröy – Vadsö, 52 km

Breakfast at Varangertunet was varied and tasty. When we left, we chatted for a long time with the nice hostess. We got tips on where to stop, learned about the Kvens and the Sami and Russian influences in the area, the Finnish families in the villages, and the nature of Varanger.

The weather turned more unstable at this point, and we decided to continue only as far as Vadsö/Vesisaari.

However, we were excited to drive a little further to the fishing village of Ekkeroy, a bird island. We walked a 7 km nature trail with steep cliffs in places, where we saw many birds and the area's vegetation, guided by information boards. A recommended destination.

There were also plenty of holm oaks on the island of Ekkeroy. They weren't ripe, but tourists wouldn't have been allowed to pick them.

For lunch we drove about 15 km back to Vadsø. We ate salmon and kapakala at the traditional lunch restaurant Påls Matoppleddinger. After lunch we checked into the barren, but perfectly functional Vadsø Fjordhotel.

After drinking coffee and changing clothes, we immediately set off on our bikes to Nattfjelldalen, which is located at the southern end of Varangerhalvøya National Park. To get to the parking lot where the hiking trail to Nattfjell Waterfall started, we had to ride about 5 km uphill on a dirt road. We walked a relatively flat hiking trail, but in a strong headwind for 5 km, after which our jacket was so empty that we decided to turn back. The trail would have continued for another 4 km to the waterfall. The Nattfjelldalen valley was quite beautiful, but since we didn't make it to the waterfall, it was probably not worth the effort.

Before going to the hotel, we went to eat in Vadsø at a restaurant called Moella Bar og Spiseri. Not all of the dishes were available, and there was no vegetarian option on the menu, but the chef conjured up a delicious vegetarian curry for us at our request. The second dish we ordered was (again) kapakala, which was also quite tasty.

Päivä 6: Vadsö – Vardö, 81 km

The morning was rainy and the wind had picked up from the previous day. We knew that it would be a tough day ahead, as we would have to get to Vardø/Vuoreija now if we were going to have time to visit Hamningberg, which many of us had met on the way, before the ferry trip.

Before leaving, we also visited the National Museum of the Kvens/Norwegian Finns. The museum was quite interesting; the history of immigration, the culture of the Kvens, and the thoughts of the Finnish and Sámi descendants, presented well in videos.

We left the museum at +8 degrees, 10 m/s headwind, and rain towards Vardø.

There were few covered rest areas between Vadsø-Vardø, so we had to find our own rain shelters.

The only rest area that offered indoor facilities was, as a surprise, a café in a camping area that mainly caters to fishing tourists, where we stopped for a few lire. The café would have offered hamburgers and other salty food, but we only had coffee and traditional Norwegian waffles.

As we approach Vardø, the nature becomes more rugged and the vegetation stunted. The only tundra areas in continental Europe besides Russia are found in the northern parts of Varang.

About 12 km before Vardø, we stopped at the beautiful village of Kiberg, from where a gravel path started up to the easternmost point of the Norwegian mainland.

Our trip didn't take us to Nordkapp, but we did go to Östkapp (East Cape). The scenery was magnificent. Highly recommended.

The biggest unpleasant surprise of the trip came just before Vardø. To get to Vardø, we had to drive through a 3 km long underwater tunnel. Google maps or others did not warn us about this. Quite an unpleasant experience due to the noise in the tunnel, the poor air quality and the steep climb for the last 1 km.

On the island, we stayed at the Vardø Hotel, which we liked. The dinner at the hotel restaurant was good and the staff was helpful. We got good advice for our trip to Hamningberg the next day.

Day 7: Vardö – Hamningberg – Syltevikvatnet, 52 km

From Vardö we wanted to go to Hamningberg, which many people praise. We just didn't feel like going through the tunnel a second time. So we had to figure out how to get the bikes to the mainland. We got really friendly service from the tourist information and the hotel reception.

It turned out that the local bus also takes bikes. Returning the next day, Saturday, was still a problem, because there were no buses. However, we managed to arrange a pick-up with the owner of the local souvenir shop. In a small village, things are handled a bit more unofficially.

So we took the local bus through a tunnel under the sea and then cycled towards Hamningberg. The weather was a bit better than the previous day, meaning the wind had died down a bit, it wasn't raining, or it was raining lightly, and sometimes the sun even peeked out from behind the clouds. The trip from Vardø to Hamningberg was truly amazing, perhaps the most amazing 40 km of our trip.

A good narrow road following the seashore, with pleasant undulations and a few larger hills. There was little traffic, and since the road is only one car wide, cars drove calmly and almost stopped when they encountered a cyclist.

The scenery was amazing during the whole trip.

Closer to Hamningberg, the huge piles of rocks were like something from another world. We had to take breaks to take photos all the time.

There wasn't much traffic on the narrow roads, but there were many users. In addition to sheep, there were many reindeer.

The road ends in Hamningberg.

In Hamningberg we drove straight to the only open business in the area, the café at the Riisebruket apartment hotel. They offered lunch food, such as fish & chips. Perhaps the taste and price didn't match this time.

After lunch, we went to marvel the misty seascapes of Hamningberg.

Next we started looking for a place to camp. We had received a tip that there would be some nice places a little further away, near Lake Syltevikvatnet. First 5 km back from Hamningberg and then 4 km on a dirt road along the beautiful riverbed of Sandfjordelva as far as the road would allow.

After setting up the tent, we went for a walk. Our intention was to walk along the lake to the shore of the Arctic Ocean, but the weather and terrain started to change to a wetter direction, and after about an hour of walking we turned back. Our shoes got really wet there and it probably got a bit chilly. Luckily, the tent stayed dry, even though it drizzled all night.

 

Day 8: Syltevikvatnet – Vardö, 42 km

The day dawned cloudy, but rainless. We cycled back to Vardø on the same wonderful road. We had arranged a car ride through the tunnel for two. In Vardø we went to the Spice up restaurant for some good Indian food and a café next door for dessert.  

There were still a few hours before the Hurtigruten ferry departed. We visited the Pomor Museum, housed in an old harbor warehouse, which presented the history of the region from Norwegian connections and trade with the Russians. The small museum was quite interesting, but not modern in any way and quite limited in terms of both older history and recent decades.

We also took a two-kilometer scenic tour, along which there is an impressive monument to the 17th-century witch hunts in Vardö. On the walls of the long corridor, information and "crimes" of 91 people, mainly Sámi, who were burned at the stake as witches have been collected.

At 7 pm we boarded the MS Richard With ferry and set off towards Havoysund.

Day 9: Havoysund – Olderfjord, 90 km

The breakfast buffet on the ferry was expensive, but plentiful and diverse. In a bit of a rush, we fueled up for the day, as is the custom at buffets, which is to say, too much.

The ferry was in Havoysund at 8:00 in the morning, from where the journey continued in sunshine and strong winds towards Olderfjord.

 

Road 889 from Havoysund is one of Norway's 20 nationally most beautiful tourist routes (as is the northern side of the Varangfjord to Hamningberg). Compared to that, there was very little traffic.

 

The scenery, however, was worthy of the nomination. A rugged fjord, fell landscapes and the open sea. The seascapes, especially in the first half, were really beautiful.

 

The mountainous landscapes also meant brisk climbs and descents. The hills were really hard to climb, especially in the first half. In addition, we had a rather windy day, which made riding difficult and sometimes difficult in crosswinds.

 

The wind-protected benches at the picnic area came in handy. It seems that windy days are more common in those areas. If the crosswinds had been any stronger, we would have been forced to stop.

Reindeer were seen in abundance along the Havoysund road, as they were everywhere else in Norway.

Halfway through the trip, we stopped at the Lillefjord Waterfalls, where we walked a kilometer uphill to the base of the falls.

There were also great sea views from the falls. A nice stop and a break for walking.

After half the distance, the road became smoother, following the shores of flatter fjords.

The slate formations worn away by erosion were stunning.

The remaining twenty kilometers from Russelvi onwards the landscape was a bit more monotonous and the strong headwind made the ride numbing. There are no services or shops there all day, either, so the coffee tasted especially good when we reached Olderfjord. The campsite is along the Nordkapp route, so there were quite a few people there and some other cyclists. Quite a nice, affordable place on the shore of the fjord.

The tent couldn't be pitched in quite the same nice or peaceful environment as before, but the campsite's spacious kitchen and hot Italian stew with soy grits were good enough to end a hard day. 

 

 

 

Day 10: Olderfjord – Lakselv, 73 km

After a decent breakfast at Olderfjord Turistsenter, we set off, but after a couple of kilometers we turned back to face the rain. The forecast promised that the rain would stop in a couple of hours, and it did. By the way, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute's yr.no app's rain forecast maps for a few hours held up pretty well and it was a useful tool throughout the trip. However, predicting the next day's rain seemed to be challenging for those coasts.

We drove straight to Lakselv/Lemmijoki, and it was nice to pedal for a change in the milder winds. The E6 road between Olderfjord and Lakselv was quite busy, but drivers were very considerate of cyclists here too. The road following the shores of the fjord offered a nice ride and nice views of the sea and the fells, although after the scenery of the previous days, they were not quite as exciting.

As you approach Lakselvi, the steep slopes of Stabbursdalen National Park and the sandy shore of the Lemmijoki River are beautiful.

 

Fjordutsikten Motell & Camping was a nice surprise: a nice, affordable room, free laundry facilities, a kitchenette, and very friendly staff. Lakselv's large Coop Xtra grocery store is also a good place to stock up on supplies. 

 

 Day 11: Lakselv – Karigasniemi, 95 km

The breakfast at the Lakselvi campsite was very good value for money. We set off immediately after breakfast.

The E6 from Lakselvi follows the Lemmijoki River for the first 30 km and offers beautiful river and fell scenery. Then we climb briskly up the fell. There is a steep 5 km descent to Karasjoki.

In Karasjoki we stopped for a bite to eat at a place called Kjell’s Cafe, where we got omelets, pita bread, and other tasty eats. We both liked the place.

After eating, we drove another 20 km along the peaceful road along the Karasjoki River to Karigasniemi, where we reached a Finnish K-Market after a long time. We spent the night in a tent at the Tenorinne camping area, where there were no actual food services (as there are none in Karigasniemi anyway), so we resorted to cooking soy grits in a ready-made pot to sustain our lives and provide fuel.

 

Päivä 12.: Karigasniemi – Tanssijoki, 75 km

The campsite did not offer breakfast either, and the breakfast options in Karigasniemi were poor anyway. We could have had coffee and a packed roll in the shabby restaurant of Hotel Guossi, and we turned back. We ended up in the Seidu café, which had a similar selection, but a nicer environment. Since breakfast was incomplete and there was no place to eat between Karigasniemi and Tanssijoki, we went to buy salads and canned tuna for a packed lunch at K-Market. 

The road following the Tenjoki River is praised as the most beautiful in Finland. By decision of Lapland lover President Kekkonen (and that's probably where the branding of the most beautiful road comes from) and inaugurated by the next President Koivisto, so it's not a useless stretch of road.

And the road offers great views of the river and the fell. Although it was difficult to fully appreciate it at this stage, with the stunning Norwegian landscapes behind us. In any case, it was an enjoyable drive and there was very little traffic.

We also enjoyed our picnic lunches in the beautiful scenery.

Towards the end of the day, the hills and perhaps the too-fast pace were starting to weigh on our legs. We just had to remember the important rule of tourist cycling: it's not the distance that kills, but the speed. Just patiently climb the hills in a sufficiently low gear.  

We had booked a small cabin for the night at a place called Tenon Tunturituvat, less than 30 km before Utsjoki. The nice owners were there and told us that we would be able to stay in a larger cabin with a sauna. Well, the sauna was really tasty. Otherwise, it was a simple place, with cheap basic food on arrival and breakfast according to our wishes. Good rice cakes were on offer, and we bought eggs to boil ourselves at roughly store prices.

Day 13: Tanssijoki – Kaamanen, 123 km

After a hearty breakfast and a nice chat with the hostess, we set off on a cycle from Tanssijoki towards Utsjoki. In Utsjoki, we first visited a (perhaps slightly overpriced) shop to replenish our supplies.

Next we went to eat salmon and reindeer roast at the legendary Annukan grill. Quite a tasty set, although instead of mashed potatoes made from powder, we could have eaten something else. In Utsjoki, we met a French friend who had cycled through Europe and Finland, with whom we chatted for a long time, among other things, about mushroom picking. Our two-week trip started to feel like a small stopover, since Guillaume had been on the road for a year. Just before we left, a cyclist from Jyväskylä also joined us. Finally, we started driving towards Kaamanen.

The E75 road from Utsjoki to Kaamasen was calm and pleasant to drive, the views were quite varied and again at times stunning. However, mentally we were already experiencing the return home phase of the trip, so on the long day trip we no longer paid attention to all the landscapes of Lapland. We found a really nice picnic spot by Keneskoski.

The most pleasant food and accommodation experience of the whole trip was found in Kaamanen. We stopped at the Sininen Fillari (Blue Bike) café/accommodation, which Guillaume also highly praised. The café is run by a lovely retired couple quite as a hobby and lifestyle. In their home garden, we had a delicious evening meal according to our wishes, burgers with egg and reindeer steak fillings. The steaks are made on site by the hostess herself and the recipe was developed by her. The host acted as a waiter and storyteller. A truly fantastic experience!

We had planned to ride a little closer to Inari, but since the couple had enough to talk about and time was running out, and the Sininen Fillari's activities include a free camping site for cyclists, we decided to stay the night.

Day 14: Kaamanen – Ivalon lentokenttä, 79 km

We had a delicious and hearty breakfast, which was served at the dining table of the Sininen Fillari couple's home. The menu included home-baked rolls, freshly baked buns, porridge and freshly ground espresso. As well as a leisurely chat about cycling in Lapland and the joys and pitfalls of running a new business. With our bellies full, our hearts light and our minds grateful, we set off to cycle in the sunshine towards Ivalo airport.

It is said that thunder often rises from Lake Inari, and now we also had rain for a while in the village of Inari. Otherwise, the rain seemed to be very local and dependent on the water bodies. We got to enjoy the beautiful scenery between Inari and Ivalo once again, this time riding in the sunshine and on dry asphalt, while in some sections the rain came pouring down. However, we could no longer afford to make bigger stops, as it is always good to leave extra time for a flat tire. In the village of Ivalo we stopped at the restaurant of Hotel Kultahippu for a buffet lunch and to rest a bit. The food was pretty much what you would expect, but here the emphasis was more on quantity. .

Finally, having arrived at Ivalo airport in good time, we packed our bikes into our bike bags and headed towards Helsinki. An unforgettable cycling trip was over! (Or maybe we already started planning the next ones :-)

To sum up, a wonderful trip. Beautiful and varied landscapes, culture, history, nature. Good food, especially fish dishes in Norway. Nice meetings and conversations, friendly people. Appropriate exercise, sometimes a bit tough, but not too much. And appropriate adventure for these kind of people who are fairly middle-aged and older. We could actually recommend the route in pretty much every way to others (maybe except for the Vardö tunnel).

If anyone wants more detailed descriptions or information, exchange thoughts or even give us some tips, we would be happy to be in touch. Leave your contact information in the comment field and we will contact you by email.  

 

Some first-time travelers' thoughts on luggage and bikes

The trip to Lapland was our first bike trip of more than a week. We have previously done a few days of bike trips in Finland, with or without camping. That is, we had some idea of ​​the necessary things, how to pack them, and the things that are important for the operation of the bikes. On the other hand, we can by no means call ourselves experienced bike travelers. And we would perhaps do some things related to preparation differently in the future (surprisingly few of these, however, in the end). So, read the following thoughts with these in mind. And we would be happy to hear from more experienced (or anyone) thoughts and ideas for future trips.

About luggage

It would be nice to have a lot of stuff with you for two weeks, but in terms of riding comfort and endurance, pack as little as possible on the bike. So, of course, this is the optimization of packing planning. Here are some thoughts on the most essential:

-          Riding clothes: Any sports/exercise clothes will do just fine. And of course, be prepared for the temperatures. Especially in the northern parts of Varangia, temperatures are typically below +10 during the day even in July and the winds are strong, and then again, in Lapland it is good to be prepared for real heat. So that you don't have to carry too many sets of clothes with you, it is worth planning your laundry a little in advance. Body-hugging clothes create less air resistance. Actually, the only real cycling accessory that we wouldn't go on such long trips without is padded cycling pants, just for the well-being of the rear end.

-         Rain gear: Could the Arctic Ocean trip be done so that it wouldn't rain on the way? Maybe you shouldn't count on it. Again, any rainproof clothing that you can also pedal in well. In addition to normal rainwear, it's a good idea to have waterproof shoe covers for cycling (or other things) that extend well above the ankle, especially if your riding shoes don't keep out water.

-          Shoes: One of us used cleat cycling shoes and clipless pedals, so we also packed very light “break shoes”. Sometimes on evening hikes we would have needed waterproof or more sturdy shoes, but the lightness of the shoes was perhaps a more important feature. The other one had regular sneakers as the only footwear. In hindsight, waterproof sneakers might not have been the smartest choice for driving shoes. In light rain, you don’t always have time to put on shoe covers. In addition, waterproof shoes would have been comfortable on hikes. For example, lightweight hiking shoes would have been a better choice for driving shoes.  

-          Other clothing: During breaks and when standing still, you need more clothing than when cycling. Especially if you are on the move with a tent, it is a good idea to be warm. We had merino wool shirts, layers and wool socks for active use. While it is advantageous to wear body-hugging clothing when cycling, light and loose outerwear will keep you warm in the evenings. If you are the type of person who attracts mosquitoes, a light brimmed hat and mosquito net are a nice addition in the evenings.

-          Hygiene items: These now depend on each person's preferences and are no different from any other type of travel. But perhaps something specifically related to cycling could include greasing the backside. It might be a good idea to bring some suitable cream or Vaseline to prevent and treat chafing. A bit related to the well-being of the same department, it is a good idea to always carry a small amount of toilet paper and hand towels with you and easily accessible, especially if no services are available throughout the day.

-          Regarding camping: A light, high-quality tent. It might not be worth setting out with the cheapest supermarket tent. You can feel the weight increase of even a kilo on the uphill slopes. So it might not be worth skimping on this. As sleeping bags, we had a higher-quality down bag and a slightly cheaper, more summer-style bag. The summer bag also did just fine in those conditions, if you are prepared to sleep in a sweater and socks. With a sleeping pad, it is certainly very individual what each person can sleep on. We had one inflatable and one foam plastic, which we managed with. The downside of the foam plastic is of course the space it takes up during transport. In addition, we brought along rope, clothespins, cable ties, rubber band, multi-tool, etc. basic camping equipment. And spare batteries to charge our phones. We did not bring cooking utensils due to space requirements and transport problems. We managed just fine without it, as we didn't spend more nights in nature.

-          Snacks: During the drive and during breaks, we usually had protein bars and dried fruit and nut mixes, often chocolate, crispbread and chips. And of course water. For coffee lovers, we had instant coffee powder bags, which we simply mixed with cold water during the day if proper coffee wasn't available. In addition, for energy in the evenings, we had a bag of ready-made stew ingredients and dried dark soy groats by the cooking facilities.  

-          For bike maintenance: It is good to be prepared for light bike maintenance while on the road. The minimum equipment is tire repair supplies, a spare inner tube and a pump, and tools for basic adjustments to brakes, gears, etc. (a couple of Allen keys are enough for most bikes). For a trip lasting several days, add chain grease to add when the chains get wet. In addition, in case the chains break, it can be good to carry a chain cutter, a few centimeters of chain and chain locks (although we have never had to use these while on the road, fingers crossed). We also had brake and gear cables and housings with us, I don't know if these were an exaggeration.

 

About bikes and packing

We cover a lot of kilometers in two weeks, so of course it is important that your bike is the right size, feels good to ride and is roughly designed for longer distances (meaning that I wouldn't set out on a Jopo or the heaviest "grandma bike"). Otherwise, we don't think the demands on the bike are too high. Our other, more packed bike was a steel-framed 8-year-old cyclo-cross and the other was a 15-year-old hybrid/fitness.

In our opinion, what is more important than the fineness or modernity of the bike is that it has been serviced/maintained and in good condition before the trip. The most important is the condition of the tires and drivetrain (chains, sprockets and pedals).

A few individual thoughts on important things related to the bike:

-         The seat or saddle: This is what you rub your butt against for quite a few hours every day. If the saddle is not old and tried, it might be a good idea to test the compatibility of the seat and backside beforehand with a few test rides.

-          Tires: Even if the trip is on paved roads, it is still a good idea to have some kind of puncture protection in the tires to avoid unnecessary puncture/tire change sessions. And check before you leave that the tires are not too worn. Investing in new tires for a thousand kilometers is not necessarily an exaggeration. With a heavily packed bike, the rear tire in particular will be quite hard.

-          Gear ratios: Especially in Norwegian Lapland, where there are many long uphill climbs, it makes the journey more comfortable and prevents fatigue if the bike has sufficiently light gears. Especially if you are carrying a lot of stuff. As a tip and a rough rule of thumb for checking this: ideally the smallest front sprocket should be smaller (fewer teeth) than the largest rear sprocket. In most cases, sprockets and ratios can be changed.

-           Packing your stuff: Waterproof packing is a must. Another important thing if you have a lot of stuff: distribute the weight between the front and back of the bike. If you pack everything in the rear panniers and the rack, the bike will become unstable to ride. We had maintenance supplies, snacks, and other heavier items in the frame panniers of the loaded bike, and a sleeping pad attached to the bar.