The Bright Midnight Cycle is a 1,100km self-sufficient bikepacking adventure in Norway. The tour takes you through small villages on gravel roads, across barren tundra, dramatic fjords and mystical forests, and conquers over 20,000m of the most spectacular and legendary climbs Norway has to offer.

The route starts and ends in Tolga, a mountain village on the Glåma river and the gateway to Forollhogna National Park, famous for its vast tundra. Gravel tracks and fast-flowing roads follow the sun west to the glittering switchbacks of Trollstigen, where the high mountains and rugged nature of Norway come closer with every pedal stroke.

Then we continue into the spectacular fjord landscape and down over steep rock faces that were formed by glacier migrations that have been going on for thousands of years. We arrive in the fjord town of Geiranger with its painted houses and graphic architecture on the sea bays.

Then it’s on to Jotunheim National Park where the highest peaks in Norway have to be conquered, then down to the fjords and back up again, you see the pattern! The route partly follows the famous Mjølkevegen cycle path and then back east through Grimsdalen with views of Rondane National Park and after 1,100 meters back to Tolga, and wait, there’s over 20,000 meters of elevation gain to conquer!

Part of the joy of such an adventure lies in the art of navigation. Following a map and knowing exactly where you are going becomes an essential part of the experience. Lloyd takes a more traditional approach, carefully hand-crafting a detailed paper map, marking all of the climbs, stops and key features along the route.

Once he’s done, he takes a photo of the map and sets it as his phone’s home screen, so he can access the map and find his way safely even without internet or GPS.

And of course, all of this in the middle of the night. Because the race is so far north, it is dark for about two hours from about 11:30 p.m., so the race can go on all night. This was the first challenge for Lloyd, because he needs his five hours of sleep a night and knows that the extremely competitive competitors would take advantage of the night-time driving. How would he react?

The routes are typically designed to present riders with significant geographical obstacles such as high mountains, rugged trails and river crossings.

Some of the massive climbs, which start at sea level on fjords and climb up steep slopes, can be up to 20 kilometers long. The total elevation gain along the entire route was an incredible 20,000 meters.

To put this into perspective for those who know Wicklow, the longest climb in the area is the Wicklow Gap, which stretches for seven kilometres at a gradient of five per cent. In contrast, the gravel climb out of Øvre Oudal is 12 kilometres at a gradient of eight per cent, and the road climb out of Sunndalsøra is a grueling five kilometres at a gradient of 14 per cent.

When switchbacks appear on your Garmin, you know what lies ahead.

Sounds pretty straightforward, but was it? Here’s how it went. Oh – and Lloyd had 6.5 days to get it done, no problem!

Day 1

From Tolga to Sundalsora

(225 km/2,300 meters)

The first half of the day began with smooth, flat champagne gravel and offered a calm and pleasant start.

However, this tranquility was soon disturbed by a knee-deep river crossing that seamlessly transitioned into a challenging hike-a-bike section.

As Lloyd climbed into the highlands, the skies opened and rain began to fall steadily, which continued for the rest of the day. The descent back to sea level was treacherous – a highway, now muddy and slippery with dirt, led to Opdal, where he stopped for a burger.

Soaked and frozen to the bone, Lloyd decided to book a hotel for the night. Unfortunately, an unexpected hike-a-bike leg delayed his arrival and he didn’t get to the hotel until 11pm. By then everything was already closed, so he had hardly anything to eat. The next morning he got up at 5am to continue his bike ride, skipping breakfast and wanting to set off early.

Day 2

From Sundalsora to Lesja

(281 km/4,518 meters)

Lloyd set out in damp clothes because his clothes had not dried properly overnight.

The day began with a challenging 10 percent climb from sea level up to a plateau dominated by rugged gravel roads.

He navigated through a gravel tunnel that wound in all directions, an eerie experience without light.

A short stop in Vistdal to buy provisions was unsuccessful as he had almost no appetite left.

Continuing his journey, Lloyd found a moment of rest in Åndalsnes, where he enjoyed a cup of coffee and a sandwich. Later, he picked up a takeaway burger and provisions for dinner in Bjorli.

However, due to his limited knowledge of Norwegian, there was a misunderstanding about a place name and so he had to cycle an additional 30 kilometers to reach his booked log cabin.

With no water or electricity, the cabin offered little in the way of comfort, so dinner consisted of a cold burger. However, the dry and comfortable bed was a welcome relief after such a tiring day.

Day 3

From Lesja to Øvre Årdal

(177 km/3,248 meters)

The day began with another massive 10% gravel climb, setting the stage for the challenges ahead. By 9am, Lloyd had reached Vågåmo, where he treated himself to a much-needed coffee and breakfast, followed by a quick supply at the local shop.

Undeterred, he continued his ascent to the glacier at Sognefjellshytta – a climb of epic proportions.

Once at the summit, Lloyd took a break at the tourist center and enjoyed five bowls of onion soup, his first proper meal in days.

Fortunately, the ascent was dry, but the descent back to the fjord at Øvre Årdal was a grueling 20-kilometer journey through relentless rain.

Upon his arrival, Lloyd was discouraged to find that there was no accommodation available in the city.

Since we still had a grueling 20-kilometer gravel climb out of the fjord ahead of us, continuing was not an option.

Instead, he joined a group of ten others and they settled for sleeping on the local football field.

Before going to bed, the group met for a hearty meal in an Italian restaurant – a fitting end to a busy day, even though the accommodations were anything but luxurious.

Day 4

From Øvre Årdal to Vagamo

(189 km/3,633 meters)

The day started early with a challenging climb through gravel hairpin bends as Lloyd climbed out of the fjord, soon followed by another steep gravel climb that eventually brought him to Beitostølen, a winter ski resort.

There he treated himself to a hearty lunch – a bowl of soup, sausages with sauerkraut and a well-deserved ice cream for dessert. The attentive staff even allowed him to put his feet up and take a much-needed nap.

Later, Lloyd secured the only available hotel in Vågå. The price was high, but it was worth every penny.

He arrived at 7 p.m., just in time for a proper meal in the hotel restaurant, accompanied by a refreshing cold beer.

His good friend Greg Clarke messaged him on WhatsApp and urged him to pull through the night – a well-intentioned but amusing suggestion, as there was no chance of that happening!

Day 5

From Vagamo to Tolga

(220 km/3,683 meters)

The hotel had packed Lloyd breakfast for his early departure at 4 a.m.

With our home now in sight, this was the easiest day yet with minimal climbs.

He made his way to Alvdal where he enjoyed a delicious Thai curry before continuing his journey to the finish line in Tolga.

The route took him through a national park with a beautiful gravel section reminiscent of the roads in Wicklow.

Some of the old friends Lloyd had met during their impromptu evening at the football field in Øvre Årdal decided to get used to the competition and what started as a casual ride quickly turned into a spirited race among the veterans at the end of the race. Lloyd thought he had crossed the finish line first, but it turned out someone had gotten up at 2am to beat him to the win.

These are the racing tactics in the world of long-distance bikepacking!

Diploma

Lloyd reached Tolga in 4.5 days, exactly as planned. His support team – Julienne, his wife – had clear instructions to be there, so reaching the finish line was a must.

He finished 44th out of 108 participants.

An amazing feat of endurance – congratulations, Lloyd.

There are plenty of opportunities for off-road adventures at Bray Wheelers. In winter, many riders focus on gravel roads and trails. For more information visit braywheelers.ie.