For quite some time I had been thinking about making a solo adventure. To be completely alone with my thoughts, and to only have myself to trust and rely on. To take the opportunity to disconnect a bit from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and at the same time reconnect with nature.
Most of the time I travel far to experience something new, different and perhaps a bit exotic. But this time I wanted to do it differently, I really wanted to explore the corners of where I grew up. To visit the places that I have always had easily accessible, but that I never chose to travel to. My plan was to bike and hike Kystriksveien, the coastal route of Northern Norway. To visit some of the incredible islands and hike some of the awesome mountains along the way.
As always, there was some planning and preparation that had to be done. Packing, repacking, trying, failing, facing challenges, finding solutions… Before the day finally arrived and I had to be ready - ready or not. By then, some nervousness had found its way to my body and mind.
I pushed my bike aboard the boat and secured it with my bike lock. The sun was shining strongly above my head and my belly was filled with butterflies. My bike was fully loaded, mostly with food. I was able to fit some extra bags of freeze-dried food in the smallest spaces. Because when you think that your bag is fully packed, you can always squeeze in a tiny bit more. My bike weighed 30 kg at the time of departure.
Once in Bodø, I enjoyed a last proper meal, and a last night in a bed. The following morning, as I prepared my bike and got ready for the departure, I felt so happy. I started the trip with rain pouring down on me, but instead of feeling disappointed, I just felt free. A feeling that follows me on every adventure.
I really enjoyed the days on the bike, and to mix hiking and biking was a wonderful combination. I truly got the best of both worlds. I got to experience places so magnificent they looked unreal! I got to see scenery that went straight to my top 10 list of the most beautiful ever! The combination of the deep blue ocean, the mountains, the green of the forests and the thousands of islands left me completely breathless.
The great reward of every day was to find a good place, preferably with a nice view, to install my camp. To sit down in silence and digest all the impressions of the day. To fall asleep in my hammock to the sound of the wind blowing in the trees and the water running down the river, and to wake up in sync with nature.
It was truly a magical journey from the beginning until the end. During these 11 days and 11 nights I covered a distance of 840 km and 10 000 m elevation gain, and went on 5 awesome hikes: Skånlandsfjellet, Rødøyløva, Dønnamannen, Hornstinden & Lekamøya.
