"Visit the arctic circle while doing the IBA BB1500 GOLD"
| Please find map and route here | |
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During midsummer in Sweden
(end of june) I made a trip to the small village
Svappavaara - a bit north of the Arctic circle.
I didn´t have the ambition
to fullfill my dream BB 1500 GOLD - i just wanted to try
if I had it in me - officially I got my certificate
from IBA 2008-01-07.
Where on earth have this
been taking place?
I made the ride from
latitude 66,00 degrees north to latitude 75,25 degrees
north - and back within 23 ½ hours. If You compare
the starting point in Sweden - capital Stockholm - with
Alaska and Canada - You´ll find it in the area of
"gates of the arctic" or "victoria
island" and then go to Thule airbase on
Greenland........quite high on the globe don´t You
think!
I wouldn´t compare the
weather or temperature though - I was basking in
sunshine and comfy 80-90F during daylight and 50F when
it was dusk/dark. The total distance is approx 1520
miles - so I guess it´s a very close call for the BB
1500!
After reading all the do´s
and don´ts from the IBA I decided to go to bed early
and rise early. My preparations was simple, be well
rested before start, drink and eat at tankstops, bring
some tools and tape for quick repairs and prepare for a
sleepover. Mentally I also decided to make a new
decision at each tankstop - fulfill or not fulfill the
BB 1500.
The trip included about 25%
highway, 10% gravel roadworks and the rest ordinary
countryroad with tarmac. Speedlimits in towns 32 mph
(50km/h), outside 55 mph (90 km/h) and on highways 70
mph (110 km/h). Since we have the midsummernight sun I
started june 24th at full daylight 0400 hours and
headed north. I started in drizzling rain for
awhile but that ended within an hour - no more
rain for the whole trip!
It was a very comfortable
ride - almost empty roads - first stop with sandwich and
coffe after 3½ hours, same with the next leg 3½ hours.
The coastline of Sweden is very varied - fun to ride
with a lot of curves and small hills to climb. At the
town Skellefteaa I turned inland towards the
village Arvidsjaur and the landscape shifted - less
forrest with pinetrees and more small birchtrees. I
had my lunch of hotdogs and some Fanta at the gasstop in
the small town Jokkmokk.
Up here You will find trees
in the small valleys and the rest is filled with bushes
and long grass. Late afternoon in the village
Svappavaara I settled for an icecream while filling the
gas - looked at my watch and noted - 12 hours exactly
and half of the trip finished. I thought "Hmmm, I
might do it if I cut my following gasstops with 10
minutes each"!
I used another route down to
the coast and meet a lot of campingcars and caravans
(some resemblance with the US movie from the 70-ies -
Convoy) going north passed the town Luleaa at approx
1800 hours - now I was really sweating in my all
protecting goretex suit - phuiii.
After a short gasstop I made
a very quick run down to the town Oernskoeldsvik for
yet another gasstop and a break. The town famous since
it´s a breedingplace for a lot of NHL-players!
Interresting enough while resting I could enjoy a lot of
sunbathing mature females! at 2230 hours - and I had a
longer rest than planned.......(a nightstopover might be
more fruitfull than the BB1500 - neh?).
Ah, well - further south
while passing into june 25th it became a bit darker and
the nightfog became bothersome - but almost no cars so I
felt quite safe and comfortable. So far no burning butt
but my right hand was showing some numbness. Passing
next gasstop in a completely loneliness at 0115 hours
and I immediately put the wheels onto the road
again. One hour later I was riding on the highway
and I started to feel tired and sleepy, a short break on
the roadside, with some chocobars took care of
that and I could enjoy the warmth of the rising sun down
to Stockholm and arrived 0318 hours!
I realized that I´ve made
it! The last leg towards my home was a very slow and
safe one - I didn´t want to mess anything up with an
accident.
As You can imagine - I
couldn´t sleep at once - I had some sips of my Jack
Daniel and while sitting in my sofa I drifted off
thinking of my accomplishment.
When I woke up I felt
my body vibrating and my right hand felt more like
usuall. No problems with hearing since I have used my
supersilent helmet YES - no earplugs needed. The second
day I was completely rested!
I used my GTR 1000 from 1994
and it worked flawlessly (except in the end when a
plug had unscrewed itself - easilly fixed at the gasstop)
and my 57 year old body managed as well.
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| Why
the Arctic circle.....ah, just for the heck of it!
Now when I have the experience - I´ll do it again! Hans in Sweden
Resting after hard work... |
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