No Money for Bike – Part 3

Senja

This evening was a trudge, and I was glad to hit the spot by a lake, carrying the bike across a river and bog to the final resting place for the evening. I had settled into the challenge well now, putting a lot of distance behind me. I knew as long as I got myself through the uphill sections on Senja, I’d make it to Tromsø: the routine of the adventure lifestyle had sunk in once again.

Senja was definitely the most remote feeling island I travelled through on this trip: the vast number of tourists on Lofoten felt far away, the roads here covered with potholes and gravel sections. But overall, a nice feeling of calm and quiet. Definitely a more challenging cycle than the relatively flat offerings of Andøya, and a lot more tunnels than Lofoten (which had bypasses for cyclists and pedestrians). It made me glad I’d paid the extra money to get a wider ranging freewheel for the bike, and remembered to bring the bike lights. And, once the fog and rain eventually cleared on day 3, the island clearly showed it had lots to offer: vast walls of granite, rugged mountain ridges, and spectacular scenery. Hiking paradise.

My second night on Senja was spent in an old WWII bunker complex: I had debated sleeping in one of the bunkers, but the views across the fjord made me want to stay outdoors. While soaking in the views, the rain also returned: hammering down for an extra soaking. And to add to the misery yet another plague of mosquitoes had descended too, to me they seemed to be coming in unbelievable numbers.

Definitely a tent would be a good addition in future: despite my bivvy having a bug net, mosquitoes can still bite through it. This lead to a lot of mornings waking up to half of my face and a hand covered in bites. It also meant I had to choose between going to bed at 7pm and hiding inside the netting, or getting eaten outside. Catch 22.

Despite the flying critters and rain, I was debating staying for an extra night, to give me a chance to do a little hiking and get a chance to enjoy the island a little more as the weather started to improve at last. However, after checking dates for when I had to arrive in Tromsø (where my final challenge awaited), I realised I’d fucked up and had to arrive a day earlier than I’d thought, my rest day had suddenly evaporated and I had to have two solid days in the saddle to reach Tromsø in time. I had to try and save as much energy as I could, so the hiking would have to be put on hold for this trip.

The last cycle to Botnhamn was fairly uneventful, but full of breaks to take in the scenery, and let the leg recover as much as possible. The sun started to come out, and gave me the chance to start drying all of the soaked clothing and equipment as I went.

The highlight of Senja, however, was being 2 minutes too late for the ferry. Pissed off, I opted to see if I could find somewhere to charge my phone, checking the toilets on the quay, to find one of the most fantastic things I could have possibly imagined… 

A shower cubicle awaited me in one of the toilets. A dirtbag’s wet dream: underfloor heating, electricity, and a free warm shower. Safe to say it’s one of the best hours waiting for transport I’ve ever had. With electronics recharged, a week’s worth of grime washed off, and a celebratory beer purchased, my last ferry for the trip carried me swiftly across to Kvaløya: from this island it was a 70km cycle to the Tromsø bridge, where the finish line for this adventure lay.

Up next – Part 4: Kvaløya & Tromsø