Sweden: the Blue Highway and the Wilderness Road
Our last two summer holidays we spent in Sweden, so it did feel a bit like coming home. The country is amazing for hiking, the national parks are perfect and we love the Swedish meatballs. But back then we traveled the country by car, so we were wondering how it would be to cycle here. We crossed the border after the Norwegian town of Mo i Rana by the E12, which is also known as the Blå vägen, or Blue Highway.
The Blue Highway
Starting in Mo i Rana and going all the way through Sweden, Finland and Russia. We only cycled 100 km of this route, but we were suprised about the remoteness and landscape. On the map we only saw “E12”, meaning a main road, so we expected lots of traffic and gas stations. None of that all. There is nothing there apart from mountains, forests and lakes. The Swedes didn’t even bother to have an office at the border; a sign said that if you have anything to declare, you can do that 75 km further down the road. It also takes 65 km for the first supermarket to appear (in Hemavan), which apparently is not too far for the Norwegians to stock up on cheap groceries and alcohol (cheap is relative, of course). We enjoyed the sunshine and the autumn colors, taking it easy and having frequent breaks to soak it all in. Our first night was cold, but after rainy Norway we didn’t care.
We already knew we wanted to cycle south to the Vildmarksvägen, which we drove last year. We remembered that we liked it and had a great hike up there, so time to visit again by bike.
The wildness road
Starting in the town of Vilhelmina and making a loop to Strömsund, this road is a remote route, almost touching the border with Norway. It’s closed for most of the year due to heavy snowfall; it opens up in June and closes again in October. So we were just in time to cycle this!
Through Warmshowers we met an amazing host; Malin has cycled herself for 6 years and now has settled down in the surrounding area of the wilderness road. We originally thought to spend only 1 night, but she convinced us to stay an extra night. Plus, she has an adorable dog named Heidi, so there was no way we could refuse that..
So, after the 2nd night we said goodbye, not knowing that wasn’t the last of Malin we would see, and set off. The skies were clear, the road empty, glorious autumn colors. All good until we had to go uphill after about 40 km. Julia switched gears, a horrible sound… Her derailleur broke off. That’s not something you can fix by yourself, and the Wilderness Road is not the perfect place for a problem like that. Luckily Malin saved our day. We walked back, she picked us up and she knew someone who might be able to help us. This guy, Nils, happened to have some spare ones, and fitted it on Julia’s bike the same night. So we spent another night warm and dry at Malin’s and tried again the next day.
The road is so beautiful, that we didn’t mind to do the stretch twice, especially because the weather was still perfect. We made our way to the Stekenjokk plateau, saw how reindeer were herded together (apparently with a helicopter) and basked in the autumn vibes. That the day started with freezing temperatures didn’t dampen our mood. We camped at a shelter next to the road, perfectly content. The next day, after the town of Gäddede, the scenery turned into more “generic Swedish”, with pine trees left and right. At the town of Strömsund, the Wilderness Road ends and we turned south to Östersund.
Camping, food and water
Both the Blue Highway and the Wilderness Road we highly recommend for cycling. Traffic is sparse, and the roads are in great condition. Groceries require a bit more planning, as there is sometimes more than 80 km without any possibility to get food. The shops along the wilderness road (Saxnäs, Klimpfjäll) are small, so expect only the essentials.
Shelters are abundant, especially between Gäddede and Strömsund, but wildcamping is easy. There are also plenty of picnic sites where you could pitch your tent. Rubbish bins are less abundant, so please take your trash with you!
Water we took from the many streams and we drank it without treatment and had no problems at all.
We heard from the locals that since last year there are more people cycling these routes (rather than the many many camper vans), but we only met one fellow tourer. So if you find yourself in Sweden, don’t miss out on these!
