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Lapland - Norway Highlights from 2008

SPONSOR A STUDENT FOR THE 2010 TRIP PROGRAM

Country: Norway (Lapland)
Tour: 16-days including travel time
Dates: July 13 - 27, 2010
Type of tour: mountain bike touring and camping
Staff: Renee Swanson and Lanier Nabahe + 1 other volunteer staff
Minimum participants: 9 youth, 3 adult staff

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.

• Minimum of 9 students and 3 adult leaders (students 14 to 17 years of age)

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

• Use of mountain bike touring equipment, camping gear, panniers
• All group meals: three meals a day
• Camping and lodging in campgrounds and hotels
• Tour mechanic and guide

Itinerary

Day 1 Pre-Trip Orientation: spend the day participating in team-building activities, going for bike rides, learning basic bicycle maintenance skills, and packing your gear and bike.

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 witness 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 rustic cabins and eat traditional reindeer stew and relax in a sauna.

5 Bike from Ramfjord Camp to Breivik (mix of coastal and inland).

6 Bike from Breivik to Lyngseidet (coastal with a short ferry ride across Ullsfjord). Nils will be our local host in Lyngseidet. We will stay with local families and spend two nights in the area.

7 Stay in Lyngseidet. Nils will arrange a variety of activities for us: hike in the Lyngen Alps, view the midnight sun while fishing, enjoy a camp fire cookout with local families and friends plus more.

8 Bike from Lyngseidet to Storslett (mix of inland and coastal with a short ferry ride across Lyngenfjord). Sigrund and Svein Arne will be our local hosts in Storslett. Rick (the trip guide) lived in Storslett for one year as a foreign exchange student in 1983-84 and has maintained several contacts there. 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 from Stroslett to Bilto (inland). This is a ride along the Reisa River towards Reisadalen National Park. At the end of the road, which is around 52 km from Storslett, we will camp or begin our trek to the Mollisfossen waterfall.

10 Mollisfossen water fall and return to Storslett. Depending on the water levels, we will either hike or take a river boat to the Mollisfossen waterfall, spend the afternoon and then start biking back toward Storslett.

11 Bike Storslett to Skjervøy (mix of inland and coastal).

12 Skjervøy to Tromsø by Hurtiruten. The Coastal Ferry Line of Norway. We will again be hosted at the Kvaløysletta Sports Hall near Tromsø with our local host Jens Ole.

13 Bike from Tromsø to 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 either spend the night in a traditional Sami “lavvo,” or 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.

14 Bike from Sommarøy to Kvaløysletta Sports Hall (inland). This route will be along the other side of the island we traveled to get to Sommarøy. You will have the opportunity to visit museums and shops in Tromsø and then go out for our last night in Norway with our local hosts.

15 Pack up our bikes and gear and fly back to N. America.

Highlights from 2008