North Cape Cycling Adventure – Two Days to Departure

The last couple of weeks have been – how can I put this? – hectic. In the past three and a half weeks I’ve been to Colorado and Vermont, said goodbye to Caroline – again; it’s the seventh time we’ve done that – and flown back home to prepare for this new big leap into the unknown.

A lot of effort goes into planning a trip like this. A lot. I have to admit that I underestimated that a little. This is not an attempt to travel as cheaply as possible, nor is it meant to be completed in a record time or in the most uncomfortable way. I just want to explore a new region of the world at my own pace and powered by my own legs. And of course you could just buy a bike and a tent and set off on your grand adventure. But this will be an adventure anyhow, and safety and basic comfort are important too…

So basically, during the past two weeks, I’ve literally been busy every hour of every single day: training, reading, looking up information, making lists, buying necessities, testing equipment and planning routes.

A list of all the things I will be taking with me.

The day of departure is almost there, and that’s about time! One more week and I would definitely have been over-planning and getting stressed out. Although preparation is important and necessary, it’s only that, preparation. The real deal starts this Monday. And in the end, there’s no way you could plan what is going to happen on the road. The only thing I can do, is make sure I’ve got proper gear and the right equipment and know how to use it. And I do.

So, while I’m writing this post, I feel totally relaxed. I am ready to go.

This is (almost) all my stuff, and it has to go…

…in these six bags.

I don’t have a fixed route, just a general direction, which you can see on this map. I will see how things go from day to day, using maps and my compass to find my way north (and also back south obviously). That’s all there is to it, really…

However, I do have certain places I absolutely want to see. The Wadden Sea, Copenhagen, Stockholm and the Lofoten, for example. (The northern lights would be totally amazing, but I’m not counting on that.) Copenhagen is actually the only place with a fixed date right now. I will be there on April 12-13, and meet up with one of my best friends, who is going to be there for the weekend.

What I’m most excited about is spending almost three months really close to nature.

I will curse the rain and winds, love the sun, sleep outside and cross paths with wildlife. I will cycle through the Belgian and Dutch lowlands, along the North Sea coast, through the vast Swedish and Finnish forests, within the Arctic circle and past the majestic Norwegian fjords.

This little tent will be home for many nights.

And what about the blog? you may wonder. Well, I’m not promising anything, but I will try my very best to write and post something at least once a week. I’m also going to keep a journal this time. Therefore, future blog posts might be in journal-style. That will make it easier for me to write and possibly easier for you guys to follow along as well.

The page on the blog to keep an eye on is this North Cape Cycling Adventure page. There is a link to it on the front page and on the side bar. It has all my posts about cycling to the North Cape, as well as my Facebook and Twitter feed.

If you want to follow along, I would absolutely suggest liking my Facebook page (that’s where I will post my pictures!) and following me on Twitter (for short, but regular updates!). I’ll be using #cyclingnorthcape on Twitter.

Also consider subscribing to receive new blog posts via email. You can do that right here!

That’s about it for now. See you on the road, guys!

A massive thanks to both my parents for their full support and help, once again. Thanks to my mom for providing a first aid/medicin kit and for thinking of little things that I certainly would have forgotten about myself. Thanks to my dad for giving me a crash course in bicycle maintenance and repair. You two are the best!