One of the advantages of riding north is the changing seasons, which seem to move as you ride. When I left the UK, spring had been and gone and young lambs were a distant memory. As I ride north through Scandinavia on my old R1150GSA, occasionally making good progress, but mostly on unmade up and gravel roads, I can see and smell the countryside around me. What strikes me most is the resemblance to the harsh southern European brush and scrub land, a sandy thin layer of soil tenaciously holding on with the aid of tree roots interspersed with massive glacial deposited rock boulders. Standing on the foot pegs controlling the bike gives me time to avoid most of the glacial deposits and plenty of time to smell the smells of spring.
Category Archives: Travel Blogs
Always a pot of gold – Karma
Riding down the coast road near Ytre Svartvik, I was pondering the need for waterproofs… if you ride you know that time. Picture this, it looks like its going to rain so you need to decide if the chance of wetness is greater than the faff required to put on a one piece over-suit designed to keep your textiles from dripping all over the place at the campsite? Trust me putting on wet clothing the following morning is not a pleasant experience but then is neither squeezing yourself into your boil in the bag waterproof over-suit. As I waited, contemplating outpacing the clouds, an Italian scooter rider stopped and with the international language of gesticulation we agreed he needed petrol and with the R1150GSA holding 30 litres I gave him enough to see him on his way, I thought that was my good deed of the day but then I got a puncture…. so much for karma!
Nordkapp… now bust
There are some places that as a motorcycle rider you need to visit, its a bit like riding from John O’Groats to Lands End in the UK or riding the Glossgrockner, Trollstigen or Stelvio passes – it just has to be done. Riding to Nordkapp takes some determination but trust me you wont be on your own. Beautiful coast hugging roads and a whole host of other crazy determined people will accompany you on your trip. I rode east across sandy Arctic wilderness, struck by the similarity to the dry scrubby Mediterranean landscape (but with snow), amazed and the hardiness of the local Sami people who live and work this land making a living from Reindeer farming. On the way back to my camp, I managed to pick up a puncture which rather scuppered my evening, but having purchased a new tire at Norwegian rates, I have now run out of money and need to ride south…