Take on more than you can handle and it comes back to bite you – it bites you just like thirsty mosquitos during a long slow climb up the mountain. Yesterday I felt the growing strength surging through my muscles. Today I feel exhausted and those gods (is it Thor or some female god?) have added insult to injury by delivering me a broken spoke 5 km before the finish line.
But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
I feel proud of myself. I recognized the symptoms of lack of blood sugar: being angry at everything and the hard headedness to push on to not be late. I deliberately stopped and slowly ate my extra lunch reserve of cheese and salami sandwiches. It was to a beautiful backdrop of a wide fjord and beautiful mountains, by the way, although I only noticed that after the first sandwich.
I feel proud of my myself that I am not a complete klutz technically with the bike. When my spoke broke 5 km before Alta, I assessed the situation, readjusted the remaining spokes, and loosened the brakes to allow of a slightly wobbly wheel. And all this while being eaten alive by a swarm of ravenous mosquitos.
But, all this was at the end of the day. Here is a quick summary of the whole day. Early departure. Hug the coast. Big climb traversing a peninsula. Spectacular view over fjord, islands and imposing mountains.
At the top of the pass
View from the top of the pass
At the top of the pass
Hug the coast through small fishing villages.
On the way to Alta
Big climb. Descent into Burfjord. Big lunch with vast quantities of steak and chips. Disappointed at lack of climb crossing a peninsula into the state of Finnmark.
Entering Finnmark
Long, straight busy road along a narrow fjord that looked somewhat like the Rhein River. Non flat up and down and up and down. Big trucks. Fast cars. Counting down the kilometers to Alta. Alta in sight. 40 km to go but Alta 10 km as the crow flies.
Rain over Alta
Up and down. Skirt around side fjord. Up and down. Cross small side peninsula of side fjord. Pass Alta about 500 m on other side of fjord. Still 20 km to go. Big side fjord. Pass new road construction and see future road crossing half finished bridge to half finished tunnel. Wonder how the road will pass that big slab of rock in the way. Pass sign 9% steep climb. Question answered. Ping! Broken spoke.
*Sigh*
Wobbly wheel. Wheel doesn’t turn. Hungry mosquitos. Temporary fix. Crawl into Alta.
Beautiful light near Alta
Check into hotel.
Arrival in Alta
Sleep.
arctic-cycler.com 
Seems everywhere you point the camera you get a post-card scene.
Hope the hotel has sun-proof curtains.
Thankfully the hotel has super thick curtains. They are necessary. It is a bright sunny day out there. These bike problems may be a blessing in disguise. They force me to sleep in and wait until the bike shop opens.
[…] Day 8. Fosselv – Alta. 161 km Mountain passes and a long road along the fjord. 50 metres up and 50 metres down, 30 metres up and 30 metres down. All the way to Alta. Exhausting. And then another broken spoke. The spoke problem is now serious. […]