Charity Ride

[Spud]

I am in the process of organising a charity ride for "fishing for heroes" which is a charity I have previously raise funds for, by doing the coast to coast walk raising some £1000.  I am now looking to do a loop around northern Europe riding across Denmark the Baltic and onto Sweden heading north into Finland and onto Nordcapp  the northern most part of Europe above the artic circle and then down the west coast of Norway then back across Sweden and over to my ferry back in Denmark.
 
I am looking for any information on the road conditions and camp site etc. in Sweden and Finland going north , for instance does anyone know if it its legal to free camp. Any information would be gratefully received so I can plan my daily mileage etc. I plan on camping for the adventure and to keep cost to a minimum as the trip is funded by myself so all the monies raised can be used by the charity.
 
Fishing for heroes is a charity that helps veterans with mental health problems rather that physical one, each candidate is taught to fly fish and whilst doing so they receive rehab/counselling. Physical injuries are easily seen by other but mental problems often go hidden for years. I am hoping to raise enough funds to put (quite) a few veterans through a course, for further information on fishing for heroes please see www.fishingforheroes.net
 
many thanks John (Spud) Murphy  
www.fishingforheroes.net

[flaco]

Hi Spud-
I did a similar trip in 2005, except I came down through Finland and crossed to Estonia and back through Latvia, Lithuania and all points west. You will have a GREAT TRIP! I envy you.
Roads are mostly tarmac all the way, although I had an off when one turned into gravel with no warning. No harm done. The further north you go, the emptier they become. Sometimes I could ride for half-an-hour without seeing another vehicle.
Camping is a good idea. The campsites are well-run, usually by a lake, and have everything you need. Wild camping is legal, and there's plenty of space to do it in. The sense of isolation in some of the places where I camped was overwhelming. Finland is magical and is great for camping.
Fuel: try and keep a full tank. The gas stations are few and far between in the north, but you should be ok.
Take plenty of mosquito repellant, or buy some when you get there. Make sure your tent is mossie-proof and take a hat with a net attached to cover your face. I would stop for a break and the pesky things would home in on my face as soon as I lifted my visor.
Reindeer wander about at will. Worse than the sheep in Wales. Keep a look out. There are also elk-warning signs, but I never saw one of those big buggers. You don't want to collide with an elk.
An old-timer advised me not to go to Nordkapp. Said it was a tourist-trap. Told me to go to a place called Berlevag. The road ends there and the last 150k were one of the best rides I've had in my life.
I went in July, and it became cold and damp up there. There was snow on the hills and I had to put on the layers.
Anything else I can help with, let me know. Oh, I ate reindeer and chips once. And alcohol is hard to come by, and everything is expensive. Except reindeer.
I know you're going to enjoy it.
all the best
Flaco

[Spud]

Cheers Flaco much appreciated info, I had thought of going through the Baltic states, seen them from the sea but not from the land and always wanted to visit them. Was thinking of carrying a petrol can just in case, must confess had never thought of the mozzies. Someone else has already told me Nordcapp is like Landsend. :shock: How long did your trip take,
cheers Spud  

[flaco]

Spud,
There's a lot to be said for returning through the Baltic states. You get to travel the length of Finland, which has to be a good thing, and you can also, if you want, traverse three countries in an easy day's ride- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Also, if you're me, you get your bike confiscated on entry to Tallinn on account of carrying photocopied documents instead of originals. Took three days to get that sorted out.
I didn't enjoy Poland and Germany very much, but maybe that's because the weather was grey and wet.
I had a visa to visit Russia, and I regret not doing so, but I needed to get home. My old lady had just had a baby!
My trip took just under four weeks, taking it easy and spending time looking, exploring and discovering. I covered about 6,500 miles.
Good luck with the charity ride. Great thing to do. I'll sign up for a donation.

all the best
Flaco