Day 66 Jokkmokk to Scout den before Milivaara 171 km
Up and at em and away by 7am. Had planned a good long hard day but Debbie was really struggling and had a bit of a melt down in the swamp so we took things slowly until she came right. Managed 170km kms thanks to some good smooth roads and lots of food stops. Nothing amazing to see a few reindeer more little towns and forests. Stopped off at a Cafe library place for a coffee and chatted to a guy . He gave us our coffee for free which was nice. Found a scout shooting range with a cover so camped under there.Day 67 175km Scout Den to lake in Anokangas National park. Lake karijarvi.
Oops today started at 10.50pm Debbie woke up and thought the alarm was about to go off so turned it off and woke Emma. We sprung into action with the usual routine of sleeping bags away, tent down. Coffee and muesli made and eaten and gear packed onto bikes. At 11.50pm we were on the road ready to start the day still thinking it was 6am. We both checked the time and realised it was midnight! Oh well it wasn't dark so we decided to keep cycling did about 40km before stopping putting the tent up and having a sleep from 3am to 8am. Had a reindeer stop by during lunch and almost got outsprinted by a 78 year old on roller skis! What a morning. Met about 5 cyclists today who were going the other way 3 of whom were kiwis. Crossed a river on a ferry barge the guy driving had lived in taumaranui! Yet another day in Sweden on remote gravel roads and another day avoiding thunderstorms and mossies. Found a lovely shelter by a beautiful lake. Happy girls
Day 68 campsite to camping ground just before Syva Puljujarvi 135 km
44km to Finnish border. Coffee at Swiss Cafe. Long straight Gravel roads undulating . More reindeer.
Day 69 155km
Campsite to Inari campsite.
Up at 5am and into it. Mossies were crazy here and the worst we have had on the trip so far. Stopping during the day was near impossible as we were attacked from all sides. Needless to say we had covered the 155km pretty quickly
Day 70 Inari to Neiden 160km
The sting in the tail. We had expected sealed roads but boy did we get what we deserved. We had some gravel then Swamp swamp and mosquitoes 🦟 wet shoes dirty bikes no fun at all. When we were unable to ride the mosquitoes nailed us ! Ears, inside helmet, through our shirts and of coursevthe bare legs. Out came the repellent and some lets get the hell out of here urgency! Eventually we got out and onto better gravel roads. We took some time to eat something and then put heads down to get to Norway. Finnish lakes were beautiful 😍 The day deteriorated with cold rain coming and going which saw us stop several times to put our jackets on and off. Eventually it really set in but we arrived at the supermarket on the border to restock for the next two days and thevrain stopped. We rode a further 15km to find the campground wed read about closed and not appealong at all. Luckily there was a shelter just up the road on our Vildnes app, so we had a shelter for the night. The mosquitoes were noticeably fewer which was a huge relief.
For the first time in a long time, we could relax whilst sitting and eating outside.
We enjoyed a dehy meal which we had carried the whole EDT incase of an emergency.
Day 71 Neidam to Grense Jakobselv
94km to complete the EDT.
We had looked up the weather on Windy and it predicted rain after lunch so we set the alarm for 4:30am and had an early start. We had gone to bed at 7:30 and because it's always light, the time doesn't really mean too much over here.
What a ride! What contrast!
We had views for miles. Lakes, mountains, fjords, snow, rivers. It was right up there with any riding we've done. Every corner was a photo and we just rode with beaming smiles the whole way.
Arriving here is a mile stone. We've traversed portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and finally norway. From the most south western to the most north eastern tips of Europe.
We were greeted by a curious seal, dolphins and whales. Such a peaceful, calm beautiful place.
No awards or medals but huge since of satisfaction and achievement. We rode the EDT our way. A mix if getting it done in the 3 months we had, due to the visa, and taking moments to appreciate our surroundings. We did push at times but we enjoy that. We learned that if we were too tired, we struggled with the challenge of the trail, so quickly backed off by having a shorter day or a greasy meal out!
How does it feel now?
Grateful to Andy Cox for stitching together this tapestry of trails. We never could have planned such a long trip on so many quiet roads, single tracks and wilderness areas. It really has been a wilderness adventure and incredible to experience the transition between countries. We have been able to experience how villages are structured in each country, taste their cuisine and appreciate their way of life.
We arrived about 10am and had a swim in the Barents sea. We enjoyed watching the sea life and eating yet again. It is a strange feeling to have nothing to do for a while! We decided to camp here because it is just too beautiful! The sun won't go down so it's OK to just go to bed early again and hope the weather is just as stunning tomorrow morning when we ride 60km back to Kirkenes. We got up at midnight to enjoy the midnight sun. What a privilege 👏
Musings
It's not the distance but the surface that can determine speed of travel. The weather makes a huge difference in speed as well as attitude.
Time means nothing took on a whole new meaning with endless daylight
Mozzies don't sleep. They wait for you and they hunt you down.
Good quality gear keeps you safe. Our Rab clothing, our Santa cruz bikes, our tailfin racks and cargo bags our Rockgiest panniers our ortlieb gas tanks were perfect for the job at hand. Good gear makes for a seamless journey.
Bikepacking enhances your senses. You become so aware of the birds, the animals the weather, etc you can smell rain before it arrives, Smell smoke before you even know a town is coming up. Everything feels smell tastes better. Showers, food, coffee ☕️ all become amazingly good and the best you have ever had. It really takes discomfort to best you have ever had. It really takes discomfort to appreciate comfort and not take things for granted. appreciate comfort and not take things for granted.
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