Day 5: Nordkapp!
148 km and 1620 m climbing
The weather forecast predicts a sunny day. While the next coming days will be cloudy. It motivates me to head for the Nordkapp in one go today. Envisioning a particular picture i would like to capture on this milestone point of my trip. However it involves a challenging goal for the day, the route is not a walk in the park type of thing.
Oldefjord
To increase my chances, i wake up 5:30. Two additional advantages, a nice Sunrise moment,…
…and no competition and queues for the dryer. My cycling cloths are ready by the time I packed my stuff.
The Nordkapp Tunnel
In hindsight, every blog, every article, every person warns for the Nordkapp Tunnel. I learned afterwards that i completely ignored this piece of information when preparing my trip. Maybe good, some naivity can bring you in challenging situations.
The entrance is like every tunnel in Norway, a hole in a random mountain. However, the signboard is what it intent to be: a warning sign.
The tunnel is close to 7 km long. And start with a dive into the underground. Racing with more than 40 km/h into a black and dripping hole, enabled by a 9% slope. The excitement last 3 km. When you hit the bottom of the tunnel, 212 m under sea level.
There is a phone booth, a fire extinguisher and some space to park your bike. However, it does not give you a safe feeling.
Every car sounds like jet fighter passing to close. Some Harley drivers outperform on every decibel scale. And the roof keeps dripping.
However, this is only the start of a climb of 3 km uphill. With on average 9%, but it is clear that the max slope is higher. I have to walk and push for at least half a kilometer my bike to get out of this inconvenient place.
I try to ignore the thought that i have to do this again when returning to the mainland later this week. And celebrate the victory of fresh air and sunshine with an energy bar.
Honningsvåg, lunch with caviar
There is a real village on this island, Honningsvåg. With an airport and a harbor able to host the Hurtigruten ferry.
Like all bikers in the wide area, I have a good reason to make a small detour to Honningsvåg for a stop. As it has the only shop which is open on a Sunday in a radius of 150 km. The shop is crowded with people in cycling uniforms or motorbike jackets. Everyone is looking for a banana.
On advice of a Norway expert, i decide to have lunch with caviar. A local habit, which normally requires some extensive practice to appreciate it. However, after 100 km I am open for everything to eat.
I found a nice spot in the harbour to have a tasteful lunch. The day will learn that i will need it.
Nordkapp
It is only 35 km from the harbour of Honningsvåg to the viewpoint of Nordkapp. A modest distance. However, it involves more than 1000 m climbing with very steep slopes, sometimes more than 10%.
It reminds of a quote of Albert Camus: “The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy,”. These days, the modern Sisyphus drives a packed bike uphill.
A handful of cyclists is aiming for the same feeling. Like this couple, it took me many minutes to overtake them on this hill. Time enough for a introductory chat. They appeared to be Belgians as well. And very remarkable, they started with their bike trip in Liège 3 months ago. Just reached 5000 km on the odometer. And close to their final destination, the Nordkapp! Of which they will return back to Belgium, by bike. Impressive, luckily the weather is a party mood as well. Blue sky, soft breeze, and a low sun that brings the best colours out of the hills.
Many campers, mobilhomes, cars and motors making the same trip as well. Many of them start waving, applauding, all motards gives enthusiastic thumbs up, some of them make gestures and scream as if we are all in the middle of the Tour the France.
The enthusiastic support and respect of complete strangers works. It makes me emotional. It gives me wings. The last 10 km of the climb I run more with my mind than with my exhausted legs. Imagining a picture of arrival.
Finally, the monuments, buildings and campers of the Nordkapp viewpoint rise up on the horizon. One last climb, to enter the area.
Applause, people shouting, they make it a real moment. It is a real moment, you definitely had to earn it.
Time to make the picture which I had in mind. A support message for my former colleagues who just raised another funding round to do breakthrough research. It’s only crazy until you do it!
This point is the starting point of many epic cycle routes through Europe. I think i will start with the top one on the list for now.
It start to cool down quickly, mist is covering the cliffs. In combination with the Azur blue water and the low standing sun, a mystical experience while racing back downhill.
Skarsvåg
I choose to stay in Skarsvåg, very close to the Nordkapp viewpoint. On the Nordkapp Base Camp camping. Close to the settlement and harbour of Skarsvåg.
A Rendeer runs with me downhill for hundreds of meters, a real welcome committee.
The plan is to stay here two nights and to have a day without cycling. To rest, to heal the wounds (a saddle can be an instrument of torture) and to celebrate the milestone of the first week of the trip. Before heading for the next milestone location: Tromso.
