Day 42
Location: Alta, Norway
Miles covered: 3,036
Location: Alta, Norway
Miles covered: 3,036
Tundra in summer After two days R&R in Alta I began the final push of my journey's first leg. The road turned inland and climbed sharply away from the stunning Altafjord and its gaspingly cold water. I soon found myself following a steadily growing river across a vast expanse of the snowless summer tundra dotted with reindeer and small houses, each with a parked snowmoblie impatiently awaiting winter.
2am sunrise The near non-existent traffic consisted solely of caravans and package tour coaches which would creep up behind me, emitting only a soft swishing sound, and often force me off the road with their thick wall of displaced air. As evening came on I dropped down to the coast again and followed it north on delightfully empty roads, deciding to cycle through the night in a fitting climax to my time in Arctic summer. The sun slid below the mountains at 11pm and I continued under a sky still blue while it made its shallow traverse over the northern horizon. I had just passed the hundred mile mark when it began bleeding vivid pinks and purples into the thin clouds at 2am and I contentedly watched it all reflected in the waters along the edge of which I was skirting.
At the entrance to Nordkapp tunnel Feeling less than lucid I arrived at the tunnel. Infamous amongst cycle tourists, the Nordkapp tunnel is 7km long and drops 212m below sea level, emerging on the island of Magerøya. I plunged into the dimly lit orifice and, while speeding downwards, counted an echo of six seconds. I bellowed both verses of "Jerusalem" at the top of my voice and grinned while the lengthy echo created a round, albeit a very out-of-tune one. At the bottom I shivered my way over a couple of ice puddles and began the strenuous climb to the other end. After a seemingly endless length of time, and steaming like a racehorse, I crawled into the daylight in a sort of troglodytic trance and had some sandwiches. There were only another 30 miles to Nordkapp (the first of my "four corners") and I was feeling energised, possibly because I had eaten two loaves of bread and a large bunch of bananas in 12 hours. This optimism soon escaped me when signs warned of tortuous ascents and I recalled a cheerful warning I had read in a Lonely Planet guide book: "Given its great distances, hilly terrain and narrow roads, Norway is not suited for cycle touring."
As the road rose, the mist fell and visibility plummeted to about 15 meters. Finally, after 165 miles and 18 hours of continuous riding I crested the last hill with legs throbbing, head pounding, nose running and eyes streaming. I had reached the end of Europe. At latitude 71°10'21" Nordkapp juts out into the Berents Sea roughly 1000 miles from the north pole. The view from the top of its 307m high cliffs is all-encompassing and gives itself easily to daydreaming. However, I only had enough energy to pose for a photo before stumbling a little distance away and throwing up my tent where (I was later told by an amused German) I indulged in some seismic snoring. I rested until the next morning and then turned my bike to face down the hill and set off for Singapore. On the way down I reached a toe-curling, buttock-clenching 50mph at one point and was dive-bombed by a flock of protective Actic tern parents at another.
As the road rose, the mist fell and visibility plummeted to about 15 meters. Finally, after 165 miles and 18 hours of continuous riding I crested the last hill with legs throbbing, head pounding, nose running and eyes streaming. I had reached the end of Europe. At latitude 71°10'21" Nordkapp juts out into the Berents Sea roughly 1000 miles from the north pole. The view from the top of its 307m high cliffs is all-encompassing and gives itself easily to daydreaming. However, I only had enough energy to pose for a photo before stumbling a little distance away and throwing up my tent where (I was later told by an amused German) I indulged in some seismic snoring. I rested until the next morning and then turned my bike to face down the hill and set off for Singapore. On the way down I reached a toe-curling, buttock-clenching 50mph at one point and was dive-bombed by a flock of protective Actic tern parents at another.
Nordkapp: the end of Europe
3000 miles Having completed my first leg and covered over 3000 miles I would like to take this opportunity to prompt anyone who might be inclined to make a donation to either one of my two excellent charities; Future Hope and the RNLI
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