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Nordkapp · 2025

2025 Nordkapp 3 - Norway

3 August 2025

A grey asphalt road curves through open green countryside beneath a bright blue sky streaked with thin white clouds, at Lakselv in Finnmark, Norway.
Route map showing a motorcycle journey south from the North Cape through Finnmark, Troms and the Lofoten islands and on down the Norwegian coast towards Trondheim. A tall fuel price sign stands on grey asphalt before industrial buildings, one of them bearing the word SCANIA, with mountains behind, at Lakselv in Finnmark, Norway. A white pickup truck with a black bull bar and rear canopy stands on paving outside a building with a sign reading HOTELL and a large flat mountain behind, at Lakselv in Finnmark, Norway. A yellow sign listing the distances to Alta, Nordkapp and Hammerfest stands beside a paved road and gravel path below rocky hills, at Lakselv in Finnmark, Norway. A wide grassy field slopes gently toward a large blue expanse of water under a bright sky of puffy white clouds, at Lakselv in Finnmark, Norway. An elevated view looks across a flat green plain and a large pale stretch of water toward low hazy hills on the horizon, in Porsanger in Finnmark, Norway. A broad green plain of grass and scrub stretches to calm blue water below hazy ridges under a light sky, at Kafjord in Finnmark, Norway. A paved road marked with a white dashed line curves through green countryside beside a wide marshy plain, water and distant hills, at Kafjord in Finnmark, Norway. A light gravel track runs through open grassy ground past a few small houses toward blue water and a long low ridge, at Kafjord in Finnmark, Norway. A small white wooden church with a dark spire stands on a green lawn with calm water behind it, at Kafjord in Finnmark, Norway. Tall purple flower spikes crowd the frame with green stems and blurred foliage behind them, at Kafjord in Finnmark, Norway. Green and yellow grass rolls across an open landscape with a narrow blue lake lying in a hollow below rounded hills, at Kafjord in Finnmark, Norway. A grey road with a white dashed line curves through treeless upland terrain beside a blue lake and distant rolling hills, at Kafjord in Finnmark, Norway. A grassy slope leads down to calm water with two small boats and a hamlet below dark hills, at Kafjord in Finnmark, Norway. A pebbled shore meets calm water below a rugged mountain ridge, with small boats and a low shoreline of buildings beyond, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Two pale houses and a smaller red one stand beside a gravel path above blue water, with a long flat topped cliff and a white ship across the sound, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A group of red timber buildings with white trim sits on a grassy bank above a rocky channel, with a steep hillside rising behind, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A white house with a red roof and two small blue cabins stand on a green slope above grey rocks at the water edge, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Long golden brown strands of seaweed drift beneath the surface of blue green water near blurred green leaves at the edge, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A green meadow in the foreground gives way to a thin strip of water and a scatter of small houses beneath open ocean and clear sky, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A paved road with a guardrail curves down a grassy hillside past parked cars and small buildings below a reddish rock outcrop, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A grassy field leads down to calm water where red and white houses, flagpoles and a small boat sit on a low rocky headland, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A cluster of red cabins and a low wooden pier border calm water below a hazy headland, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A small vessel floats on teal water between a green rocky shore and an island with a flat top, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A long dark floating walkway stretches across the water in front of red cabins on a green hillside, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Blue water meets a rocky shoreline below a scatter of small houses and steep grassy mountains, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A road with two lanes and yellow centre lines curves along a calm blue bay below green hills, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A blue place name sign stands beside a narrow lane lined with flagpoles and small houses above the water, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A large white cruise ship lies offshore of a low settlement and jetty beneath a green mountainside, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A broad stretch of deep blue water lies between steep rock faces below a clear sky, at Gjesvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A grey road with a white dashed line runs through bare rocky hills past small lakes and rounded mountain ridges under a clouded sky, at Gjesvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A pale gravel track curves along a quiet inlet below dark rocky slopes under a partly cloudy sky, at Gjesvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A grey road sweeps around a low concrete barrier on a rocky slope above calm water dotted with small islands, at Gjesvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A still blue lake lies between bare rocky ridges with a thin causeway and road running along its far shore, at Gjesvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A broad flat topped island rises beyond calm water, with a small pier and gravel heaps on the rocky shore below, at Gjesvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. Low green vegetation and many weathered grey boulders cover a rising hillside beneath a bright blue sky, at Gjesvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. An asphalt road marked with yellow centre lines sweeps past a small warning sign towards blue hills and water, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Rugged rock and moss cover the foreground ledge above a wide lake ringed by layered hazy mountains, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A single reindeer with small velvet antlers stands on rocky ground among patches of green moss, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A lone reindeer with branching antlers stands on loose grey stones amid low green grass, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A single reindeer with short antlers stands on broken grey rock and sparse grass in a barren landscape, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A calm inlet lies between steep green slopes with a few small buildings dotted along the right shore, at Kamoyvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A paved road with a dashed white line runs between rocky grassy shoulders past a blue body of water toward layered mountains, at Kamoyvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. White and red houses sit at the water's edge beneath a green slope, facing a long dark mountain ridge, at Kamoyvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A coastal road with a low concrete barrier curves beside calm water and low rocky islands beneath rugged mountains, at Kamoyvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. Two red wooden buildings with white trim stand on a rocky grass covered shore beside calm grey water, at Kamoyvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A still mountain lake reflects rocky peaks and a blue sky between low green banks of gravel and grass, at Kamoyvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A broad flat topped mountain rises across calm water beside a small harbour with a pier and gravel piles, at Kamoyvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A white, a blue and a red house with white trim stand on a grassy slope above boulders at the shoreline, at Kamoyvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A loaded BMW GS adventure motorcycle rests on a gravel shoulder beside a blue bay below rocky mountains, at Kamoyvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. Rows of floating rectangular pens lie along the shore of a calm inlet below steep green hills, at Kamoyvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A green house and a larger white house stand on a steep grassy slope above a road with a metal guardrail, at Kamoyvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A white timber house with a dark roof stands beside a narrow road where a van is parked and a cyclist rides past, at Kamoyvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. Two small white and blue motorboats lie tied to a timber wharf below a steep grassy slope, at Kamoyvaer on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. Small fishing boats lie at their moorings beside a red waterfront building in a calm harbour under grey cloud, at Skarsvag on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A loaded BMW GS adventure motorcycle stands on cracked asphalt facing a row of houses below a steep green slope, at Skarsvag on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. Dark wet rocks and seaweed lie exposed in the foreground of a shallow bay below a scattered coastal village, at Skarsvag on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. Small white houses and moored boats line a calm inlet while exposed seaweed covers the rocky shore beneath misty hills, at Skarsvag on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. Four antlered reindeer graze on a green field below detached houses on a hillside shrouded in low cloud, at Skarsvag on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A broad expanse of calm water lies between low green shores and a steep mountain hidden by low cloud, at Skarsvag on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. Red cabins and white camper vans sit on a grassy shore beneath a steep green hillside beside calm water, at Skarsvag on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. Wet rocks and algae are exposed at low tide in front of a scattered village of small houses on a green hillside, at Skarsvag on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A row of small coloured fishing boats lies moored along a low dock beneath green hills under an overcast sky, at Skarsvag on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A weathered grey timber building with a tourist centre sign stands on a deck above boulders beside calm water, at Skarsvag on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. A small weathered wooden hut with an orange lifebuoy stands on wet gravel beside a stone marker in thick grey fog, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A stony path winds through low green grass past a small pool while distant hills vanish into thick grey fog, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A stacked stone cairn marked with a red letter T stands on rocky ground among grassy slopes under a grey overcast sky, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Steep dark cliffs descend to a calm grey sea while low cloud hides the upper slopes of the coastal headland, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. White birds rest on the dark water of a small pond set in a grassy rocky hillside under an overcast sky, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A calm grey lake lies between rounded grassy hills with a rocky path crossing the foreground grass, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A worn dirt path climbs a grassy col between two slopes and opens onto a wide grey sea under an overcast sky, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A grassy valley with a faint track on its left slope falls to a rocky shore beside a calm grey sea, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A steep grey cliff rises from calm water as low cloud hides its summit above a stony shoreline, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Flat grey rock slabs and green grass edge a calm sea that stretches toward distant headlands under layered cloud, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Clusters of white fluffy seed heads stand among green grass on a rocky hillside under a pale sky, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A low dark marker stands on a grassy cliff edge overlooking grey water and a fog shrouded rock mass, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A small white box covered in travel stickers sits on bare rock beside a wooden honesty box sign in open country, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Three reindeer with branched antlers move across a grassy rocky hillside below a pale blue sky, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Layered grey bedrock and boulders lead to calm water beneath a dark cliff hidden in low cloud, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A stacked stone cairn marked with red paint stands on rocky ground above a green valley opening to the sea, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Short grass and scattered stones slope down to dark water and a steep cliff wrapped in low cloud, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Fine green stems show through a small shallow pool set in short grass on open ground, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Low grey rocks and patches of grass stretch into dense white mist on open upland ground with no trees in sight, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A narrow bare trail winds uphill between scattered grey boulders and short grass under a pale overcast sky, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Grey fractured stones and low mossy plants cover the ground while a faint cairn and post vanish into mist on the horizon, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Flat grey slabs of broken bedrock lie tilted in rough layers with tufts of grass and orange lichen in the cracks, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A hand built stack of flat stones rises from barren rocky ground that fades into grey mist with no horizon visible, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A cairn of stacked flat stones stands on a rocky, grassy plateau shrouded in thick fog, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A framed tourist information board with maps and photographs hangs on a dark wall covered in stickers, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Sunlight glares through thin cloud above a rippled sea with dark headlands and a low fog bank, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. People gather on a gravel plateau around a large open framework globe sculpture on a stone pedestal, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. A dark dome tent stands on a grassy bank above a still lake that mirrors the twilight sky and low hills, at Skarsvag on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. Grey rippled water stretches towards low green hills under a layered overcast sky, at Skarsvag on Mageroya in Finnmark, Norway. Sunbeams fall through broken cloud onto calm water, red cabins and a low crossing seen past a metal railing, at the North Cape in Finnmark, Norway. Small red cabins with white trim stand along a calm shoreline below a massive grey rock face that fills the sky, in Porsanger in Finnmark, Norway. Red buildings on wooden pilings line a rippled shore beneath a steep slope of grey boulders and green patches, in Porsanger in Finnmark, Norway. Stickers reading DEINE MUTTER and RWTH AACHEN UNIVERSITY cover a grey metal post beside a wet coastal road, in Porsanger in Finnmark, Norway. A two lane road with a metal guardrail curves between a rocky shore and a steep cut of layered rock, in Porsanger in Finnmark, Norway. A loaded BMW GS adventure motorcycle stands on the wet shoulder of a coastal road beside a calm body of water under an overcast sky, in Porsanger in Finnmark, Norway. A loaded BMW GS adventure motorcycle is parked on the shoulder of a damp coastal road next to a blue sign reading Nordkapp, in Porsanger in Finnmark, Norway. A white vessel lies moored at the quay of a coastal settlement while a small boat crosses the calm blue water below green hills, at Havoysund in Finnmark, Norway. A pale road curves between a dark blue lake and rough grassy ground below a flat topped mountain under a scattered cloud sky, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. A curving road with white markings leads down past a blue harbour filled with boats toward a green hill crowned by wind turbines, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. Several gabled houses with white trim stand among grey boulders on a green slope with no sky in view, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. A green and white rescue boat marked RS 159 lies moored in front of a village of colourful houses and a white church spire, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. Red sheds and houses stand on a rocky shore beside a moored white fishing boat under a green hill and blue sky, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. A broad stretch of calm blue water lies between a rocky grassy slope in the foreground and distant mountain ridges under a scattered sky, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. Several small boats leave white wakes across a wide bay bordered by a rocky green slope and a pale beach below low hills, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. A treeless rocky valley holds a dark blue lake and several small pools beneath rounded mountains under a bright sky, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. A narrow paved road winds along the shore past rocky islets where turquoise water meets a green headland, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. A dark blue lake lies among treeless green hills with rocky outcrops beneath a vivid sky of scattered clouds, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. Long rows of floating pens marked by buoys reach across the water beside a small white sand beach, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. Small red and white houses cluster on a narrow shore below a steep dark cliff beside sparkling blue water, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. A red wooden building on stilts stands above the rocky shore of a coastal village backed by a green mountain, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. A long wooden pier on pilings crosses the water towards a red building standing above the rocky shore, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. A low green island carrying a single small red building sits in calm water beneath rocky hills, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. A row of small houses with red and white walls lines a rocky shore beneath a tall sunlit mountain, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. A white house with a red roof and a yellow house stand on a green slope above turquoise water, on the island of Masoy in Finnmark, Norway. Green grass slopes down to a turquoise inlet where small red and white houses sit below rolling hills, at Hammerfest in Finnmark, Norway. A few white and red houses stand on a grassy rocky shoreline beside bright turquoise water below a steep green hillside, at Hammerfest in Finnmark, Norway. A white timber church with a green roof and square tower rises above mossy rock outcrops and grass beside a road, at Hammerfest in Finnmark, Norway. A long low island covered in a dense band of pink flowers sits in deep blue water below rolling green and rocky mountains, at Hammerfest in Finnmark, Norway. A loaded BMW GS adventure motorcycle rests on asphalt beside a small wooden hut with a road rising towards a tunnel mouth in the hill, at Hammerfest in Finnmark, Norway. A large white vessel with rows of portholes and a small dark boat with a flag lie moored at a pier opposite a hillside town, at Hammerfest in Finnmark, Norway. A white catamaran ferry is moored at a plank pier beside a waterfront building while a grey vessel with yellow masts waits further out, at Hammerfest in Finnmark, Norway. Two people sit on the boards of a waterside promenade beside flower planters while a bright orange boat lies docked at the pier below, at Hammerfest in Finnmark, Norway. A long rock breakwater separates a shallow tidal inlet from a small boat marina below a steep green hill and a distant port, at Hammerfest in Finnmark, Norway. Red and white houses stand scattered along a rocky shoreline above a shallow tidal pool with distant mountains and a red vessel beyond, at Hammerfest in Finnmark, Norway. A storage tank, low buildings and two burning flare stacks stand on a rocky shore across dark blue water below distant hills, at Hammerfest in Finnmark, Norway. A large expedition ship named Silver Explorer lies alongside a pier with a hillside town of small pitched roof houses rising behind, at Hammerfest in Finnmark, Norway. A loaded BMW GS adventure motorcycle stands on a gravel shoulder where a paved road curves uphill into green hills under an overcast sky, at Alta in Finnmark, Norway. A wide river flows past an exposed gravel bar of rounded stones below forested hills under a light blue sky, at Alta in Finnmark, Norway. A white motorhome is parked on gravel beside a tall signpost of yellow distance signs near two wooden cabins and a miniature golf course, at Alta in Finnmark, Norway. A long house with a red railed deck and flower boxes stands on a rocky point above deep blue water beside vehicles on a lawn, at Oksfjord in Finnmark, Norway. Dark rocky peaks carrying patches of snow rise across a wide blue fjord beside a few small red and yellow houses on the shore, at Oksfjord in Finnmark, Norway. Wet mudflats with scattered rocks and shallow pools stretch towards a tree covered islet and mountains patched with snow, at Oksfjord in Finnmark, Norway. Steep grey mountains rise across a wide blue stretch of water beside a rocky point that carries a metal lattice tower, at Oksfjord in Finnmark, Norway. A grey road curves past a long brown building with a flag towards a conical frame of poles on the grassy shore, at Oksfjord in Finnmark, Norway. Red wooden buildings with white trim stand above a green lawn where a flag flies from a tall pole beside calm water, at Oksfjord in Finnmark, Norway. Blue water stretches past a shoreline where small yellow cabins and a red building stand below grey rocky slopes patched with snow, at Oksfjord in Finnmark, Norway. A rugged mountain massif with sharp dark peaks and snow filled gullies rises above a wide expanse of blue water under a bright sky, at Oksfjord in Finnmark, Norway. A low wooden pier reaches from the shore past moored white boats toward a red and a pale building below green mountains, at Oksfjord in Finnmark, Norway. A red flag bearing a white bordered blue cross flutters on a tall pole beside a slender tree above the water and distant peaks, at Oksfjord in Finnmark, Norway. A white boat with an outboard motor floats near a wooden dock below steep green mountains under a sky of cumulus cloud, at Oksfjord in Finnmark, Norway. A vast glacier of cracked blue ice and deep crevasses spills between dark rocky slopes crossed by thin white waterfalls, at Oksfjord in Finnmark, Norway. A curving road with a metal guardrail leads towards a long low bridge crossing water below a rugged mountain patched with snow, at Skjervoy in Troms, Norway. A road with metal guardrails runs between a calm body of water and steep mountains streaked with white snow patches, at Skjervoy in Troms, Norway. A dark dome tent with bright guy lines stands on a green meadow beside a large tree below green and rocky mountain slopes, at Birtavarre in Troms, Norway. A loaded BMW GS adventure motorcycle stands on its centre stand before a long red timber building below steep green slopes, at Birtavarre in Troms, Norway. A reindeer stands on a gravel yard among tan canvas tents and picnic tables beside a kiosk signed Welcome to Repa 65 Nordkapp, at Birtavarre in Troms, Norway. A calm blue expanse of water lies between a grassy shoreline and a mountain range with snow patches under a bright blue sky, at Bjerkvik in Norway. Conifer branches frame a deep blue stretch of water below a mountain range bearing pale snow patches under a bright blue summer sky, at Tjeldsund in Norway. A gravel shoreline curves past calm water toward a wooded hill topped by a slim mast above green fields and scattered houses, at Tjeldsund in Norway. Dry grasses and shrubs line a pebbly shore where a wire fence runs past small white buildings toward snow patched mountains, at Tjeldsund in Norway. Dark rounded rocks sit in rippled blue water while a jagged mountain massif rises behind low skerries under soft grey cloud, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. A two lane asphalt road curves past dense roadside shrubs toward a pointed grey mountain under a blue sky of cumulus clouds, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. A grey asphalt road with white markings runs beside a band of shrubs above calm water dotted with small green islands, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. Small purple flowers and shrubs edge dark rocks where calm blue water laps toward a red hut and a low distant bridge, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. A low rocky shore with pebbles and pink flower spikes looks out over calm water towards distant mountains under a cloudy sky, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. A steep green mountain rises above small red and white cabins on the shoreline of a calm body of water under a partly cloudy sky, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. Small houses and farm buildings are scattered around a calm body of water below a rugged mountain massif under grey clouds, at Ramberg on the Lofoten islands, Norway. Green fields with small flowers slope past scattered red and white buildings towards calm water and a distant mountain range, at Ramberg on the Lofoten islands, Norway. A small dark rocky islet sits in calm grey water below a green headland under a heavily overcast sky, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. Tall pink flowers stand in the foreground above a stony shore beside a calm body of water and a green hill, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. A paved road with a white centre line curves past a metal guardrail above a calm body of water below rugged mountains, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. A small red building and a low pier stand at the shore of calm blue water between rugged green mountains under a sky of scattered cloud, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. A long white bridge crosses a wide blue sound beneath rugged green mountains, with a small white cabin boat moored near two red buoys, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. A long multi span road bridge on concrete piers crosses a calm body of water below green hills under a cloudy sky, at Ramberg on the Lofoten islands, Norway. Small red and white buildings line the far shore of a wide calm bay below steep rugged mountains, at Ramberg on the Lofoten islands, Norway. A low long bridge and a nearby arched bridge cross calm water between grassy rocky islets under a partly cloudy sky, at Ramberg on the Lofoten islands, Norway. A curving paved road passes a field of tall golden grass beside calm water and a large rocky mountain massif, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. A jagged mountain ridge rises beyond a dark stretch of water, framed by conifer branches under a layered cloudy sky, at Leknes on the Lofoten islands, Norway. Dry golden grass and grey boulders meet calm water beneath layered mountains capped with pale snow patches under a cloudy sky, at Stamsund on the Lofoten islands, Norway. Golden grass and large grey boulders line the water where small rocky islets sit below a steep dark hill under heavy cloud, at Stamsund on the Lofoten islands, Norway. A grey road with white markings curves along a grassy hillside beside dark water, with a vehicle ahead and utility poles running uphill, at Stamsund on the Lofoten islands, Norway. A paved road with white lane markings runs past a flat green marsh whose shallow ponds mirror a bright cloudy sky below rocky hills, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. A damp road with two lanes curves left between dense green vegetation and tall wooden poles, with green mountains vanishing into low cloud ahead, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. Grey boulders and low shrubs edge a wide expanse of rippled water where dark rocky islets sit below a cloud covered mountain range, in the Lofoten islands, Norway. A cluster of pale buildings sits on a flat shore below a steep green mountain whose summit is hidden by low cloud above choppy water, at Svolvaer on the Lofoten islands, Norway. A long light grey bridge crosses calm water in front of a steep forested mountain under an overcast sky, at Svolvaer on the Lofoten islands, Norway. A ferry with a dark hull and white wheelhouse nears a metal ramp beside a lowered striped barrier at a wet terminal under low cloud, at Narvik in Norway. A curved slatted arch carrying a scroll shaped sign spans a paved two lane road beside conifers and a small building, at Namsskogan in Norway. A loaded BMW GS adventure motorcycle stands beside a small grey tent on a grassy pitch lined with static caravans, on the Inderoy peninsula in Norway. Small houses in red, white and yellow line the shore of a calm grey inlet below a forested hillside, on the Inderoy peninsula in Norway.
Journal Notes

A southbound ride of seven days from the North Cape down the whole coast of Norway to the Trondheimsfjord, through Finnmark, Troms and the Lofoten islands. The route runs south from the North Cape by Lakselv, Havøysund, Hammerfest and Alta, crosses the Lyngen coast to Skjervøy and Birtavarre, and continues by Narvik and Lofoten down the Nordland highway to Inderøy. With roughly 2,800 kilometres of riding, this track carries the journey from the northern tip of Europe to the middle of Norway.

The Norwegian stage opened in the wide valley of the Porsangerfjord. From the border country the road ran north along the inner coast to Lakselv, the little centre at the head of the fjord, where a fuel station, a car park and a yellow signboard of destinations broke the first morning. Then the road climbed away from the water and crossed the open plain towards the sea.

Beyond Lakselv the country turned bare and green, and the road bent west towards the Kåfjord. A white wooden church stood by the water at the mouth of a side valley, willowherb and dense purple flowers lined the verges, and small blue lakes lay between the hills. The first reindeer of the stage appeared on the slopes above the road.

The way to the North Cape crosses the Kåfjord and then Magerøya, the island at the very top of Norway. Villages of red and ochre houses sit along the shore, kelp drifts in the clear water below the road, and a blue sign in one lane gives the name Sørnes. A cruise ship lay offshore beyond the small settlement, waiting its turn at the cape.

A detour westwards led to Gjesvær, an old fishing village on the outer coast. The gravel road ran between small lakes and over a narrow causeway, and the flat topped island of Gjesværstappan stood out in the calm bay beyond. The bird cliffs there are among the largest seabird colonies in the north.

Back on the main island the road turned north again past Kamøyvær, a tiny harbour settlement wedged between steep green mountains. Reindeer grazed on the rocky slopes above the road, the water in the inlet lay perfectly still, and fish pens floated in the bays. The fjord east of the village narrows until the mountains rise straight from the shore.

The night was spent at Skarsvåg, the last fishing village before the North Cape. The harbour, the low tide shore and a row of red cabins were all within a short walk of the tent, and reindeer grazed on the hillside beside the houses. The evening light stayed on the water until very late.

The following morning the road climbed the last few kilometres to the North Cape itself. Fog lay over the plateau, and the walk out towards the cliff edge crossed bare rocky ground, stone cairns with red trail marks and shallow tarns where waterfowl rested. The sea beyond showed only now and then through the mist.

The cape is the end of the road and the top of the continent. The visitor centre on the cliff carries a wall covered with the stickers of the travellers who have reached it, and out on the headland stands the metal globe that marks the northernmost point of Europe. In the evening the cloud lifted, the sun came out over the water, and the tent went up again beside a mirror calm lake.

Then the ride turned south again along the Porsangerfjord. Red boathouses on pilings stood at the water’s edge, a weathered post carried the stickers of earlier travellers, and a last sign pointed back to the North Cape before the road ran on into the open country.

The first real stop of the southern run was Havøysund, a fishing town on an exposed island further down the coast. Seen from the bridge above the harbour, the quay, the warehouses and the moored boats lay below a bare green hill. Beyond the town the road climbed to the wind farm on the ridge, the northernmost in the world.

South of Havøysund the road threaded a scatter of small settlements: red stilted houses above turquoise water, wooden piers leading out to boathouses, a white timber church on a rocky hillside and fish pens floating in the bays. Mountains rose straight from the sea on every side, and the water in the narrow sounds was a deep, cold blue.

At Hammerfest the stage reached the largest town of the north. The harbour held ferries and fishing boats, a waterfront promenade ran along the quay and the streets climbed the hill behind. Across the water on the island of Melkøya stood the gas plant with its great storage tank and its flare, the landfall of the pipeline from the Snøhvit field. The day ended at Alta on the broad salmon river of the same name, with the tent pitched on gravel beside the water.

The next stage turned west towards the Lyngen coast. At Øksfjord the road met the water again, with snow still lying on the peaks across the sound and a long blue fjord opening to the sea. Further on the route passed below the Jøkelfjord glacier, whose crevassed ice falls above dark rock down towards the fjord.

Beyond Øksfjord the road crossed to Skjervøy and then turned inland into the mountains. The evening camp stood in a green valley at Birtavarre in the Kåfjord, the tent pitched on grass with the peaks rising on both sides, and in the morning reindeer stood beside the road again.

The ride south followed the wide Ofotfjord towards Narvik. At Bjerkvik, where the mountains come down to the water, snow still lay on the peaks, and further on the road crossed the Tjeldsund bridge on its way out to the islands.

Lofoten opened with a wall of jagged peaks across the water. The road ran along the shore and over the bridges that link the islands, past Ramberg with its long white beach, the little harbours of the north shore, Leknes in the middle of the group and Stamsund on the eastern side. Among the green headlands the light was that of a country far to the north, warmed by the sea.

The next morning the road ran east along the islands to Svolvær, the largest town of Lofoten, where the mountains fall almost straight into the harbour. From there the route turned back towards the mainland, and a ferry carried it across a fjord on the way down to Narvik.

The last days were the long haul south through Nordland. A great timber gateway marked the way into the Nord-Norge road, the mountains slowly gave way to forest and river valleys, and the ride ended among the farms of Inderøy on the Trondheimsfjord, with the tent on a campsite lawn below a hillside village of scattered houses and fields.

In total the stage covered roughly 2,800 kilometres, from the North Cape down the whole length of Norway to the Trondheimsfjord. The weather was mixed, with fog on the Arctic plateau and bright days further south, and the roads were good throughout. What gave the stage its character was the constant presence of the sea: the bare coast of Finnmark, the fjord towns of Troms, the sharp green islands of Lofoten and the wide farmland shores of Trøndelag.