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Lapland - Norway

Country: Norway (Lapland)
Tour: 2 - weeks
Dates: July 21 - August 5, 2012
Type of tour: self supported - mountain bike touring
Participants: Adult Trip with guide (Rick McFerrin)
Cost: 1,050 + airfare and a fundraising pledge

Group Makeup

• minimum 8 adults, maximum 11 adults, plus guide(s)

• Average daily miles: 50 km (30 miles)
• Overall difficulty rating: beginner to intermediate

Logistics and Equipment

• TWV can coordinate your air travel from your departure point.
• Where we sleep: It's a mix of accommodations including common stays at community sports centers, cabins, private resorts and camping.
• Equipment: The trip cost includes use of mountain bike touring bicycle, panniers, and camping gear. Pack your personal items and we take care of the rest.
  

Trip Description

Spend mid-summer in the Arctic Circle. It's an adventure of a lifetime that will be unforgettable. Lapland is not a country in itself, but a region of northern Europe. It is mostly in the Arctic Circle, northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and some of Russia. Lapland is the last big wilderness in Western Europe. High mountains, open plateaus, forests, rivers and waterfalls meet the cultural landscape of the Sami people, making this an outstanding place to visit. The Sami are the indigenous people of the northern Scandinavian peninsular and there is a population of 7000 in Lapland. They settled in the north about 4000 years ago and during the Middle Ages the Vikings drove the Sami up to the Arctic Circle.

Lapland Scenery
Lapland has the last remaining expanse of wilderness in northern Europe, including the coastline, forests, mountains and unspoiled rivers. Most rivers still run free from the mountains to the sea, following channels cut ten thousand years ago by the melting inland ice. The enormous forest areas are sparsely populated, but there are plenty of wild animals such as moose and bear. The coastline of Lapland is also easily accessible. You will find numerous bays, long sandy beaches and picturesque fishing villages.

Highlights from Previous Lapland Expeditions
Two Wheel View operates in a select handful of the most wonderful regions in the world - Lapland is at the top of the list. Two Wheel View programs focus on adventurous, active, environmental and educational opportunities. You will get to meet locals that will provide you interesting, accurate, and helpful knowledge about this region. There is lots of sunlight (lots of it), the sun will not set for the duration of this expedition. That means 24-hours of sunlight everyday for two weeks. You will be traveling by bike through some of the most beautiful mountain and sea landscapes imaginable. Fish for Arctic Char along the shores of fjords, climb mountain peaks in the Lyngen Alps, meet and stay with locals in small villages along the way, eat reindeer and other traditional foods, and learn the benefits of travel by bike.

Itinerary

A Pre-Trip Orientation will be scheduled in advance of the trip for selected departure points.

Day 1/2 International departure to Tromsø, Norway via Oslo. Our trip will begin in Tromsø, Norway’s most northern city. It is known as the ‘Gateway to the Arctic’ and a spectacular location to see the midnight sun.

3 Sightseeing in Tromsø, nicknamed "the Paris of the North" - is a lively city, located spectacularly on an island in Northern Norway, and surrounded by mountains, fjords and islands in all directions. It is the largest city in the region, and residents will frequently point out that their outpost is home to the "World's Northernmost" brewery, university, planetarium, and mountain cable car, to name a few. Jens Ole will be our local host and show us the highlights from a local perspective. We will be hosted at the Kvaløysletta Sports Hall and the indoor soccer field will be used as our base camp.

4 Bike from Tromsø to Ramfjord Camp (coastal). Stay in simple cabins and eat traditional reindeer stew. Afterwards relax in a sauna and take a swim in the fjord.

5 Bike from Ramfjord Camp to Lyngseidet (mix of coastal and inland with a short ferry ride across Ullsfjord). Nils will be our local host in Lyngseidet. We will camp on the farm of a local family.

6 Bike from Lyngseidet to Spakenes. (mostly coastal with a short ferry ride over a fjord). Stay at a local B & B or camp in the forest above the penninsula.

7-8 BIke from Spakenes to Storslett (mix of inland and coastal). Rick (the trip guide) lived in Storslett for one year as a foreign exchange student in 1983-84 and has maintained several contacts there. We will spend two days in Storslett and will be hosted at a friends river retreat - beautiful views and a sauna near the river. On the way to Storslett you will pass a traditional Sami camp where you can learn more about the native people of this region and buy local art and crafts.

9 Bike Storslett to Skjervøy (mix of inland and coastal).We will pass by the Sami camp again this day to make any last minute purchases of local arts and crafts. On the way to Skjervøy we will pass through a 3km tunnel under the sea at a depth of 92 meters below sea level. The local road crew closes the tunnel for our safe passage and we emerge with grins from a very unique experience. In Skjervøy we will take the Coastal Ferry Hurtigruten to Tromsø. After our 4 hour ferry ride we will take a mid-night ride through Tromsø back to the Kvaløysletta Sports Hall near Tromsø with our local host Jens Ole.

10 Day in Tromsø. NIght out in the city.

11 Bike from Tromsø to Lauklines. A spectacular ride to the outer islands of Norway's coast. A small road will take us to the fishing village of Lauklines where we will sleep in a traditional Sami tent called a lavvo.

12 Sommarøy (mix of coastal and inland). Sommarøy is a vibrant coastal community in northern Norway, where fishing and hunting has been the livelihood since time immemorial. We will take advantage of the comforts of a hotel in Sommarøy. Jens Ole’s friend, a local chef, will prepare a delicious Norwegian meal for us at the hotel and teach us about the local cuisine. A wood fired hot tub and sauna are on the menu after our delicious dinner.

13 Bike from Sommarøy to a beautiful camping area right on the coast. This route will be along the other side of the island we traveled to get to Sommarøy. We will visit the summer home of our local host for a traditional afternoon coffee and then set up camp near by.

14 Bike to the Havebrukstation (fish research station). This is where TWV bikes are stored between trips. Another local friend, Nils, is the technical engineer at this facility and will give us a tour and treat us to a rare fish meal. We will sleep in the care takers house on the property and have use of the hot tub and kitchen area.

15 Nils will drive us back to the Kvaløysletta Sports Hall near Tromsø and we will pack our gear and prepare for our travel back to N. America. If there is time you will have the opportunity to visit Tromsø one more time.

Quiet bike paths along the way

Sommarøy cabins