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First Report of the BaltiCCycle Tour North Cape-Olympia
(2004)
John Dennis Clark III
Crossing from Finland into Norway by bus at the start of the tour we were
made to get out of the vehicle and the boarder guards went through all of
our stuff. On the return by bike to the same boarder point no boarder
guards, no check, just ride through...welcome to the new Europe!
Temps have reached a high of 4. No more difficulty of riding in snow and
ice...derailers that do not shift, chains stick, brakes do not work and mud
guards fill with slush stopping the wheels. Last night and tonight, our
first rest day, 13 of us are staying in a log house for 6. Crowded but warm.
A needed day to wash clothes cook massive quantities of pasta, drink Finnish
beer, tea and coffee. The sauna in the place is being used to dry clothes.
At an elevation of 600+ meters, snow is again with us, on the ground, but
not falling from the sky.
When camping, we find that fire warmed stones work very well to keep the
tents warm, even in the sleeping bag they make the night quite comfortable.
The lap top computer we brought with us has succumbed to the elements and
stopped working.
We sometimes ride 100 km before finding a shop, cafe or any habitation.
Luckily we have plenty of food we brought with us. Yesterday some of the
group stopped for a lunch of reindeer and potatoes at a local resturant,
others in the group took a day hike to an old church. Yesterdays ride was
our longest yet at 102 km. With the terrain leveling out we expect to repeat
this distance daily for our next three weeks in Finnland.
The next update will be when internet is available.
John Dennis Clark 111
Tour photos
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routes
