De Strasbourg au Cap Nord à vélo – Le film (FR)

English subtitles available on Youtube.

Depuis que j’ai commencé le bikepacking, mon but a toujours été de partir sur une grande aventure.
Alors j’ai pris la route le 15 juillet 2023, depuis la maison, pour me rendre jusqu’au point le plus au nord en Europe : le Cap Nord en Norvège.
Je suis parti seul en autonomie, avec tout le matériel nécessaire pour dormir dehors en bivouac.
Météo capricieuse, problèmes techniques, fatigue physique : autant d’épreuves m’ont fait face dans cette quête solitaire.
Alors voici le témoignage de mon aventure entre moments de plénitude et épreuves de la vie nomade.

Bon visionnage !

La vidéo sur le matériel que j’ai utilisé : https://youtu.be/XQ0ZtvqktbM

Instagram : Manoa_rau
Strava : Manoa Rauch

#bikepacking #nordkapp # capnord #voyageavelo #norvège #gravel

Since I started started bikepacking my goal has always been to to set off on a great adventure. The call of wide and horizons far away never ceases to reason within me What an exhilarating pursuit that of authentic adventure. Crossing landscapes on the strength force of legs

Carrying all too sleep where the drawing takes us. Every step into the unknown is a lesson in life. etched deep my wandering mind. Here we are good this kind of rain I take this must be the 4th or 5th of the day it doesn’t last long but just for a while it drashes

Like this So here we go with the rain jacket. we wait for it to pass In this lonely quest, every encounter is a ray of light. dispersing the shadows of doubt, that beset the path to the success of my journey. hard weather, technical problems, physical fatigue.

So many trials have confronted me the road to accepting impermanence. So this is my story of my adventure, between splendid landscapes moments of fulfillment and the trials of nomadic life. Ah, look at this! it’s not easy to sleep it’s now 3am Here we are we’re fine above the Arctic Circle

Oups, there’s a bit of a little problem here the road stops is Saturday, July 15, 2023. I’m on my doorstep. It’s strange to leave like that straight from home. For such a long adventure adventure, the finish is so far away. I’m on my way to the North Cape, if all goes well.

Not much, but a little apprehensive about the departure. A lot of questions: am I capable? will I be able to keep up mentally Then listen, we’ll see. head for the Rhine today. Germany and start tracking. Soon enough, I reach the Rhone-Rhine canal. And it’s weird because I arrive at exactly the same junction.

Where we met last year with two friends of mine to cross Jura by gravel And here I am a year later year later, almost to the day. to go, alone in the opposite direction. a little goodbye to Strasbourg before seeing him again good I don’t see him often

I don’t go into town very often It’s time for lunch The Germans know how to entertain The kebabs, it’s really not the same in France it’s so much better. So much more vegetables, the bread, it’s a real bread. The meat is better, it’s another level.

Then with this, I don’t know how I’m going to get going again. the kebab he put me on the floor nah honestly it was so good that’s heavy huh and then to leave it’s not super easy Ok end of first stage This evening, I’ve a guy on the road

Who I asked if he had a place to sleep. And he got me something incredible Right up to the back, a laid paper like this. its flat i have a pole to put my bike on. It’s handy for filling bags. And right down there, there’s water. I can rinse off.

It’s going to feel so good. First evening, we have Chinese noodles and sausage. That feels good right there, a little change from the vines a little Rhine There are some really beautiful castles it’s beautiful ah that feels good right there I’m feeling better now this morning wasn’t too good ah the city…

I’m in Coblence now My initial plan for crossing Germany was to take the Euro vélo 15 to Dortmund. to catch the Euro vélo 2 up to northern Denmark. But I soon realized that the that Euro bikes are touristic and necessarily pass through all the major cities to visit

And it’s not necessarily what I wanted. I wanted to go directly to Norway. And then everything that’s red-light relaunching, at stop signs, the vigilance you need to have in relation to the traffic light. motorists and pedestrians, these are things that slow me down.

So it wasn’t necessarily a day that was super pleasant, even if for the moment. I can’t complain too much, the weather’s been great. it’s not too hot yet. I’ve only done 170 km so because of the morning which was hard and then this afternoon I couldn’t make any headway either.

I stopped at 7:30 p.m. there, eating a kebab. It feels good. And here I am along the euro bike 15. I’m shitting myself a bit because the police there’s the police there on the boat. They are right over there. They are watching. I really hope they don’t come and bother me. because normally

It’s forbidden to bivouac in germany and from what I hear, they’re much stricter than in France. Departure day 3, wake-up 6am, this morning, departure 7:15am It’s so nice to get back into a rhythm. I’ve arrived in Cologne Köln in German I’m going to branch off here from the eurovélo 15

Because I don’t want to go through through cities good guys there I’ll explain it’s raining I took a little break at the supermarket because I was hungry and then I left in the rain with David Guetta there’s a stop Ok, that’s good Wait I’ve got David Guetta in my ears right now

And we’re tracking Look what I see ahead the blue sky Oh look at the hawk there I don’t know what it is, a beautiful bird yeah I’m riding towards the blue sky now I think I’ll be able to settle in dry The sun is back what a pleasure I’m soaking wet

I don’t know yet where I’m going to settle and then it’s already 7:40pm But that’s a good point. what a pain But that’s what we like Well, that’s it, it’s 9pm there. I done a big 220km stage today. I landed on a soccer field in a small village. I’m so tired

I’m going to eat now. There are noodles with sausage. And then, hasta luego, to bed I’ve been riding for 5 days now. After 700km i took my first shower yesterday at the camping Denmark is only 2 days away by bike but the weather is not so good. Oh look at the rabbit

Oh I’m trying to chase it I don’t know if you can see it on the gopro because the angle is really wide Enormous Here we go I didn’t have to wait long for it to rain it’s 7:42 am I get the first rinse and it’s not the last

It’s going to be a long day since this morning I listen music and podcast because because the morale’s not too high Right now I’m on a fucking road they’ve got they put gravel on it or destroyed it I don’t know It’s breaking my fucking balls Well, well, after 750 km,

This is the first puncture for the French cyclist. Yeah, I think the roads there, well destroyed didn’t help it Damn, that’s a sketch coming up. You can see the pump. In fact, there’s the mouthpiece there. It decided to block himself like that. Here it is, so I can’t get it off,

I can’t turn it, i don’t know if I screwed too much or not. The tire is half inflated I’ll go to the nearest bikes store I’m going to enjoy these beautiful colors here to conclude this day, which wasn’t easy. I got off to a very, very good start this morning

With very few pause. I went very fast to put the bivouac early in perspective that was going to rain all afternoon and that I’d be better off in the tent. There was that problem there, this fucking problem about valve So I went to a bike store,

We haven’t found the solution to remove it So we cut the valve with a pair of pliers. And then I had to put in a new inner tube I bought a new pump too. It’s hard when you have something planned. That things don’t go our way.

Especially when you’ve gone to the trouble like we did this morning to land early. Road to Denmark, guys. it’s nice to have some sunshine today yesterday it rained it was a shitty day now I’m good I’m happy to be here and then we’ll soon be in Norway weather is very indecisive this morning

It’s clearing up, sunny and suddenly it starts to drasher like this it’s 12:47 I still have 15 kilometers to go for the Danish border Lets go, Denmark friends I just crossed the border there I’m happy because that feels good to leave Germany after 6 days

My morale is a bit of a roller coaster then I’m happy to change country and then go straight away to Norway Here we are good That kind of… of rain I’m getting right now this must be the 4th or 5th of the day it doesn’t last long but just

For a while it drashes like this So here we go with the rain jacket. We’re waiting for it to pass it blows but it’s beautiful long live Denmark guys In Denmark of course I caught quite a few headwinds. because the coasts are not far from the center of the country.

And there is little relief. And despite a rather difficult start to the afternoon. I’m still determined determination to catch up with my mate Rohan. whom I’d met a few days earlier. and who had passed me by because of my flat tire. So i ride, I met an 18-year-old German on the way.

Who has set off in a fixi from Hamburg and going to the north of Denmark. So I’m glad we’re riding together. until the moment when I feel feel it slow down on my bike and I’ve punctured my rear wheel again. it’s hard to puncture 2 days in a row. and it’s especially cold.

I have a kind of weakness in my left hand. which makes me take a little time to change the inner tube. So here it is, somehow I’ve managed to change it. but I realize it’s too late and that I won’t be joining my buddy Rohan tonight.

So I’m moving on to the next town. And I put the tent down a bit dejected like this anywhere in the garden of a public building. woke up to this morning. Oh fuck, is it going to fall or is it… Ah no it’s okay, it’s smart I think.

In fact this thing hit my tent or he kicked my bike, I don’t know. In the morning I go straight to a bike shop to change my rear tire because it’s not normal to puncture 2 days in a row. we inspect it, we realize there are lots of bits of glass.

And also in the front tire which forced me to change the pair. So I’m spending 100€ for 2 tires, middle range that I would have paid maybe 20 euros unit in France because the cost of living is much more expensive here in Denmark.

But what really puts a damper on my spirits it’s the ferry booking next to reach Norway from northern Denmark where I pay 200€ to sail 300km. And if I do the math, that comes to 300€. Spending in the space of a day to ultimately profit very little so far

Because of difficult weather, mechanical glitches and then landscapes that don’t measure up we’ll say in relation to the cost of living here. So I really needed to share this. with someone, to chat to take my mind off things. Happily at lunchtime on my way to refuel.

I see Rohan coming out of a supermarket so it was great happy to see each other again. We ate lunch together and then we went our separate ways giving each other a point for the evening because we don’t ride at the same speed.

It’s much more heavily loaded than I am, so it drives slowly but he rides almost the same distances every day so yes, it’s pretty impressive and that’s how we met in the evening on a great bivouac spot some kind of sheltered hut with tables with piped water

So we spent the evening together, chatting and it did me a lot of good. It’s day 8 it’s not hot hot this morning, even. so well, I overdid it a little with the down jacket. What’s it going to be like in Norway? when will it really curdle in the morning?

Hello hello it’s 2:18pm, I just ate there. I was in a bakery and I seen they’ve thrown kind of pizza in the trash, just a dough with tomato sauce and honestly, considering the price of living here, I didn’t hesitate one bit. second before taking it

I tasted it just to see if it was good and then it’s just dough with tomato sauce, it’s not that good but it. it’s okay so I a bite here at lunchtime set off again for 25 kilometers. to Hirtshals, where I’m going to take the ferry to Norway Polala guys This is it

There I am at the sea it’s a first course already there that feels good even if it’s only the beginning of the adventure because there’s still more I think well 3000 km I’m a long, long way from halfway. but yeah just seeing the sea there and thinking that I’ve crossed 2 countries

Germany and then Denmark that feels really good. I see the boat over there it’s crazy This is it, guys Hirtshals I don’t know how to pronounce it but here we are ok guys we’re getting on the boat now with friends right behind there’s Rohan with me too for boarding he’s leaving tomorrow

Tomorrow evening but then I found 2 friends there who who are also going on the boat it’s blowing around here this is it guys boarding the boat I’m so excited and then stressed at the same time, I met a lady who told me she did the north cape last year

And it was so difficult because of the weather so uh we’ll see, eh I landed in Norway, it’s 7:19 am, I have no connection this time I directs to a macdonald or anywhere I can get a connection to plan my route I’m not hiding that now my stomach’s taken

It’s a kind of anxiety a little anxiety of excitement because yes Norway, that’s fine I have a feeling it’s going to be something it’s not going to be easy Yes, arriving in Norway was quite complicated, I arrive on a Sunday morning at 6am south of Stavanger.

With very little sleep, since I didn’t have a cabin to sleep in on the boat, the price of the crossing was high enough as it was. I don’t see anyone on the roads when there’s brightness that makes it look easy. 10-11am when basically it’s only 6am one

Sunday morning, but it reinforces the feeling of loneliness. And just like that, with my phone without a network I’m heading for Stavanger to try to find a McDonald’s so I can connection to plan my route. At around 8am I arrive at the center I receive a message from my operator telling me

I can use my internet data as in the rest of Europe. So I can plam my route because actually on the west coast of Norway there are Fjords are where the sea engulfs the land to cross them, or you have to go all the way round the land but that’s very long.

Or more often than not, you have to cross crossing by ferry, boat or tunnel. So I take my first tunnel to the other side of Stavanger, and then it’s deliverance! because I’m seeing for the first time landscapes I’d imagined. with these mountains and then the sea was magical.

This morning weren’t doing too well but. there in front of these landscapes you can only feel so grateful to be there in relation to life and in relation to yourself too since you’ve earned it when you’ve rode since 8 days. this is the first climb. 6km 347m positive ascent

I didn’t think I’d be this happy. to climb a little bit there after so much flat it feels good End of 9th stage today and the first in first in Norway the first ten kilometers or so after getting on the bus, frankly, it was an incredible moment. to discover these landscapes, this immensity

Because I find that compared to the Alps, it’s really this notion of immensity with the sea rushing in. Tomorrow, I have no idea of the program since I took the wrong boat today Sunday, it seems to me that there wasn’t the other one, where I wanted to go.

So I’ll have to catch up with my itinerary tomorrow I’m going to check this out I’m going to go to bed and then see you tomorrow Awakening day 10, it’s not easy today. I wanted so much to stay in the bag of couchage, nice and warm warm and continue sleeping.

But I have ferries to catch so I have to get up so I don’t miss the schedule. When I got up, I stepped on a post I twisted it, I’m so pissed. What’s more, I don’t get it it’s super-strong posts.

And they weren’t very deep, so it’s going to be a hard to untwist. And I don’t have any in reserve so it’s a bit of a hassle, We’ll have a quick bite to eat and be on our way. Long live adventure, long live backpacking. It’s hard this morning

I don’t have much juice in my legs And I can’t see anything visually. I’m nearsighted What’s going on is that it’s been days, I haven’t worn my contacts. Because I have trouble putting them in morning to put them in with the cold.

Besides, I don’t have enough water to wash my hands and do it properly. So far it’s been okay. I was able to ride safely. But this morning I realize that I can’t see a thing. Even hanging on to the signs I can’t read. So I’m worried.

And then my weakness in my left hand hand is getting weaker and weaker. I can’t even shift gears normally anymore. I have to grab my right hand and pull. So I’m really starting to get a little worried about the rest of the adventure. I’m on the first boat to go Borgundøya

Then I’ll have a second to Leirvik And after that, I’d have to do a a little more cycling to get back up. And then I’d have another to Bergen. And when I do, I’ll find the trail I’d planned for.

I’m not hiding the fact that I’m cold this morning, which is a bit much. My hands are very cold. it’s not very cold outside. I see people in t-shirts it look ok I’ve been riding for 10 days now. I’ve done about 1600 km, without really taking a break

If not for a half-day at a camping in Germany,. but going up now. I feel that the body is tired. I’ve got a weakness in my left hand hand that worries me a little bit. Surely due to the cold and the fact that the fact that I’m leaning a lot on the handlebars.

And so, voilà, I’ve decided to take an airbnb in Bergen. so I could take a break and recharge the batteries. And I’m enjoying this little short break. at a red light to show you Bergen city center I won’t dwell on it. because I don’t like cities it’s afternoon 4:20 pm Look at that

Here’s the weather of day big showers like this and then it stops raining or it rains a little less and it starts again and I think it’s going to be like that until North Cape because this is the weather in Norway the landscapes my friends here is beautiful brutal

I think that’s really the word it’s raw it’s wild, it’s intense with rain you tell yourself it’s hard but bug you to see this This passage on this island made a huge impression on me. There was no one there for an hour crossing I didn’t met a single car.

And then the weather was awful. it was raining hard, I was cold and tired. And yet I was so happy to be there. I was living my thing to the fullest without not caring what happened next. and be able to enjoy like that even in difficult times

It helped me regain trust in my ability to get to the end I was lucky enough to be able to sleep in a warm waiting hut. Today, I’m luckier, the weather’s fine. I will try to 150 km and 2600 m of positive ascent to get to Floro That day, I meet Simon

An 18-year-old German who is also on a bike trip to Norway. This is the first time I’ve found someone with the same rhythm as me. Often, bicycle travelers are much heavier so we can’t ride together. I’m much faster. It’s been a great pleasure to to share a few days together.

Especially considering the weather which had been rather difficult. In the early afternoon, I meet my first two French A couple Audrey and Guillaume with whom we make friends. Except that here it is the same, we don’t have the same rhythm. So we go ahead with Simon Simon to catch the last boat.

And just before boarding, we meet up with Guillaume and Audrey who arrive at the last minute. So we were very happy. And as it was forecast to rain at night, I suggested they sleep in a waiting cabin as I had done before.

And in Norway, there are two types types of waiting cabin if I simplify. There are the old ones, which are a bit rustic, but which have the particularity of not being heated. And then there are the new ones that have been renovated with great tables, chairs and everything.

But they are often very warm to wait for winter I guess But I don’t know why, in summer they also heat up a lot. And so we settle down in this new waiting cabin. We start eating. And then we realize it’s very hot. And Audrey and Guillaume, they realize the obvious

That it won’t be possible to sleep in it, it’s so hot. So they start repack their stuff and leave. And Simon and I are a little bit in denial because we don’t want to move. We know it’s going to rain as well, so we don’t

Feel like folding up the tent in the rain the next morning. So we try to sleep We lie bare-chested because it’s too hot, even just to put on a diaper or to put on a sleeping bag.

And we try to sleep like that, except, voila, an hour goes by, nothing happens, we just suffocate. So we go out and pitch the tent the traffic circle just in front of the cabin. And the next morning, we wake up to the first the first passengers from the boat arrive

Who see us set up like this, like big gypsies on the traffic circle. So we repackage everything fairly quickly out of respect for them and then we start our day. On this 13th stage, we’ve literally been rain all day.

And that’s when you say it’s a good thing you’re not the only one riding. With Simon, we were always laughing all the time We marveled at each new panorama. And yeah, I know on my own it would have been a whole different ballgame.

I would have cogitated a lot doubts would have piled up again. We’ve just crossed the guardians of the premises who guard the Viking lands By 2pm we were so cold. that we stopped at a supermarket to warm up.

We spent 2-3h there hoping that the rain the rain to let up, but to no avail. So we headed back to the next the next ferry waiting hut. Praying that that it wasn’t too hot. Over the last 5 kilometers, we took a huge adverse,. but fortunately we a great little hut,

Where we were even able to set the heater to dry our stuff. Today’s big disappointment Today’s weather forecast the sun with probability 100% but not look around how it is it’s just rain and rain again This is the last morning with Simon after three days together

It returns to southern Norway via the mountains while I continue further north towards Trondheim It’s sad, of course, to part company, but at the same time so grateful to have few days, especially given the weather. and as fate would have it things as the sun is back this afternoon We parted at noon

About 3 hours ago with Simon this afternoon it’s sunny it feels really good especially to get back on your own it’s never easy after 2 days and a half accompanied to leave like that especially when there are so many kilometers left Friends, today is day 14 and it’s been exactly 2 weeks ago

That I’ve been away since Strasbourg and while searching I wanted again to put myself in a waiting hut for the boats but it was closed so I tried to back up, I asked a person for water she kindly offered to let me sleep in the garden so I set up the tent

She offered me a shower. so it feels so good after 3 days 3-4 days even I think to take another shower, to be fresh again and then the place is magical, the sun sun, in front of the sea with the mountains, plus there’s a little wind.

So normally I won’t have any condensation tomorrow it’s the perfect place. I’m going to eat quietly here, I’m going to bed for a 14th day, for 2 weeks straight I have a dream bivouac spot Hello friends, it’s day 16 today. Waking up was not easy in this weather.

I don’t know if you can see, it’s misty and wet like this. So it’s always difficult to to get out of the tent at a time like this. Yesterday, I didn’t film at all all day, because I’ve actually decided to leave Eurovélo1. to take the road directly to Trondheim.

Since in fact on Eurovélo1, the last part to Trondheim, there are far too many ferries and then a tunnel to go through. You have to take a bus because you can’t take it by bike. So too many logistics. So yesterday I spent the day with the cars

On some sort of departmental regional road, I don’t know. So it wasn’t super pleasant, but I made a lot of progress. 70 km to Trondheim. That’s the kind of morning. where you’re really happy to leave fog cold It’s early afternoon I’ve just arrived on the other side of Trondheim

I don’t know what it’s called I took the boat I met two Frenchmen who left Paris and also heading for the North Cape unfortunately we don’t have the same rhythm. but it makes me happy yeah to talk with them a bit I just stopped there to ask for water at

A grandpa a grandma who were outside they didn’t speak English but they gave me water and the grandma she took me out an ice cream from the freezer it feels so good not the ice but just like human warmth just like getting ice cream and to see the smile

It puts a smile on your face End of day 16, I just finished eating. I burned my cheese pasta but that’s not the point. Today I passed Trondheim. This was a pivotal point, since six days ago when I was in the airbnb before Bergen

I had set my sights on this city city, thinking I’d make a point of it whether or not to continue the adventure to North Cape. Today, I’ve passed this city city, so after almost a week. I’m happy and proud of it. Unfortunately, I have a pain that is

Appeared in the early afternoon in my Achilles heel. and intensified quite a bit this afternoon up to a a little above the ankle. I don’t know what it is. May be inflammation, tendinitis in the Achilles heel. I hope tomorrow will be better. I’ve been riding for 10 minutes.

At the moment I have no pain I’ll try not to force it too much because I feel it could come back at any time I just saw a sign there Bodø 656km Bodø is an important stopover because it’s the town from which we take

The ferry to the Lofoten Island which are famous for their landscapes And then everything follow on from each other We reach Tromsø, then Alta, and then we’re 2-3 days to North Cape. So this is the first time you really start to see the end.

It’s lunchtime. Let me show you what it might be like in Norway. bread with mayonnaise or a box of macros. This is the most profitable. the bread was in reduction so it’s perfect It’s nourishing and it’s good that we’ve made the effort in the morning, we eat anything

I’m lucky the pain seems to have gone. As the first week in Norway was extremely complicated weather-wise. I was afraid it was going to get worse and worse as I rode further and further north. But from Trondheim onwards, a change has taken place.

And I was treated beautiful sunny day with perfect riding weather. And between the fiordes with these wild landscapes, it was grandiose. It’s the end of 17th stage, I think. I’m enjoying the last few minutes of cooking time. pasta to show you a little of what I eat.

There, there’s pasta. Here, there’s cheese with bread. And I’ll add some pesto sauce. For dessert, there’s a bit of bread with a little nutella perhaps. On paper, it’s not great but I assure you. I eat this almost every night and it’s a treat 170 km today, 2000 d+ No ankle pain.

A pretty perfect day. I’m going to rest and reattack tomorrow. The days are going by and I’m heading further and further north. It feels like there are far fewer villages and shops after Trondheim. This forces to do a little more attentive to supermarket refuelling.

But it’s great fun, there are very few people on the roads. I sleep again in a boathouse and the next day I just miss my ferry But it allows me to to meet Thibaut. a Belgian who also go to the Lofoten Islands so we decided to ride together.

We spend a great afternoon climbing down to a magnificent panorama. But the rain makes late afternoon. So we set down again in a boat shelter to spend the night dry. Start day 20 under the fleet The start is difficult because it’s raining cats and dogs,.

But we know that the afternoon will be sunny,. which will keep us warm. On the boat, at lunchtime, we meet we meet two other French speakers. Thomas and Gaëtan, with whom we get along super well, we share the early afternoon together, but likewise, we don’t have the same rhythm,

So Thomas, he prefers to take his time a little more so we decide to land at a campsite a little further away. So we get there pretty quickly with Gaëtan and Thibault. So we land, The campsite manager offers to lend us his car so we can do some shopping.

So we’re off with Gaëtan. And on the way back back to the campsite, we come across Thomas, a little head in the handlebars, who has just passed the turnoff from the campsite. So we honk at him and he’s startled like this at first, he doesn’t realize it’s us.

So we turn around at the end of the end of the bridge to look for him. And actually, the funny thing is. if we hadn’t been there, driving past he never have found us, so we wouldn’t have spent the evening together.

Especially we ate fish caught of the day from a campsite guy, it was incredible. And the next day, I only had 60 kilometers left, so there was no pressure to join Bodo where I had my boat, in the late afternoon to go to the Lofoten Islands Hello friends

Welcome to the Lofoten this is day 22 I arrived yesterday by boat at 8pm here we are we’re entering week 4 surely the last of of this journey to the North Cape I haven’t filmed much these last few days since I was with 3 other French speakers

One French, one Belgian and one Swiss it’s still early days so there’s no one I’m crossing Reine it’s a small village typical here yeah it’s just too beautiful with the lights the mountains and everything Oula we’ll try not to fall hello team it’s day 23 it seems so yesterday I left Moskenes

To cross the Lofoten Islands unfortunately around 9-10am the traffic has become quite dense. even though it’s beautiful it was a bit more boring around 4pm at the boat I met a German girl we drove a little together we set up the bivouac together the evening

It’s great it took me a while slow down in my day because at 4pm I’ve still done 160km it did me good to chat a bit and then to be a little quieter The Lofoten Islands are over Now we’re entering a tunnel I think the last section

I’ll wait for the car to pass I think the last stretch this is the portion with the most tunnels so this is the most dangerous section. and here the uphill tunnels are it’s not great but good we move forward I did 100 kilometers this morning we’ll try to do 100 again

It’s 6:30 pm the legs are starting to sting here I’m not hiding the fact that it’s it’s hard and the ass too I’ll take you back 5min later because I don’t know what’s going on there on the bike but the chain she keeps jumping I have no idea why

Maybe she’s just plain dead it’s busting my balls I’m 15km from the city. I’m dead I’m in an uphill climb there are more climbs after so yeah it’s a bit of a buzzkill. I’ll see how how I can handle this

I find myself stuck like this at the end of the day, in the middle of a climb, not being able to move forward. I start to fiddle the cable tension on my derailleur, thinking it might be the chain chain between gears.

Except that I can’t pinpoint the problem. I’m starting to hitchhike with a little apprehension, because I have to find a car big enough to fit the bike. I see a pick-up truck coming up the road. I stand in the middle of the road to stop him. I explain the problem.

He kindly agrees to take me to the next boat station boat station to take the boat to Tromsø. So, the next day, I arrive around 9am at a bike store. Explaining my problem. We start by changing the chain. It always jumps. We change the tape too. It always jumps.

And finally, we realize that, in fact, it’s the freewheel that’s the problem. So, it’s a little more complicated. he starts dismantling everything, tightening the tightening the freewheel, reassembling it. It still jumps. He reassembles it. He’s tightening it. otherwise, re-greasing it. It still not working. Still jumping.

He explains that the freewheel is broken that they don’t have the parts to fix it. and that if we order, it would take about 7 days to come. And I didn’t have that kind of time ahead of me So the only solution to keep going, was to change the whole wheel.

Most importantly to send my old wheel to France, since it’s a Mavic wheel aluminum wheel. I didn’t want to just leave it in the garbage just for the sake of a freewheel. So I started looking for a solution There was no carrier that send big necklaces like that,

From Norway, directly to France. Anyway, I haven’t found any. So the only solution left was to send this wheel to Alta the city from which I had planned to to fly into France,

And so to put this wheel in the box with my bike in the hold of the plane going back to France. So, I decided to change and drop off my old one. wheel to the supermarket which which acted as a general delivery

And that’s how I left at 17:00, at the end of the day under a heavy rain shower. Trying to reach the next ferry station by hoping for a waiting cabin to spend the night dry. Except that when I arrive by boat, I realize there isn’t one.

So I finally decide to set up my bivouac bivouac in the toilets to spend the night dry. Hello friends yesterday’s bivouac spot wasn’t very glorious. I slept in the toilet in fact I was so cold after I left it was raining it was 8 degrees yeah I stopped in the ferry waiting toilet

Today is magic great sunshine I’m in short sleeves it’s nice the landscapes are beautiful after yesterday’s shitty day it feels really good I’m just enjoying it. I’ve got my plane in 6 days now I know I normally have time I’m not in a rush to take it so yeah now it’s chill

Just enjoying from these landscapes one last week before returning to France I don’t know if it’ll do and here it is Look at this it’s better than farting but when you sleep and it doesn’t go away by itself it stays like that it’s pretty annoying

I hope canvas doesn’t get expensive when it folds but here it is it’s not easy to sleep it’s currently 3am here we are we’re well above the Arctic Circle there are beautiful colors there but I’d just like to sleep to be fit tomorrow it’s not great

All right, I’m at the start now of the 26th day may be the penultimate friends this is historic first panel I think it’s a bit far so you can see it just over there North Cape 240km 240km from the goal guys it’s good to see that it’s 3:31 pm I’ve just passed Alta

It was a pain but not possible I had to find a box. to put the bike on the plane had to eat I arrived I was half in hypoglicemia I was hungry and yeah the box I arrived the guy tells me there are 4 people on the waiting list in front of me

Then I’m 5th he was supposed to call them in the late afternoon to find out whether they wanted the box or not he called them right away none of them answered then he called me back like 2 hours later he said yeah that’s good you can have the box big straight line

Back wind It’s on, guys I’m a little sore again left achilles heel but it’s almost the end of the day I’m going to stop so I think I’ll be okay tomorrow this is crazy stuff with the little sun there the golden hour that lasts for hours

With the wind at your back it’s divine small slope here I have nothing to pedal Normally I should be approaching to my bivouac spot this is a small church with flat land next to it a chapel maybe over there I don’t know if this is it but Day 27, last day maybe on this crossing Strasbourg Cap Nord if you don’t count the return days.

This morning it’s hot, it’s too much, it’s the hottest morning since the start of the adventure while I’m 200 km from North Cape normally I have 160 km to North Cape. if all goes well well, maybe more. I don’t know if it count the tunnel under the sea.

Big scare this morning because I was standing there watching and I hear something that goes pfff, I say to myself, holy shit, did I puncture or what? Actually no, it’s just the water bottle leaking because I put in an isotonic lozenge.

And it’s fizzy so with the gas it was coming out a little bit through the cap Yeah, a little scare, it’s 8:42 am, I’m off to a late start. First reindeer, guys that’s so funny they don’t give a damn they’re out there on the road the goal is getting closer and closer

I joined another cyclist there who is on the North Cape 4000 it’s incredible he’s done 4000km at last 3950km in 21 or 22 days it’s just crazy and here we are just before the last little big tunnel of 7km that goes under the sea will be a big downhill

And then it’s the finish quasi-at North Cape it’s going to be just incredible This tunnel is quite a symbol, everyone’s been talking about it since the beginning,. there’s a long first descent where you often a little cold and then it goes up quite a bit

Over 200 meters of ascent in the dark dark with the cars so it’s a bit. stressful but it went really well for us. the North Cape is 31km away this is the end now it’s getting closer this is crazy I think there are still a few climbs left. but

It’s crazy to get there yesterday the sign was 250km then it got closer we went under 100 and now it’s 31 we’re still enjoying it the view is magnificent and here it is let’s make the most of it a max max

And here I am after 27 days of 4000 km I’ve reached the end of my journey. From Strasbourg to Europe’s northernmost point my adventure will have been rich in color. From mechanical glitches, to full days of reconditioning question in the rain, from sumptuous Nordic landscapes, to bursts of laughter shared with others

Travelers we met along the way the contrast was striking. When I left hope that this experience would tame me the meanderings of my moods, that it invites me to sail more safely the turbulent course of life. And yet I realize now that it’s in tumult, in these impetuous cascades,

Where the most precious moments are to be found those that give all their to the moment of tranquility. now we’re here it’s just over there guys it looks like there’re a lot of people but it’s done the job has been done look at that view again that last part was incredible

A lot of climbing but that was so beautiful and there it is this is the finish, it’s beautiful, guys Friends it’s done I’ve arrived in North Cape you’ll excuse me I’m not doing the video over there at the monument because there’s everyone, everyone wants to take their picture

That’s funny, there were lots of French people. It felt good to get there, the last few kilometers were super tough. There was a lot of climbing. So here we are. Friends, this is a fucking what’s going on. I arrived in Frankfurt.

There was already a delay, 30 minutes late so I missed my flixbus. I was supposed to arrive Strasbourg tonight at 11pm. Get my bike together, get home home by midnight, get a good night’s sleep and all that. And now I’m stuck in Frankfurt stuck, having to spend the night.

And then with a phone that decided to stop. Right now, it’s never happened to me. There have been times times when he’s blocked like this. you press the button to turn it off and it restarts. There’s nothing you can do He’s calling calling me right now on the phone,

The phone is ringing, but nothing’s happening. We arrived at 7.45pm, it’s now 9pm now, we’ve just picked up the box. I’m with my new buddy, he’s got big holes in the box. and we’re going to unpack and reassemble the bike hoping for the best. I thought I’d eat my emergency meal, semolina.

But in fact, I have no gas because the gas, I left it in Norway because you’re not allowed to take it on the plane Cold water is used. Okay, guys, it’s 10:30 p.m., the bike is ready look at the gypsy wheel

I need to wedge it in here, so it doesn’t get in the way of my driving. I just have to to eat deer chocolate and the semolina I showed you I’m making myself a little tile some chocolate bars for sugar I’ll try to two, three hours, move forward as much as possible.

The phone, look, it’s still stopped. 8:11pm, guys, the challenge is to get there before 8:11pm tomorrow in Geispolsheim 250 kilometers, I think. We’re going to give ourselves the means I’ll try to make as much progress as possible today. And tomorrow, we’re going to try to trace too.

Here we are at 22:30, there’s one more unknown. Does the GPS, if I put in Geispolsheim or Strasbourg, back to there. Normally yes, but well, we’ll see. I’m a little worried, though. when we leave the airport. It’s a big hassle because actually,

As I feared, the GPS is not up to date, as I feared. so it makes me go through roads. in gravel and sometimes with larger stones When it’s just gravel, it’s fine, I can pass, but when there are stones rocks, it jumps and stuff.

It’s a pain, especially since I’ve got the wheel right behind here. So right now, I’m trying a little trial and error. it’s dangerous because all of a sudden, I’m driving on the road with the cars. I’ve only got one headlamp, so I use it to light up the front.

I have two large patches that make me to be visible from the rear. But when there are cars arriving, so the light I hold in my hand and I shake it back to signal my presence. So that’s it, we do a little as we can.

I hope I’ll come across a bike path afterwards. It’s 2 a.m. and I’ve pitched the tent because I’ve run out of battery power battery in my headlamp. I can’t move forward without seeing something. I’m sitting next to a truck so I don’t talk too loud

The spot is super wet but there’s nothing else. So I put up the tent I’m going to eat my semolina. I might as well tell you that it doesn’t look good But that’s the way it is. So I’m going to eat my semolina, go to bed

Tomorrow I won’t set an alarm clock, I’ll see. I normally have 195 km to go. now that I’ve done 50. So there you have it 200 mark So tomorrow late afternoon I should arrive home So that’s it, that’s the most important thing. I’m going to eat and go to bed.

The next morning I jumped on the first train I saw going south without worrying about the destination. I ended up in Mannheim and then Karlsruhe, from where I could get to Lauterbourg and finally return to Strasbourg mid-afternoon. Long live adventure, long live bikepacking