I went to Senja inspired by this MattewNorway video.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

My original plan was to cycle the Senja National Tourist Road — the scenic and BEST parts shown in brown below. Sadly, summer 2022, the section marked RED below was closed due to construction of a new landslide superstructure.

I’d hoped that only motor vehicles were going to be blocked — BUT a Swiss cyclists told me he didn’t get through. The only folks who made it cycled at night and carried bikes around checkpoints.

THEREFORE I was forced to take the long way around. Less scenic. And a LOT more traffic.

Day 1 Tromsø to Sommarøy

Day 2 Sommarøy to Fjordgård (Segla)

Day 3 to Fjordgård to Finnestes

Day 4 Finnestes to Hamn

Day 5 Hamn towards Skaland ➙ QUIT 🤨

I caught the fast ferry back to Tromsø from Finnsenes. Fed up with rain and wind.

Disappointing — but I did climb Sengla, one of my highest priorities for this trip.

My best campsite (free) was in Sommarøy. A wooden platform with a wind break is ideal in Norway.

Disappointed in having to do a much longer trip hitting Finnestes twice, I decided to take an $80 room in this old house. And was glad I did. A nice break from cycling in the rain.

A friendly truck driver on a ferry tipped me off to this — a rare free hot shower in Norway. Actually, I had 2 free hot showers because I cycled through Botnhamm twice.

My final night I camped in a troll themed free campsite near Hamn. Weird. But a good spot.

Expecting the bad weather to improve, it got worse and worse. And worse.

I finally QUIT en route to Skaland which is the trailhead for one of the great hikes. After days of hard rain, that route would have been too muddy to enjoy. Also — no vista from the top.

Summing up ➙ I need to return to Senja once the scenic road is open again.

My rental bike was pretty good, actually. Perhaps I’ll BUY a used bike like this in Tromsø and ride it south as far as it will go. Next time.

UPDATE Jan 11, 2023

 … over 5 months after SAS did not deliver all my luggage to Norway ➙ I finally was sent an airline voucher for CAD $940.  And I’m happily surprised I got anything.  

Scandinavian Airlines did EVERYTHING to pretend they hadn’t let my luggage sit untouched in Heathrow airport last summer — while I waited day-after-day in Tromsø, Norway.  Wanting to start my long cycling tour.  No reply to dozens of my attempts to contact them. 

After weeks I finally got the camping & cycling gear — but not the bike.  It was (finally) sent back to Canada. 

Scandinavian Airlines did EVERYTHING to ignore my compensation claim, as well.  Pretended I had not sent receipts, for example.  I had.  

Someone there finally got fed up of my pestering and reluctantly sent a voucher.

I’ll use it to get back to Tromsø, Norway this summer as it’s only valid until 2024-01-13.  And try to start my cycling trip again. 

_____ original post – August 12, 2022

Tromsø has the 3rd largest population (80k) north of the Arctic Circle anywhere (following Murmansk and Norilsk). 

At 69° it’s north of Reykjavík, for example.

350 kilometres (217 mi) north of the Arctic Circle.  The summer sun doesn’t set until July 27th.

On my only other trip to Norway I made it as far north as the Lofoten Islands, but not to Tromsø.

Strikingly scenic, it’s increasingly popular with tourists.

The Arctic Cathedral, built in 1965, is one memorable landmark.

I saw this Telephone booth converted into a FREE community library near the Cathedral. Brilliant.

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I enjoyed wandering the streets, some bleak but interesting landscapes. And some ultramodern looking buildings.

With long, dark winters, libraries are popular here.

Historically, this was the furthest outpost of “Norweigans” in an area mainly populated by the Sámi.

Explorers like Roald Amundsen recruited their teams from here. Here’s a statue of Helmer Hanssen from nearby Andøya. (He’s unrelated to the Helly Hansen company, originally based out of Norway, purchased by retail chain Canadian Tire in 2009.)

I saw two memorials to Roald Amundsen, first to reach the South Pole and the North Pole. First to navigate the Northwest Passage.

Amundsen disappeared in June 1928 while flying on a rescue mission for the airship Italia in the Arctic. The search for his remains, which have not been found, was called off in September of that year.

It’s tempting to fly to Tromsø in winter. Very unique. The northern lights are visible most clear nights.

I stayed at the only hostel in town. About US $35 / night. They treated me well.

Click PLAY or see Tromso Activities Hostel on YouTube.

I flew to Tromsø to start south on a long cycling adventure. Sadly my bike and gear got stranded at Heathrow airport. I watched them unmoved for … weeks.

Waiting for my luggage. 😀

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Surprisingly, there’s a botanical garden at the University here. Astonishing what they can grow in this climate with sunlight 24 hours / day.

After 2 weeks my gear bag finally arrived. But the bike remains in Heathrow as I post. 🤨

I’m finally heading south without it. By ferry and bus.

I wanted to start my planned Bikepacking trip through Norway and (possibly / hopefully) Faroe Islands and Iceland on July 22, 2022.

Surprisingly, I made it to Tromsø, way far north of the Arctic Circle? 😀

Barely. Heathrow was a disaster.

BUT my bike is still in London. Who knows how long it will take to get to remote Tromsø.

Meanwhile …