Where The Road Ends – Solo Bikepacking Adventure To North Cape

This is the story about the greatest bikepacking adventure of my life. Set in the land of the midnight Sun. Starting in the scenic and hospitable Lofoten Islands and ending where the road ends. At the northernmost point of Europe. The North Cape. An 1100 kilometer long ride going along jaw- dropping fjords, sandy white beaches, snow covered peaks, crystal clear water and some of the most spectacular roads you’ve ever seen. All these things combined makes this an adventure of a lifetime.

My Gear List For My Bikepacking Trip To The North Cape

Panniers:
Ortlieb Ultimate 6 Handlebar Bag
2 x Ortlieb Back-Roller Plus 20L https://amzn.to/40eKsf2
2 x Ortlieb Front-Roller Plus 12,5L

Clothes:
Adidas Adilette Flip Flops – https://amzn.to/40eKFyQ
Haglöfs Scree Rain Pant
Haglöfs Esker Rain Jacket
Craft Velo Convert Jacket
Amazon Basics 4 Piece Packing Travel Organizer Cubes Set – https://amzn.to/3Rfd3wF
Forclaz Merino Wool T-Shirt
Nike Mens Dri-FIT Short Sleeve Polo Shirt – https://amzn.to/3j2aq1w
Padded MTB Shorts
Helly-Hansen Men’s LIFA Merino Crew – https://amzn.to/2YJ5bfQ
Helly-Hansen Men’s Merino Pant – https://amzn.to/3RhYZm9
Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Pants – https://amzn.to/3jalGfE
2 Pair of Socks https://amzn.to/40dU4H6
Merino Underwear – https://amzn.to/3XRU9hZ
Merino Wool Buff – https://amzn.to/409sYkd
Merino Wool Beanie
Giro Fixture Mips Helmet – https://amzn.to/3XKHsoZ
Science In Sport Water Bottle – https://amzn.to/3WLLsV9
Northwave Cycling Shoes
Sunglasses

Cooking Gear:
Primus Ets Express Stove + Cookset
2 Primus Gas Canisters (230g)
Sea To Summit X Mug – https://amzn.to/3Hg7GJ1
Light My Fire Spork – https://amzn.to/3Dncn2J
Thermacell Backpacker

Tools:
Lezyne HV Bicycle Hand Pump – https://amzn.to/3lHxnJc
Park Tool VP-1Vulcanizing Patch Kit – https://amzn.to/409NhOC
Crankbrothers M19 Multi-Tool – https://amzn.to/3j0A86D
Squirt Long Lasting Dry Lube – https://amzn.to/3iWqYIf
CTC Plastic Bag + packaging
Inner Tube – https://amzn.to/3Dq1oFP
Bike Lock – https://amzn.to/3HHcWqs

Toiletries:
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Shaving Gel
Mach 3 Razor – https://amzn.to/3j2bYsm
Contact Lens Case
Travel Schampoo bottle

Camping Equipment:
Naturehike Cloud Up 2 Tent – https://amzn.to/3aA1MTp
Sea To Summit Collapsible Backpack – https://amzn.to/3RvanLP
Aegismax Nano 2 Ultralight Sleeping Bag – https://amzn.to/3RcZcqR
Sea To Summit Reactor Insulated Sleeping Bag Liner – https://amzn.to/409RLVs
Nemo Tensor Insulated Sleeping Pad – https://amzn.to/3Y98qGC
Nabaji Microfibre Towel L – https://amzn.to/3Y3KDbh

Electronics
Samsung S20 – https://amzn.to/3Y544jR
Dji Mavic Pro Drone – https://amzn.to/3FKsVBk
GoPro Hero7 Black – https://amzn.to/3JoetTC
Canon G7X Mark II – https://amzn.to/3XO7lnY
Zoom H1N Recorder – https://amzn.to/409ewZA
Rode Smartlav+ Lavalier – https://amzn.to/3RcZcqR
2 Anker PowerCore 20000 mAh – https://amzn.to/3JpPxvg
Bag Of Cables and Extra Batteries

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Foreign this is the story about the greatest bike packing adventure of my life set in the land of the Midnight Sun in the scenic and hospitable Lofoten Islands [Music] and ending where the road ends at the northernmost point of Europe the North Cape

[Music] an 1100 kilometer long ride going along jaw-dropping fjords sandy white beaches snow-covered peaks crystal clear water and some of the most spectacular roads you’ve ever seen [Music] all these things combined makes this an adventure of a lifetime [Music] hi there my name is Michael and I’m

Also known as Bike Touring Mike so I’ve been backpacking for the last 10 years or so and for the last three years I’ve been planning on going on this trip but the state of the world caused me to change my plans for the previous two summers but they say that third

Time’s a charm so I was actually able to go on my dream bike packing trip this summer to the North Cape I live in the very northernmost part of Sweden but rather than starting my journey here in my familiar surroundings I decided to start in the more picturesque Lofoten

Islands and make my way up to the North Cape the distance from the Lofoten Islands up to the North Cape is about 1100 kilometers and I had given myself 12 days to reach the North Cape but let’s start from the beginning and I’ll explain more about the irony as the ride

Continues in order to get there I decided to take the Arctic train from my hometown in Swedish Lapland all the way to the City of Narvik in Arctic Norway one of the northernmost train lines in the world with towering mountains dramatic waterfalls

And fantastic views of the fjord this journey goes through a beautiful and wild Arctic landscape and it was the perfect start to my dream backpacking trip after an eight hour long train ride I changed to a seven hour bus ride taking me the last stretch out to the southern tip of

The lafollin islands the bus ride gave me a glimpse of all the beauty that lied ahead of me I finally reached the small town of Å right around midnight assembled my bike and rode for a few minutes until I found a decent wild camping spot for the night

[Music] the next morning I quickly made my way to the small fishing town of Reine where I got the first great photo opportunity if you come across photos from the foden they’re likely taken right here in the Reine with the traditional red fisherman huts and with

The impressive backdrop of the Granite Peaks shooting up on the Fjord this place has been named one of the most beautiful places in the world and it’s easy to understand why nowadays most of the red Huts called Rorbu have been turned into accommodation for tourists

But during winter low foreign is still the center of the cod fishing industry here in Norway since Lofoten has some of the richest fishing waters in the world foreign you see and definitely smell these dried cod fish that hangs on these wooden structures

They’re called stockfish and the name comes from the sticks that they are hung from so these fish are caught in February and left to hang here for a couple of months so that they’re cured and then they ship all these fish down to Italy where it’s served as an Italian specialty called bacalao

[Music] foreign [Music] Lofoten has this unreal beaches with white sand and turquoise crystal clear water you almost feel like you’re in the Caribbean sometimes that is unless you actually go down to the water and feel how extremely cold the water really is

[Music] wild camping can be a bit tricky in Lofoten since tourism has basically exploded during the last couple of years but if you just take off the main road for a while and head for a less traveled road you’re sure to find an abundance of amazing wild camping

Options is it just me or can you see all the flies Day 2 started out with the same great weather I had on the first day and my first goal of the day was to make it to the small picturesque fishing town of Henningsvaer well known for its fishing industry architecture and museums

[Music] foreign [Music] however none of these things were the reason that drew me to this place instead of what drew me here was the town’s football field [Music] in 2021 the headings were football field was named the most beautiful football field in the world by none other than FIFA

Here the local players are able to practice 24 7 under the Midnight Sun during the summer months foreign [Music] i found myself cycling late into the evening trying to make it to the very top of the lofoten islands my very intense two days of cycling around these islands was about to end but

The island still had one epic surprise in store for me the road that I’m cycling on right now is called midnattssolveien or the Midnight Sun Road a pretty fitting name to a fantastic Road here along the Arctic Ocean I just have three words to say this is magical just a couple of kilometers later I made it to my Camp spot for the evening a secret bike shelter that somehow wasn’t much of a secret anymore however I made it just in time to

Pitch my tent sit down in a chair and enjoy a glass of red wine as I enjoyed the midnight sun over the sea a great ending to a fantastic day my days in the Lofoten Islands were coming to an end but I wasn’t in despair since I knew my adventure had just started

After about an hour’s ride in the morning I caught the ferry over to the Vesterålen Islands [Music] and after a 30-minute ferry ride I entered a new chapter of this adventure the Vesterålen Islands after cycling for an hour or two I stopped and enjoyed a nice lunch overlooking the impressive

Architecture of the hurtigruten museum in Stokmarknes and lo and behold just as I sat there one of the hurtingruten ships actually entered the harbor the wind picked up in the afternoon but thankfully I was enjoying a nice tailwind so I wasn’t really complaining however I must

Admit that it was a bit scary going over these impressive bridges in the mighty wind on day four the clouds were back again plus the wind seemed to have changed and I was now facing a nasty headwind instead of a tailwind

The west coast of andaya is home to one of Norway’s scenic routes a number of carefully selected beautiful roads signed to showcase Norway’s natural wonders amplified by art design and architecture this specific road displays a wide mix of terrain

Everything from a jagged coastline to white sandy beaches and even though it was a bit overcast on this specific day it was still an incredibly beautiful landscape to ride through just imagine what this would look like on a sunny day Foreign [Music] there later in the afternoon I hopped aboard a ferry that would take me to the island of Senja and after about two hours on the ferry the weather had totally changed from the cold and misty weather back on Andöya to now a sunny and lovely evening in Senja

In Senja and some other places around Norway they have this really smart system for cyclists going through tunnels you push a big red button as you enter the tunnel and then lights outside and inside of the tunnel blink in order to alert people driving cars that there’s one

Or a couple of cyclists inside of the tunnel [Music] foreign [Music] foreign Cycle for about an hour more that evening until I found yet another great wild camping spot overlooking the nearby fjord foreign [Music] foreign There’s a fair share of ferry hopping included in this bike packing trip to the North Cape but as long as you’re prepared and have studied the ferry times ahead of time the ferry rides themselves are actually a welcome break from all that time in the saddle

It allows you to charge your batteries as well as sit down and have a bit to eat and the best thing all the ferries here in Norway are completely free foreign Foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] foreign Tromsö is the largest city you’ll pass through on this trip and it’s even regarded as the northernmost city in the world the series very widespread and very hilly in the city

Center so it took me quite some time to get through it I did however take advantage of what the city had to offer two things you can experience without having to get off or leave your bike for a long period of time or the Arctic Cathedral and the Arctic Botanical Garden

I found the Botanical Garden in particular very interesting foreign [Music] flowers and plants that only grow in Arctic regions around the world which makes it rather unique perfect for lunch stop either if you brought your own food or if you choose to order something from their cafe foreign

To just as much time as entering the city although leaving the city to the east turned out to offer magnificent views of the nearby fjord Unfortunately I wasn’t able to stop as often as I wanted since I knew that there were two fairies coming up that I really needed to catch and I started to feel a bit stressed that I had spent too much time in terms to be able to catch them in the evening

But I made it just in time to catch both of them [Music] thank you after leaving Tromsö say you could definitely feel a shift in the number of cyclists along the road gone were most of the lightweight backpacking crowd that

Were so common in the Lofoten islands and left were only the hardcore ones with what seemed like a lot of gear strapped to their bikes what united them all was that they had set their minds to climb the mountain passes and conquer the mighty winds the barren Norwegian

Landscape that lay ahead of them had to offer foreign already been a very long day in the saddle but somehow I was still feeling fresh and the wonderful backdrop of the Lyngen Alps short helped me to try to put in a couple of extra miles late in the evening foreign [Music]

Extremely lucky with the weather so I guess I had it coming on the seventh day I was supposed to make it over the Kvaenangen pass which in good weather offers magnificent views of the Fjord below unfortunately this was not going to be one of those days instead I had

To seek shelter a number of times in bus stops and roadside toilets to be able to avoid the worst of the rain it was one of those days where you just have to dig deep and get the job done I think we’re finally at the top now up in the clouds here

And here we have the first reindeer of this trip [Applause] I started the next day with a little bit of bike service after yesterday’s constant raining the weather looked really promising with clear blue skies in the morning

Little did I know that this would soon change and turn into one of the most challenging days both due to the weather and the terrain that laid ahead as I was approaching the town of Alta the rain was upon me again and it hit me hard foreign [Music]

For almost the rest of the trip as I left the town recovering from the rain a fantastic rainbow symbolized that I was entering the wildest and most remote part of my journey I was entering Sennalandet Highlands Sennalandet is Norway’s largest highland area and it’s classified as Arctic tundra

Characterized by cascading rivers snow-covered hills and high bushes and I say bushes since trees can’t really grow around here This region is very exposed to the elements and the road is regularly close during winter due to strong winds and heavy snowfall [Music] Thank you the next day I had finally completed my journey over Sennalandet Highlands and made my way down to the Porsangerfjorden the fjord that would accompany me for the rest of the trip all the way to the North Cape when you reach the small town of all the Fjord it feels like

You’ve reached another world or been thrust back to the foreign again gone is the landish tundra-like Wilderness with lichens bushes and birches and it’s replaced with picturesque small fishing villages and further on rough crags escorting the coastal road foreign

The two major roads leading up to the North Cape converges the road that you’re already traveling on and the road coming from Finland and Sweden even though it initially felt like I had arrived at a more inhabited part of Norway it was

Easy to forget that I was still basically in no man’s land with over 100 kilometers to the next town and virtually no shaded flat space to put up my tent I knew I’d be in some serious trouble if a thunderstorm were to catch up with me again and just as I had that

Thought I heard the first sound of thunder coming from behind I continued to fight the storm for another hour until I finally found a somewhat flat space that was a bit shaded from the window quickly pitched my tent in the pouring rain and jumped inside of the tent

The final day had arrived and even though I only had about 60 more kilometers to cover I knew I was in for quite a challenge the first order of business was to conquer the infamous dreaded seven kilometer long Nordkapptunnel it’s finally come to this the dreaded Infamous

Nordkapptunnel I’m just about to head in now but is it really as bad as people make it out to be well let’s put it like this going through the tunnel is basically like climbing an inverted mountain instead of climbing to the top you’ll descend to the bottom 212 meters

Below sea level without getting rewarded with a nice view at the top going down there meant going down at like 40 kilometers an hour freezing your hands off and now I’m at the bottom so in about 300 meters I think I see the road is starting

To go upwards again and once you enter the tunnel and start going down that steep slope at about nine percent grade the only way of getting out of there is to use your own two legs just after leaving the town of Honingsvåg there’s a sign saying that the North Cape

Is only 20 kilometers away don’t get fooled that you’ve only got about two hours of cycling left instead look at this as the final boss in a Super Mario Brothers video game [Applause] it’s gonna throw everything against you to keep you from reaching your goal insane

Wins heavy downpour construction work and crazy steep sense this is hard [Music] and did I mention the Goombas of the road the RVs [Applause] The 20 kilometers sign is just the way of deceiving you that you’ve got this but you do got this this is what you’ve been striving for during the past two weeks [Music] your legs have gotten so strong during this trip no matter what this final boss is

Gonna throw at you you’re gonna stand there at the globe with your hands raised and on the way there you’re gonna get rewarded with Incredible views so what’s wrong with you dig deep and start pedaling you’re almost there We’re finally here over the past several years of bike packing I realized that some of the greatest days of experience on my bike aren’t the warm and sunny days when you’re stopping for an ice cream break in the shade instead what I remember most are the challenging days with pouring

Rain endless headwinds and going through seven kilometer long tunnels under the sea days where you just have to dig deep and push yourself up that last hill I knew when planning this trip to the North Cape that I was setting myself up for a handful of those type 2 fun

Days an Arctic Norway sure lived up to the hype [Music] so I finally reached the north cap after a couple of really tough days here at the end with both a lot of hills and especially a lot of rain and wind getting up there you

Really feel a sense of accomplishment after reaching the top of the world so this video basically showcases the highlights from my trip up to the North Cape and I have a lot of more footage from the street in fact over 20 hours of footage that I’m gonna be

Releasing over the next 10 weeks or so so make sure that you’re subscribed to be able to follow along on this fantastic journey in the meantime you can watch another one of my bike packing trips in Northern Norway this time from the island of Senja a bike

Packing trip that I did about three years ago by clicking the link up in the corner here otherwise until next time have a good one