Bad weather has forced Norwegian Jonas Holm, 27, to alter his 5,500km human-powered attempt to circle Norway.
Holm took a year off from his construction job and set out from southern Norway in late April, beginning in Svinesund on the Swedish border. He planned to paddle nearly 3,000km north, skirting Norway’s coastline as far as Grense Jakobselv, near the Russian border. From there, he would travel south through Norway, Finland, and Sweden with his dog, Rago.
Jonas Holm during the kayak section of his journey. Photo: Jonas Holm/Padling
However, difficult conditions forced him to stop paddling south of Bodø in northern Norway, a little over halfway to Grense Jakobselv. On his website, Holm says he wants to avoid feeling pressure to reach particular places by particular dates, instead focusing on experiencing the landscape. With constant wind and rain, he decided the remaining fiords could wait until next spring.
Holm’s tracked route so far. Photo: Jonas Holm
Getting started on his long hike south
Holm won’t sit on the couch until he can complete the coastline. Rather than wait months for better weather, he has stored his kayak and will begin the second segment of his journey: the 2,500km trek south from Grense Jakobselv. After a quick break at home to dry his clothes and gear, Holm recently drove north to Grense Jakobselv and set out with a backpack and a companion. Rago, his Alaskan malamute, is even carrying some equipment. As winter arrives and snow accumulates, Holm plans to eventually transition from walking with a backpack to skis and a pulk.
His exact route is unclear, but he will roughly trace Norway’s eastern border, though he mentions crossing parts of Finland and Sweden on his way back to his starting point in southern Norway.
You can follow Holm’s progress through the live tracker on his expedition website.
