Arctic Bike 2015: Cycling 7200km Across Scandinavia in the Dead of Winter

Not all of the big winter expeditions are taking place in the Antarctic – or on major mountains – this year. In fact, one of the most challenging winter journeys will actually be taking place in Scandinavia, where explorer Boris Krielen will attempt to ride a bike for more than 7200km (4473 miles) through a frozen landscape that will provide plenty of obstacles along the way. Boris is calling his expedition Arctic Bike 2015, and he expects to get started in January.

The ride will begin in The Hague in the Netherlands, where Boris will start peddling north. The route will take him through Sweden and Finland, on his way to the North Cape, the northernmost point of Europe. Once he has reached that location, he'll then turn back south, passing through Norway on his way back to his starting point in The Hague once again.

Winter in Scandinavia is a cold, windy, and dark season. The days will be short, with temperatures routinely dropping below zero. High winds and heavy snow will not be uncommon. Riding a bike for any distance – let alone 7200km – in those conditions seems like it would be incredibly difficult, but that isn't the only challenge that Boris has set for himself. He also intends to climb highest points in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland along the way. Those points consist of Møllehøj (Denmark - 171m/561 ft), Galdhøpiggen (Norway - 2469m/8100 ft) , Kebnekaise (Sweden - 2113m/6932 ft) and Halti (Finland - 1328m/4256 ft). Three of those could prove to be extremely challenging climbs in the dead of winter.

Boris will travel unsupported, pulling a small cart behind his bike as he goes. That cart will carry most of his gear and supplies for the journey. About once a week or so, he intends to stay in a local inn along the route, allowing him to sleep in a normal bed, get a hot shower, and recharge his batteries. He'll also take that opportunity to post updates to social media on his progress.

The Arctic Bike 2015 expedition is expected to begin on January 15 and continue to April 1. You can follow the progress of the ride on Boris' Facebook page and his Twitter account. Watch for future updates here as well.

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Expedition 1000 Update: Kayaking Journey to Helsinki Done!

The last time we checked in on British adventurer Dave Cornthwaite, he was just setting off on the latest leg of his Expedition 1000 project. This time out, he was attempting to travel a thousand miles from Oslo, Norway to Helsinki, Finland in a pedal-powered Kayak from Hobie. Yesterday, Dave wrapped up that adventure by arriving at his destination after 48 days out on the water, and covering 1000.5 miles (1610 km).

Dave's course took him out of Oslo south via the Oslo Fjord and along the Swedish Bohuslan Coastline to Gothenburg. From there he began paddling east, fighting the current of the Gota Alv River for a couple of days, before crossing Vanern, the largest lake in Sweden. Passing through the Gota Canal, he eventually arrived in Stockholm for a brief time, before making an open water crossing to Aland. The final stage of the trip saw our intrepid adventurer island hopping along the Finnish archipelago, before wrapping up his journey yesterday with his arrival in Helsinki.

The tale of the tape on this adventure is an impressive one. Over the course of his travels, Dave crossed through three countries (Norway, Sweden, and Finland). His total time out on the water was 303 hours and 35 minutes, traveling at an average speed of about 3.5 miles per hour. It took him approximately 1,093,900 pushes of the pedal to cover the 1000 mile distance. He also camped on 24 individual islands along the way.

This was the 11th leg of Expedition 1000, in which Dave is attempting to complete 25 individual journeys of 1000 miles or more, without the use of motorized transportation. Previous expeditions have taken him down the Mississippi River on a stand-up paddleboard, through the Atacama Desert on a wind-powered bike, and across Australia on a skateboard. Dave still has 14 more journeys to complete before the project is finished, and as always, it'll be interesting to see what he comes up with next.

The video below will give you a taste of what this adventure was like for Dave. Throughout the expedition he posted these excellent clips of his travels, and they really do give you a sense of what it was like to make this journey from Oslo to Helsinki.

Congrats to Dave on another leg of Expedition 1000 in the books. Well done my friend.

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Video: Nature and the Aurora Borealis in Finland

Last week, the Earth experienced some of the most intense solar activity that we've seen in recent memory. Solar flares from our sun buffeted the planet, causing disruptions to radio signals, satellites, and other communications equipment. It also made for some of the most intense displays of the Northern Lights that we've seen in some time. There have been a number of good videos showing off this natural phenomenon making the rounds lately, and this is another one. Shot in Finland, it includes some fantastic images from the incredibly beautiful landscapes, as well as wonderful views of the Northern Lights.

Nature and Aurora Borealis in Finland timelapse // Henri Luoma Photography from Henri Luoma on Vimeo.

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