Tromsø - Sommarøy

Route planning over beer and bowling—as always, a source of reliable decisions. "Sommarøy! You have to see it! It's beautiful!" yells the guy with more residual alcohol than English skills. Well, let's see if it wasn't better sober or drunk after all.

Out of Tromsø, hop on the bike, into the adventure, and out of cell reception. The 862 stretches westward like a Sunday morning hangover. The first climb, Garmin cheers, "Climb completed!" – nice, but the asphalt continues straight ahead into nirvana.

Sure, the bowling experts probably arrived by car.

No matter. It goes back down again. Again and again. And up again. And down again. Peak after peak, hill after hill, more scenery than you can handle. Another tunnel just before the finish, a brief moment of darkness, then light – and suddenly: Woooohoooo! Indeed: The drunks were right. Sommarøy is a real beast. Sometimes you just need a detour via bowling to see the truth.