Traveling Woodpecker

Norway / 2018

July 6–23, 2018 · Motorcycle tour

Norway & Sweden

Fifteen days over the Arctic Circle and back: north from Oslo through Lillehammer and Trondheim, up the Helgeland coast to Lofoten and Narvik, across to Swedish Lapland at Kiruna and Jokkmokk, down the Gulf of Bothnia, and home over the mountains by Östersund and Røros.

miles planned
2,260
days
15
countries
2
across the Arctic Circle
2×
Route map of the ride
The loop as ridden, from Oslo over the Arctic Circle and back.

Countries

Norway, Sweden

Part 1 · Jul 6–12

Oslo → Lofoten → Narvik

1,112 mi

By way of

  • Lillehammer
  • Trondheim
  • Follafoss
  • Namsos
  • Brønnøysund
  • Tjøtta
  • Glomfjord
  • Moskenes
Picking up the Harley in Oslo
Picking up the Harley in Oslo
Lillehammer
Lillehammer
Horses in the mountains
Horses in the mountains
A mountain lodge on the way north
A mountain lodge on the way north
The old warehouses on the Nidelva, Trondheim
The old warehouses on the Nidelva, Trondheim
A summer concert in Trondheim
A summer concert in Trondheim
The Trondheim waterfront
The Trondheim waterfront
A colorful street in Trondheim
A colorful street in Trondheim
The map and the bike
The map and the bike
Looking out from Torghatten
Looking out from Torghatten
Torghatten, the mountain with a hole
Torghatten, the mountain with a hole
Viking-age burial mounds along the coast
Viking-age burial mounds along the coast
The Helgeland Bridge
The Helgeland Bridge
The Helgeland coast
The Helgeland coast
The Svartisen glacier
The Svartisen glacier
A rest stop on the coast road
A rest stop on the coast road
Bodø harbor
Bodø harbor
Tied down on the ferry to Lofoten
Tied down on the ferry to Lofoten
Stockfish drying in Lofoten
Stockfish drying in Lofoten
Reine, Lofoten
Reine, Lofoten
The Lofoten islands
The Lofoten islands
The inn in Lofoten
The inn in Lofoten
Lofoten peaks
Lofoten peaks
Trollfjord by boat
Trollfjord by boat
On the boat to Trollfjord
On the boat to Trollfjord
A sea eagle over Lofoten
A sea eagle over Lofoten
Sámi crafts
Sámi crafts
Narvik
Narvik

Part 2 · Jul 13–16

Narvik → Swedish Lapland → Örnsköldsvik

579 mi

By way of

  • Kiruna, Sweden
  • Jokkmokk, Sweden
  • Boden, Sweden
Crossing into Sweden
Crossing into Sweden
Lake Torneträsk
Lake Torneträsk
Fika on the road
Fika on the road
A beer in Kiruna
A beer in Kiruna
Down in the Kiruna iron mine
Down in the Kiruna iron mine
The Arctic Circle lodge
The Arctic Circle lodge
Gammelstad church town
Gammelstad church town
The cottages at Gammelstad
The cottages at Gammelstad
Old red farmhouses
Old red farmhouses
Swedish countryside
Swedish countryside
New potatoes from a farm stand
New potatoes from a farm stand
A hedgehog at dawn
A hedgehog at dawn
Fellow riders near Örnsköldsvik
Fellow riders near Örnsköldsvik
The bikes by the Gulf of Bothnia
The bikes by the Gulf of Bothnia

Part 3 · Jul 21–23

Örnsköldsvik → Røros → Oslo

570 mi

By way of

  • Östersund, Sweden
  • Røros
  • Elverum
Back on the road
Back on the road
A reindeer on the road
A reindeer on the road
The mountain plateau
The mountain plateau
Røros, the old mining town
Røros, the old mining town
Turf roofs in Røros
Turf roofs in Røros
Røros church
Røros church
A reindeer up close
A reindeer up close
The giant moose sculpture
The giant moose sculpture
Lunch on the way back to Oslo
Lunch on the way back to Oslo

After the ride · Jul 25–27

Oslo and Stockholm

Aker Brygge, Oslo
Aker Brygge, Oslo
The view over Oslo from Holmenkollen
The view over Oslo from Holmenkollen
Celebrating in Stockholm
Celebrating in Stockholm

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