The final update for the Great EuroVelo Bicycle Tour! It has been a grand total of 61 days on tour (from June 5 to Aug 5) but 71 days in total including flights and time spent after Uri reached the final destination.
If you have made it this far, thanks for following along on the journey!
July 23: Day 51 Hammar to Øygarden, Norway
(50 miles, 2175 ft of gain, Komoot map)
At this point, Uri has been pretty used to getting rained on, but after another precipitation-induced night, Uri woke up to sun! When life in the north gives you sunshine, you must dry out everything you have, and this included hanging damp garments on the outside of his bike during the ride to Lillehammer. As with a lot of the trip, this particular area also resembled and reminded Uri of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, with its steep rolling hills and long lakes. But, the scenery started to change after Lillehammer when he entered a stunning river valley, and the mountains began to swell in size. The vegetation was a luscious green, and golden hour set on the region. It was times like this that he relished in general positive feelings and worthwhileness.
Along the way, he met a French guy in his mid to late 20s who was touring for 7 months aimlessly. He was hardcore, strapping all types of gear onto a cheap general-store mountain bike. The two exchanged stories from the road. It was funny that the rain that was bothering Uri was shrugged off by the French biker who stated, "Once you get through your first week of freezing rain, you realize that it's possible to bike in this weather without a problem."
Uri's final resting place for this day was a road pull-out on a logging road, which prompted some valid hesitation. Namely, would a car accidentally run him over here? It also began raining heavily, and from the cozy interior of his tent, the walls began to sag with gathering moisture. Even the upcoming forecast on his weather app looked bleak, with fat raincloud icons and chilling temperatures that only foreshadowed more challenges. Morale became increasingly low, and Uri debated whether or not to quit, looking up train lines just in case this wasn't worth it anymore. Could he be satisfied with what he had done so far? Was grinding to the finish line, unhappy, worth it?
As he recorded the day through audio on his phone, you could hear the loud pattering of fat raindrops hitting the tent. In all this, he did end by saying that he was very happy—the landscape was incredible, it was just challenging to stay warm in the persistent rain, and the line between comfort and safety was on his mind.
July 24: Day 52 Øygarden, Norway to Otta, Norway
(51.4, 3475 ft of gain, Komoot map)
Biked to pilgrim house. Had a super sausage. This was the only written note Uri had sent me about his day before he elaborated by audio.
To elaborate, it was a grind. The entire day was an uphill battle with no switchbacks, something we are very used to in the Northeast US. There was a highway section to tackle early in the day that was not ideal for cyclists, and he was being covered by water from both the passing cars and rain from above. It's kind of like in the movie Forest Gump, where he described every type of rain he experienced in Vietnam:
“One day it started raining, and it didn't quit for four months. We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain...and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath. Shoot, it even rained at night...”
Caving to the prospect of a warm bed instead of a wet tent, Uri ended the day at a guest house for travelers on the St. Olav pilgrimage, the route that he was using to travel north to Trondheim. A religious Norwegian grandma owned the house, and she recommended Uri ask for the "special sausage" at a cheap roadside grill in Otta. For as odd as it sounded, it was actually just what he needed- a large hotdog overflowing with chili, cheese, onions, and french fries.
July 25: Day 53 Otta, Norway to Dombås, Norway
(48.4 miles, 3975 ft of gain, Komoot map)
And to no one's surprise, Uri woke up to more heavy rain. This was not very promising, and he concluded that he needed to change the route, spending the morning making new maps. The original route was on gravel, and he worried it would be too muddy after the downpour. He instead opted to stay on an established bike route in the valley, but this meant it would be the most climbing Uri would have to do on any single day of the tour. Furthermore, on this day, he had 5 miles of highway riding. Riding on the E6 highway was terrifying: there was no shoulder, many blind turns, and his wide panniers kept knocking the guard rails. While he worried about falling, the drivers were thankfully very respectful.
On the ride, Uri accidentally scraped his front wheel against a nail on one of the many herder's gates, leading to a small tear in his side wall. There wasn't anywhere to get this mended, so he slapped some duct tape on the tear, became temporarily religious, and kept biking.
Today, the topography was strictly on the up. The mountains were towering, and biking above the treeline was stunning. Uri arrived to an incredible shelter on a lake. He was joined by two French hikers, engineering students in their early 20s. As part of their degree requirements, they needed to do an internship, which could be whatever they wanted. So, they chose wwoofing in Norway (WWOOF: World Wide Organization of Organic Farms). Today, Uri and the students were all freezing, but misery loves company: they bonded over the suffering— shivering through cold and quick dinners. Behind the shelter, a German guy played his radio loudly. From this touring experience, German campers were (by far) the loudest ones at camp.
Even though there was a shelter, the French students chose to set up tents, but they became soaked immediately. Between everyone here at camp, Uri slept the driest by making a bivy-sort of cover by wrapping ground cloth around himself at the back end of the shelter.
July 26: Day 54 Dombås, Norway to Rennebu, Norway
Not wanting to get caught on another awful highway section, Uri set his alarm for 4:30 AM. This might sound intense, but at this latitude, the sun never really set anyway in the summer. And it was a smart move: for 24 miles of highway E6, Uri speedily biked for 1.5 hr with no traffic!
When he finished the highway in Opdal, he dismounted the bike and twisted his ankle because his feet were numb from the freezing rain. Fortunately, Opdal had a nice coffee shop where he could get warm, charge his phone, and wrap himself in blankets, which the cafe graciously provided. While there, he had his tire checked out and was given the OK to keep biking until Trondheim. He also bought two pairs of wool socks that immediately helped warm his feet.
His ride for the day wasn't over yet, and he continued the slow and steady climb until he made it to another beautiful park shelter that hung over a lake. It was a gorgeous location, though suspended in the air above the water made for a restless night in the damp air.
July 27: Day 55 Rennebu, Norway to Trondheim, Norway
(65.4 miles, 3675 ft of gain, Komoot map)
Downhill!!!!!!! What a glorious feeling, especially in surprisingly nice weather!!
Today, gravel roads turned into single track which turned into bushwhacking and river crossings. Generally, Uri really enjoyed music when riding solo, but there is also a lot to be said for turning off distractions and enjoying nature. However, in the midst of the silent bush-wacking, Uri almost ran into a moose! They both spooked each other but, thankfully, the moose didn't charge. Needless to say, the music came back on.
Leaving the forest with a tremendous downhill on perfect gravel, Uri made it to a grocery store for lunch. Then, he began his long-awaited arrival to Trondheim which entailed a nice mix of side roads, bike paths, and new tires (!). The mechanic who received Uri's bike not only put on new tires but he also insisted on a new chain and cassette. He was conservative in his part-replacement philosophy (a new chain every 400 miles is ridiculous!). But the mechanic was very nice, even connecting Uri with his dad, who drove him to a different store to get a cassette that they didn't have. At the very least, Uri feels confident that he has equipment that won't fail him for the last leg of the tour.
He ended the day at an Airbnb owned by a Peruvian lady and a Norwegian man. The man was in a wheelchair, possibly from a stroke or another such incident. Both were very kind, and the Airbnb was dry, warm, and clean. The surrounding neighborhood felt like a utopia: it was right on the water and everyone appeared relaxed, healthy, and genuinely happy.
July 28: Day 56 Trondheim, Norway
Rest days are less for resting and more for doing non-biking things, i.e. chores. Uri woke up late and commenced his earthly duties: He cleaned the sleeping pad (which gets absolutely atrocious smelling), fixed his shoes with tape and glue (they were hanging on for dear life), cleaned out his water bottle (hello, mold), and grocery shopped.
Uri left the Airbnb around 2 PM to do some tourism by visiting the cathedral that marked the end of the St. Olav pilgrimage, walking around the nice shops downtown, and stopping at a hip coffee shop to plan out the last leg of the tour. On the whole, Trondheim was both super pleasant yet felt surprisingly small.
That night, Uri returned to the Airbnb where the hosts were having a party for Peruvian Independence Day. He was treated to some amazing cooking and made two Colombian friends!
July 29: Day 57 Trondheim, Norway to Måmyrvatnet lake (Åfjord, Norway)
As Uri remounted the bike, he immediately realized that he could have used an extra day in Trondheim. A bit sad to leave his new friends and a warm bed (but excited to see the West Coast of Norway), Uri started what would be the most rewarding section of the tour.
Today, the weather was shockingly pleasant: overcast, no wind, 65F. As the day unfolded, the landscapes began to get increasingly spectacular. By the end of the day, Uri felt like he was biking through Yosemite on the ocean, with large cliffs rising right out of the water.
The day ended at a cozy park shelter. There were boats for rental, and he took the opportunity to take one out before getting sketched out from the waves and wind.
July 30: Day 58 Måmyrvatnet lake (Åfjord, Norway) to Fjalbotnet lake (outside Namsos, Norway)
Up until this point, the view had been slowly getting more and more beautiful, but today was the prettiest section of the tour yet! The weather was perfect, the sky was a glorious bluebird shade of blue, there was no wind, and he was surrounded by fjords. His lunch breaks were on gorgeous lakes, and his ferry crossing took him past the sea. Along the road were really impressive rock formations, and there were cliffs and small rock islands everywhere. There was no question that Uri had made it to the fjords, and they were even more impressive than he had imagined.
When he caught up with his Wi-Fi needs at a gas station, Uri gushed to the teenage worker that he (the employee) lived in one of the most beautiful places ever.
The typical teenage response: "Eh, it's ok".
Now his norm, the day was full of big climbing. As he was pushing up a large hill near the end of the day, an Austrian man named Gerault (aka Gerry) joined him. Together, the two arrived at a campsite on a lake. They had some nice, but short, conversations, sharing traveling stories. Uri thought that he would probably not see Gerry again, but sharing a campsite with someone was a welcome change.
July 31: Day 59 Fjalbotnet lake (outside Namsos, Norway) to Kolvereid, Norway
(61.6 miles, 4000 ft of gain, Komoot map)
Biking in the fjords means many ferry crossings. While service is regular, it can be a bummer to get stuck waiting anywhere from 30 min - 3 hrs every few miles. Needless to say, this makes for some exciting dashes between ferry stops. In the long-term, this might not be the best way to tour, but compared to the regular slow-continuous chugging along that characterizes the pace of non-competitive bike touring, these sprints were super fun. Endorphins + adrenaline + majestic landscapes + the general feeling of self-sufficiency/adventure = excellent rush. Uri and Gerry would meet at each stop, grinning about both making it to the ferry within minutes of its departure.
To round out a good day, Uri even found a shelter on the side of the road. Gerry had decided to continue, but the two exchanged numbers to meet the following day.
Aug 1: Day 60 Kolvereid, Norway to Sømna, Norway
(63 miles, 3450 ft of gain, Komoot map)
In the morning, Uri biked 8 miles to the small village (5 houses and small grocery store) of Naustbukta. There, a CO-OP grocery store welcomed him with free WiFi, coffee, cookies, and Gerry. Here, Uri spent some time adjusting his return flights. It was clear that he would reach the Arctic nearly two weeks earlier than planned. Although Norway was really turning out to be a wonderful adventure, it felt better to spend a couple of days at the end of the trip exploring rather than (a) continue traveling or (b) relaxing for longer.
While Uri and Gerry were hanging out at the store, they had a conversation that has since stuck out to Uri: a middle-aged lady working in the store began to talk about the land-sharing policies of Norway. At the end of the conversation, she apologized for her poor English, which is funny considering that she had just held such a dynamic conversation about land policy in English! This has happened a lot in Europe where people will talk about complex topics and then apologize for their "bad" English.
Eventually, Gerry and Uri split up again because Gerry was biking faster, but the two kept running into each other at ferry crossings. Always a welcome friend! Near the end of the day, Gerry mentioned that he was not prepared to continue biking in the weather and had decided to abandon his plan to make it to Bodø. He would end his trip by car and would get picked up by his son.
Continuing ever northward, it was today that Uri saw the first road signs for Bodø, the fabled endpoint of the great EuroVelo! The evening ride was super pretty: Uri listened to a band called War on Drugs on repeat, and the sun peaked out from the clouds, giving everything a golden-hour glow at the end of the ride. He finished the day at a paid campsite on a fjord to do some laundry and eat heated food. There was a rainbow in the distance; the end was near.
Aug 2: Day 61 Sømna, Norway to Nesna, Norway
(74.5 miles, 2450 ft of gain, Komoot map)
It felt like the longest day of the tour. While the morning was beautiful, an incoming rainstorm made the day have an edge to it. Up until today, Uri was reaching ferries in the knick of time, but his luck turned today, and the three ferry crossings involved hours of waiting in small shelters or restrooms to stay out of the rain.
Waiting for the final ferry until 9:30 PM, Uri didn't roll into the park on the outskirts of Nesna until around 11:30 PM. A surprisingly swanky town in the midst of otherwise small villages.
Despite Nesna's charm, this night's amenities made this the worst campsite of the tour. The park consisted of a huge lodge on the side of a pond, which was intimidating and scary. Despite the open doors of the lodge, the toilets were all locked, prompting people to get creative. As such, in the fatigued haze of setting up camp, Uri was hit with an overwhelming scent of shit. He had stepped in it, and his shoes and neoprene linings were now covered with human waste, though he didn't realize it until he walked into the porch where his sleeping system was set up. Now, the porch had tracks of potent shit everywhere. To match the vibe of the place, dead frogs were floating in the pond. Exhausted, Uri found the energy to do a midnight wash of his gear in the pond and tried to fall asleep. To no avail, he had a terrible night's sleep, the odor keeping him up.
The song Trouble by Cat Stevens was the song of the day.
Aug 3: Day 62 Nesna, Norway to Kvinvatnet lake (near Øresvik, Norway)
(52.6 miles, 2650 ft of gain, Komoot map)
As usual, Uri woke to rain. To kill time, he backtracked to Nesna to slowly shop at a grocery store, waiting for a change in the weather that was promised by the forecast.
After no change in the morning weather, there was no point in staying at the crappy (literally) lodge another night. Uri's ride started with a massive climb that featured headwinds mixed with Norway's ever-present rain. Even though he only went 26 miles before lunch, the morning's ride felt never-ending.
The weather improved after lunch, and the views were postcard-worthy. In fact, this afternoon held the most beautiful landscape of the entire tour with small fishing villages at the base of massive fjords, framed by moody clouds and golden sunlight on the cliffs. The vistas were paired with an accomplished feeling of strength from surpassing another rainstorm.
The day ended with Uri hiking his gear a steep 1 km to a shelter. The beautiful shelter was on a mountain lake, which Uri had all to himself. What do you do when you're alone on a lake? Skinny dip!
In today's audio dispatch, Uri concluded, "Norway is magical".
Aug 4: Day 63 Kvinvatnet lake (near Øresvik, Norway) to Reipå, Norway
(45.4 miles, 2775 ft of gain, Komoot map)
"THE DREAM IS REALIZED"— 63 days from the Mediterranean Sea to the Arctic Circle!
And it was a crazy day. Uri woke up after a great sleep at his shelter, sleeping in while it misted and rained. In the morning, he took the most important ferry ride yet. While on the toilet waiting for the ferry, he realized that he was going to cross the boundary of the Arctic Circle! He convinced someone to snag a picture of him, but in reality, no one on the ferry actually cared. The crescendo was simply an automated announcement on the ferry and a statue, visible from the boat, signifying the Arctic Circle. During the short ferry crossing, Uri wanted to be alone to savor the moment and expect some profound realization. Instead, he met a German cyclist named Johnny and started making small talk, and the ferry ride passed relatively pleasantly with no earth-shattering catharsis.
Uri thought that he would feel different once reaching the Arctic, but he didn't. The town he arrived at didn't feel celebratory. So, he continued doing what he did best: he rode. And, it really was a good ride. Uri felt as strong as the landscape. The quiet finishline was, in some way, an affirmation of independence, and it felt good.
On the 2nd ferry, he met Gerry, his son, and the son's friend. This was the celebration. The world's largest smile broke out on Uri's face as he saw these familiar faces. Gerry's crew drove a hippie climber van with kindergarten trinkets, resembling an eclectic Scooby Doo mystery van. And this would be the last time Uri would run into Gerry, so he gladly accepted a van-brewed coffee before continuing onward.
Arriving at the Arctic Circle didn't put him off the hook for rain, wind, and cold. Massive mountains were disappearing and reappearing in misty clouds. He listened to Orchid by Black Sabbath as the afternoon's freezing rain numbed his mind from the steep hills.
Besides reaching the Arctic, this day's claim to fame was passing a lady cyclist who was towing her 4-ish-year-old kid. Her name is Yasmine, and she is a writer, speaker, and influencer (ooooh, ahhhh). She vlogs her journey with her child by bike on social media (@_jasmin_boehm_) and has racked up thousands of followers doing so. She posted Uri on IG, claiming deep conversations with both of them crying (though this never happened).
Uri also crossed another lady, a French woman named Celine, who was between jobs as an English teacher, firefighter, and dispatcher. They leap-frogged until eventually they began biking together.
The final ferry of the day was a 1.5-hour wait, and he didn't get off the ferry until 8:30 PM. It was the first time on tour that he stopped early from his goal and went to a campsite with the ladies. In that moment, it didn't feel right to push on, and he was feeling bittersweet about finishing tomorrow. How was it possible that the castles in France and the Alps/ fondue in Switzerland were all on the same trip? Uri was not ready to finish being wet and dirty. Outside of the conclusion of the tour, the upcoming sedentary life was looming, and that was truly uncomfortable. One more day.
Aug 5. Day 64 Reipå, Norway to Bodø, Norway
(69.5 miles, 4750 ft of gain, Komoot map)
"It's August 5th 2023, and I finished the tour," Uri's voice recording announced."It's interesting to process it all mainly because no one gives a shit."
Before crossing the finish line, he first had to complete a 70-mile day with nearly 5,000 ft of climbing. Towards the end, it was misty and a little rainy, though it was a gentle rain. When the precipitation paused, the mountains would appear, and they were even bigger and more beautiful than before. Leaves were even starting to show their autumn colors!
Uri could see Bodø from afar as he approached. There was a surge of energy when he saw the city, and the band "War on Drugs" serenaded him along the final stretch. Like the Arctic crossing, the EuroVelo's ending was not euphoric. There was no beautiful monument, crowd, or a familiar face. Just a train sign, Bodø. Here he was, a place seared into memory from a year's worth of daydreams.
Today his voice memo said: "I feel invincible. I know I'm not invincible, but right now I feel invincible. And that's really cool. Though, I feel sad that I won't be touring anymore".
It's strange for Uri to not think about his biking routine. He was glad to be done and grateful that the trip ended so well. He loved the landscape and even surprised himself by loving traveling solo, particularly considering his challenges with solo travel in France. The end was actually a good time, and for Uri, it was a shock that it came so quickly.
Today was the end of a silly idea. On his mind, Uri was wondering if there would ever be time for this type of adventure again. He ended his memo by saying: "I hope that we can get this experience again periodically through life, not just one more time when we are older".
Aug 6-10 : Day 65-69 Lofoten Islands, Norway
The days post-Bodø were spent exploring the Lofoten Islands. Uri had been told about these islands by many people (in the USA and across Europe), and the views did not disappoint. From the 6th to the 8th, Uri did some mild hiking and camping near the village of Moskenes. On the 6th, he hiked the ridge line of Reinburgen to see the fjords with jutting gray peaks emerging from the magnificently blue water. On the 7th, he went to the town of Rene for coffee and hung out there, taking a ferry ride to Blues Beach. This beach is only accessible by ferry, which is public transit on the islands, so there weren't any cars in the small fishing village at the end of the ferry ride. The beach was also on the west coast of the islands, exposed to the open sea, giving it more of a rugged beauty. On the 8th, he wanted to do a longer hike in the islands' mountains, but his cycling cleats didn't give good traction on the rock scrambles. Instead, he set up camp at an empty beach, kicked back, and reminisced about the trip.
Back in Bodø on the 9th, Uri retrieved a bike box from a local bike shop, dismantled and packed up the bike, and stayed one final night at the city hostel.
On the 10th, Uri's return began, first flying from Bodø to Oslo, reconvening with Claire at the Oslo airport, and then flying together to NYC. Meanwhile, I drove the ~5 hours to the city to pick them up by car, white-knuckling it through Manhattan and Queens. After shedding the city stress, it was a long and sleepy ride back home on empty streets through the countryside. Our heads hit the pillow a little after 5:30 AM.
So it ends, The Great EuroVelo.
Until the next trip, happy tailwinds!
This was co-written with Uri. Follow him for more on IG @urielmenalled.
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