This expedition is perfect for those who are used to riding for long periods in demanding terrain. Along the way, we will enjoy difficult and technical terrain as well as excellent flow paths. Enjoy double tracks in a never-ending gently rolling mountain plain landscape and hilly fjord landscape! Each afternoon, regardless of whether we are staying at a traditional mountain lodge or at GLØD, we enjoy a relaxing sauna followed by good food accompanied by wine, after several hours on the bike seat.
Long days
This is a relatively demanding trip with long biking days of up to 6-8 hours including a lunch break, in sometimes challenging terrain. The distances vary from 25 to 60 km and the average speed ranges from 10-20 km/h. Owing to the combination of relatively long distances and demanding terrain, it’s a requirement that all participants must be in good shape and be experienced mountain bikers.
Double and single tracks
The first day in the Alta Valley offers excellent paths that are technical and relatively challenging combined with pure flow paths on a base of pine needles. On the Finnmark mountain plateau, we largely follow the Sami people’s quad bike tracks, which means there are a lot of double tracks. The majority offer excellent biking, while some sections are stony and relatively demanding. The trip also includes a series of marsh and river crossings, which involve carrying your bike. There are no major mountains to climb, but the mountain plateau is by no means flat! This means you may climb 750-1,000 m in a day, which you will feel in your legs! We will also head out to the coast, where we discover a different landscape – hilly terrain offering wonderful views of fjords, mountains and glaciers.
On our Skill and Fitness – scale this is a S5/F7-tour.
Several of the routes are also used for both the 300 and 700 km classes of the Offroad Finnmark mountain bike race.
Accommodation
Overnight accommodation during the trip is included in the tour price and will be in the Aurora Canvas Dome or GLØD Boutique Apartment at GLØD on the outskirts of Alta and at the Jotka Fjellstue mountain lodge on the Finnmarksvidda mountain plateau. A nice and soft bed is the perfect end to a long day on your bike seat and will prepare you for another day on your bike. To assist your recovery, we like to spend time in the sauna before dinner. If you require accommodation before or after the tour, please let us know when you book.
Meals
All meals (from dinner on the first evening to breakfast on the last day) are included. Our guides are also hobby gourmets, so it’s not out of the question that a delicacy or two will be prepared on an open fire at lunch time! Delicious dinners also await at the Jotka Fjellstue mountain lodge and at GLØD.
Bike and equipment
A full suspension bike is preferable, ideally a 29er. You are welcome to use an electric mountain bike.
If you don’t have a full suspension bike but wish to try this trip, you can rent a suitable bike from us! We rent out both analogue and electric full suspension mountain bikes.
Repairman and local guide
You will be joined on this adventure by a local MTB guide who has the main responsibility for safety and navigation. In addition to being well acquainted with the Finnmarksvidda mountain plateau after many trips there, the guide is also a technically competent mountain biker and can repair many of the eventualities that can occur on such an expedition.
Are you ready for an adventure? We are!
Day 1
Arrival in Alta
We pick you up at the airport.
Check into an Aurora Canvas Dome or GLØD Boutique Apartment
We assemble/adapt the bikes and have a short ride on the closest paths to check that everything is functioning well.
Dinner
Day 2
After breakfast, we take advantage of the diverse selection of paths and tracks on offer in the Alta Valley! Since the guide has local knowledge, we ride the most secret and best alternatives including Sonja Kristins Cocktail, Jorra Jungle, Baddomella, Sandfallet, Kaffemokka, Cover Trail and Dollarsvingen.
We love open fires and coffee brewed on the fire, so we will stop along the way and brew coffee on an open fire.
After the ride, you can have a sauna/show at GLØD. We will also pack and plan for the coming days.
Day trip, approx. 35-40 km
Biking 3-5 hours, 35-40 km
Sauna
Dinner
Stay overnight in Aurora Canvas Dome
Day 3
Today is the first of two days on the Finnmarksvidda mountain plateau. We drive to Masi and bike from here northwards to the Jotka Fjellstue mountain lodge. We start with a quite challenging ascent and serpentine turns, which is nevertheless quite rideable. The terrain eventually flattens out and we can enjoy the typical mountain plateau landscape with low rolling terrain as far as the eye can see. Ahead of us is brilliant biking on quad bike paths, trails and trails towards the north. We stop along the way and grill lunch on an open fire. After lunch, we will eventually start to see the mountains on the coast of Finnmark to the north before we head east to today’s destination – the incredibly cosy mountain lodge Jotka Fjellstue!
This leg is identical to one of the legs during OffroadFinnmark 300 in 2016.
After a long day on the bike seat, our welcome beer tastes quite OK! At Jotka we enjoy a sauna and a delicious dinner. We stay in the mountain lodge’s cosy cabins.
You will have access to your bag at Jokta Fjellstua.
Biking: 6-8 hours, 50 km
Day 4
We head towards Alta, following one of the most beautiful sections of the route used for the OffroadFinnmark mountain bike race. We can see the mountains on the Finnmark coast to the north and, with a southerly wind at our backs, this day will be remembered for a lot of flow!
The day concludes with a fantastic, and in some places slightly technical, single track down to the Alta Valley, and further along the banks of the Alta river down to GLØD HQ, where you can enjoy a shower and sauna.
Biking 5-7 hours, 45 km
Sauna
Dinner
Stay overnight at GLØD
Day 5
Today we will head slightly further west, where the mountains are steeper, and the terrain is more demanding. We will ride the Lakkonjarga Highway in the Bognelvdalen valley in Langfjord. This is a relatively hilly path/quad bike track used by the local Sami people. The start is steep and a lot of it is quite simply “hike-a-bike”. We eventually get above the tree line and the terrain is very hilly – quite different to what we experienced on the Finnmarksvidda mountain plateau. The views of the fjord and glaciers make the experience different that the previous days.
Lunch is served at the cabin of Glød Founder/CEO Trygve, which has an idyllic setting on the shores of lake Bognelvvannet. After lunch, we follow a technical path down the Bognelvdalen valley, which offers relatively demanding and fun mountain biking.
Biking 4-6 hours, 25 km
Sauna
Dinner
Stay overnight in Aurora Canvas Dome
Day 6
Breakfast
Departure
Please note that the routes are subject to change due to the weather, state of the tracks/trails or other conditions.
This adventure requires a proper mountain bike. We recommend a full-suspension bike – and preferably an electric one.
If you are in doubt about whether your bike is suitable, you can rent a full suspension bike from us. This will take you happily over most technical MTB challenges you will encounter on the Finnmarksvidda mountain plateau. However, you need to take care of progress and balance, unless you opt for an electric MTB, which may can also rent from us. In that case, the helmet is included.
Moreover, you need to bring a helmet, gloves, biking shoes, shorts with padding, woollen underwear, extra pack (approx. 25 litre, preferably a hydration backpack) for rainwear, a thin sweater, helmet cap, an energy bar or two and spare parts.
The bag containing your personal belongings will be transported to Jotka Fjellstue mountain lodge.
We will send a complete equipment list when your booking is confirmed.
Dates
The trip can be arranged from around 20 June until the end of September. We recommend August and September to avoid the mosquitoes on the mountain plateau.
There are no fixed dates but, if you are part of a group, please contact us and we will arrange when it suits you.
Prices
The tour price includes all transfers (including pick up and drop off at the airport), guide, meals from dinner day 1 breakfast day 6 and accommodation (twin share).
Rental bike
Analogue MTB: NOK 2,430
E-MTB: NOK 3,120