Table of contents
- Winter tour Finland Ice age on the motorcycle
- Solo fun in the snow
- Information about the winter tour
Siepmann
to travel
Winter tour Finland
Winter tour Finland
Ice age on the motorcycle
To explore one’s own limits and those of the 34-year-old Guzzi was Frank Siepmann’s motivation for his icy Finland tour. At temperatures of down to minus 25 degrees, he and co-driver Michael Schmidt were drawn to the Arctic Circle.
Frank Siepmann
January 17, 2008
It was over after 24 hours. The rough swell of the wintry Baltic Sea has subsided when the lines of the ferry fly over the bollards in Helsinki, ice crystals dance in the air. We are finally where we wanted to be ?? in wintry Finland. It is still pitch dark when the Guzzi team rolls out of the ship’s belly at six in the morning and an icy breeze sweeps into the open helmet visors. Minus 18 degrees. It goes north through the capital on quiet, snow-covered streets. The drive on the wide highway is easy, so that Lathi, the city of the world-famous ski jumps and our first, carefully measured stage destination, is soon reached. But that’s where the problem begins. A major event blocks all quarters. Even in the youth hostel there is nothing to be had. Well, there is still enough warmth in our thick suits for a few more kilometers, and we had also found a hostel near Mikkeli.
We have long since left the highway and are now feeling our way along small, almost traffic-free back roads through the first hills of the Finnish Lake District. The team needs a lot more momentum to tackle the small but slippery slopes. Thank goodness nobody is on the road, so we can work on our driving style in peace. At first the rear wheel drifts away uncontrollably, but until Mikkeli there is a decent driving experience for the Italian diva. Even braking works at some point.
We are aiming for the beautiful youth hostel south of the city, which, according to the brochure, is open all year round. Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that! When we roll up at dusk, everything is dark. Hostel parents are away, explains a disgruntled neighbor in bumpy English. And all hotels within 50 kilometers are also closed, he adds, before disappearing into his warmly lit house. Michel and I look at each other, dig out the sleeping bags and briefly occupy the small veranda in front of the hostel. It’s pitch black and freezing cold. But we have no other choice. The petrol stove is hissing and thawing snow for tea and soup? it is almost cozy.
The next morning the thermometer shows 19 degrees below zero. But the sleeping bags have proven their worth. If you didn’t have to be so urgent, it wouldn’t be so bad after all. The coffee water is soon steaming and the first warmth penetrates the body.
The second stage length has also been chosen with care. It’s just 90 kilometers to Puumala, a small village on Lake Saimaa. We quarter there for two days and enjoy the lonely forests. With snowshoes we trudge through the snowy nature for hours. Here and there we meet ice fishermen on the frozen lakes or a cross-country skier on the trails.
When we set off to continue, it starts to snow, which soon causes considerable difficulties. It is warmer though? the temperatures are “only” minus 5 degrees ??, but driving through the muddy fresh snow becomes an extremely slippery affair, the grip of the tires drops to zero. We are struggling hard, parallel to the Russian border, to the northeast. We have to be extremely careful to keep the tricycle on course. The slightest turn of the throttle turns it sideways. Hard work on the wide handlebars is the order of the day, which is why we now take turns driving. Fortunately, the roads to the right and left are usually bordered by large walls of snow, like a bobsled run. So not much can happen.
And at some point it will be reached, the Finnish sauna. Our landlord offers to use his. Wonderful, so cold after an icy motorcycle ride. We only find out where the plunge pool is at the very end. Only 22 meters further ?? a hole in the frozen lake next to the small wooden hut is used to cool off. It takes a lot of effort, and only a few seconds later we are hectic outside again, but it’s crazy! The whole body tingles and pulsates, forgetting all the hardship of the tour. The starry sky sparkles above us, all around there is complete silence, which is only broken by the occasional cracking of the ice. The best moment of the trip.
What the starry sky already hinted at in the evening, comes true the next morning: Radiant sun shines in the clear winter sky, the low of the last few days blows away. Wintry Finland that we had dreamed of is spreading around us. The glittering, often miles of untouched snowy landscape exudes an almost magical magic. However, with the high comes the cold too, icing over the land. During the day the thermometer hardly climbs above minus 20 degrees, at night it drops to a whopping 35 degrees below zero.
The morning dressing ritual is slowly becoming an ordeal. Functional underwear, sweater, fleece, vest, motorcycle jacket, rain cover ?? actually we wear everything we have with us! We can’t really move around in it, but it still keeps us warm for around 100 kilometers. Then gas station, coffee and warming up.
We gradually approach the polar circle through lonely and almost uninhabited expanses. Accompanied by the fascinating play of light of the sun’s rays in the ice crystals, broken a thousand times over, and a few reindeer standing far at the edge of the forest. Winter in its most beautiful form.
We reach the northernmost point of the journey at Kajaani at Lake Oulujarvi. We have packed half of Finland and are now slowly turning south again. The temperatures remain extremely frosty. Only the well-behaved, old Moto Guzzi don’t seem to be impressed by the biting minus degrees that appear on the mercury scale every morning. While the Scandinavians plug their cars into the socket every evening to keep batteries alive and to stoke auxiliary heaters, the old two-cylinder shakes itself into life without any jump start even at minus 35 degrees. Which not only impresses us, but even the Finns. One morning a photo reporter appears in Rautalampi and wants a story for the front page of the local daily newspaper. Michel and I put the Guzzi in the right light and give our first interview.
We quickly get in touch, the son of the neighbors of our hostel invites us to learn traditional ice fishing with him on the frozen lakes. With a special hand drill he drills small holes in the thick layer of ice, then he has to wait until something bites … and that can take time! While my patience is soon exhausted and I prefer to go for a walk, Michel holds out bravely until he grins and pulls out a big fish to eat in the evening.
We are slowly working our way back to Helsinki. We continue to avoid the major federal roads and instead lurch along the small, snow-covered side roads through the vastness of the Finnish Lake District. In the meantime, the drift technique has been so refined that we can hardly get enough and keep trying new branches. When is there such fun on our busy streets??
Then suddenly a little shock. Wrapped up as a passenger in the sidecar, a sideways glance at the front wheel shows me that we are about to lose the thick bolt of the swing arm mounting. A stop on the side of the road reveals the full extent of the damage. The thread is defective, we have nothing else to do but improvise. The hands are soon frozen stiff as we try to maneuver the storage back into position. Finally, we secure the whole thing with wire, cable ties and a perforated rail from slipping out. A few anxious kilometers, but it holds. We arrive in Joutsa just in time for a wonderful sunset. And then all of a sudden there are real color curtains in the sky, creating a fantastic play of light in purple, red and green ?? the northern lights! For the first time on this trip.
We spent the last few nights in Finland relaxed. Once again the wooden sauna with steaming infusion, once more the obligatory jump into the ice water, one last time the wonderful feeling of wellbeing that then rushes through the body. And stops until we dive into the belly of the ferry with the Guzzi. While we are slowly chugging through the Baltic Sea to Germany in the drift ice, a new winter dream is already emerging in our heads: Siberia!
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Solo fun in the snow
If you dare to go solo in the snow, you should choose a suitable motorcycle and suitable tires. You won’t be happy with super athletes any more than with tourers. Only light enduros are suitable on snow-covered roads. Firstly, they can take a slip without having to pay hundreds of euros for fall parts, and secondly, thanks to their wide handlebars, they ensure the necessary sensitivity when changing direction. For example, the studded tires available from Mefo (phone 09723/91910) offer maximum grip (just under 400 euros per set, but not street legal in Germany). Even on a hard snow surface with ice sheets, they bite into such a way that even wheelies and stoppies succeed. Without a snow cover, on the other hand, spikes are like driving on eggs.
Sensible and approved alternative studs ideally offer extremely soft rubber compounds that work well in icy temperatures on asphalt and still work acceptably on snow. Mefo is also the number one contact in this regard.
Tire manufacturer Heidenau offers a special winter tire collection for many mid-range street motorcycles and enduros, which ensures sufficient traction even in freezing cold ?? at least as long as the excursions only take place on asphalt and not on snow.
Information about the winter tour
A winter tour to the Arctic Circle is certainly not for everyone. But if you dare and prepare your motorcycle accordingly, you can experience winter in its most beautiful form.
Generally
Taking a motorcycle to Finland in winter means temperatures down to minus 30 degrees and lower. However, it is then dry and cold with low humidity. Finland is influenced by the Russian climate. The roads are consistently covered with snow or ice, but are usually easy to drive on. With fresh snow, however, it can happen that even the main roads are closed for a short time.
Accommodations
We have had the best experiences with youth hostels and so-called Finnhostels. The prices are on average around 20 euros per person, self-sufficiency is the order of the day. The standard of these hostels is very high, with mostly two to four-bed rooms. Clean toilets, kitchens and in-house saunas are mandatory in Finland. Current addresses for overnight stays in winter can be found at: Yrjonkatu 38 B15, FI-00100 Helsinki, phone +35895657150, info@srm.inet.fi, www.hostellit.fi.
With a valid youth hostel card you get a discount of 2.50 euros per night.
Ferry connections
There are now some connections between Germany and Finland even in winter. If the crossing from Travemunde takes about 36 hours, you can get from Rostock to Helsinki in 24 hours. The prices for two people including a team are around 500 euros. Information at www.superfast.com or www.vikingline.de.
literature
The map from RV Verlag provides good orientation: Finland, 1: 750000, ISBN 3-575-33218-5, for 7.50 euros. Two informative travel guides are published by Marco Polo: Finland, ISBN 3-8297-0262-0, for 7.95 euros as an ideal pocket guide, plus the Baedeker guide for 19.95 euros, very detailed and with a road map, ISBN 3-89525- 478-9. Both complement each other well and are a useful aid on the go. Alternatively, DuMont Verlag offers an excellent guide for 22.95 euros, ISBN 3-7701-7624-3.
Motorbike / winter equipment
Although the Guzzi is 34 years old, it started without any problems even after nights with minus 34 degrees. A Squire ST2 sidecar is attached to the Moto Guzzi 850 T, and a normal enduro tire was attached to the rear (see box above for studded tires). An exact setting of the ignition and carburetor as well as engine oil in the range of 10 W 30 or cardan oil in the range 80 W 90 is mandatory. For emergencies you should have a charger with you or install a spare battery in the trunk. Fortunately, this was not used.
When it comes to clothing, we have used the full range of winter clothing. From functional underwear to winter boots and gloves, which should above all be water and wind repellent, to thermal suits and storm masks that also protect the nose. The Schuberth C2 (flip-up helmet) has proven its worth when it comes to helmets, as it is easy to put on when the storm mask is in front of your face. The visor should be fog-free. Side and pannier bags that have a roll lock instead of a lock are the first choice for luggage, as it usually just freezes over anyway. The Ortlieb company offers pack sacks that do not tear or tear, even at temperatures of over minus 30 degrees, if they are rolled as intended. If someone wants to sleep outside in icy temperatures, the Lite 2000 from Carinthia is ideal, with good heat development and a fleece insert that is also suitable as a youth hostel sleeping bag.
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