This section of the EuroVelo 7 from Umeå to Sundsvall on Sweden’s High Coast was magical. Ok, the elevation was a challenge and we had 8 days in a row of activity (I was dead at the end!), but the panoramas were so worth it!
We have been on the road for quite a while now. To read about our first days on the trail, see our journey from Nordkapp to Alta, Alta to Gällivare, Gällivare to Luleå, and Luleå to Umeå. Oh, and we had a day feasting on pastries in Luleå.
Day 22 Umeå to Nordmaling 72km
We both felt underwhelmed by Umeå. It seemed like a great place to live, but wasn’t up to our tourist expectations. On our second day we tried to recreate our cafe day from Luleå, but we only ended up in two. We did get a lot of planning done for upcoming trips, washed our clothes, and took it slow. Also, I won’t complain about eating Kanelbulle. (:
It didn’t take long to cycle out of Umeå and there were great cycle paths the whole way. There was even a cycle highway through the city center. One half of a normal road had been raised to curb level and was reserved for bikes. The other lane was normal one way traffic for vehicles.
We cycled the whole day through the forest except for when we took detours to the coast. Twice we passed something and then turned around to go see it. The first was for a café sign outside of Sörmjöle. I was behind C yelling “Café! Café!” trying to get him to slow down. We turned back to investigate. It was 10:15, it could be open. We turned to head towards the coast. We came into the village but didn’t see anything. I checked the map and we headed towards a peninsula. The cafe was at the end and definitely closed. “I wanted to see the beach anyways,” I said.
We crossed the train tracks two more times and were in Hörnefors where we stopped at the cemetery for a snack break. Even here there was a free, well-supplied toilet to use.
Another long stretch through the forest and we reached Norrbyn where you can take the ferry to Norrbynskär, an island which used to house a sawmill. 1200 people previously lived and worked there in its heyday, now the homes have been turned into summer cottages. The boat accepted Swish payments and we weren’t sure if you could pay any other way. We also didn’t have so much time, though it would be nice to visit one island. We ate lunch at one of the picnic tables and watched the ferry go in and out.
We crossed the Öre River, which was really wide and saw the many signs for the hiking trail with the same name. Then we had 10km of gravel to Nordmaling. When we arrived in town we saw a Konditorei and decided to stop since the cafe earlier had been a bust. We were not disappointed! We could barely choose, there were so many desserts displayed. In the end we got a slice of Kladkaka, a blueberry bun, and a Hallongrotta. The Hallongrotta was sandier than the others I have had, but had the most and most flavorful jam. C ate most of the blueberry bun. It was made with a yeast dough which is too much like bread for me. We shared the Kladkaka cake which came with as much whipped cream as cake. It was so dense that it was like eating fudge. I loved it!
We stopped at the ICA on the way to camp. The camp is directly at the sea and it is quite windy. Luckily there was enough sun and wind to dry my bike shorts by the time we finished dinner. I think there’s another bikepacker here!!
Day 23 Nordmaling to Mosjöns 85km
The other bikepacker was a woman from Bonn heading north. We woke up to a foggy morning and lots of dew on the grass. Just past the camp was an old iron works which is now an open air museum. 7km in and getting steep after a steady climb, the trail turned to gravel. We first plunged 50m down as if a trap door had opened and then, after the creek, pushed the bikes on the same amount of incline up. Then it was more up, up, up.
We passed some beautiful lakes and then stopped at one for a snack break. It was a nice little beach with a toilet and picnic tables. It looked like they were putting up a cabin or two. The wind was cold, so I went out to the dock to lay in the sun and look at the water. It was crystal clear.
We had mostly been cycling through the woods, but it would occasionally open up for a stretch of a few houses. It was pretty remote on this gravel road, but it must be the views which kept these people here.
In Gideå we saw a cemetery and decided to pull in for lunch. There were two sets of cafe tables and chairs ringed by a little garden. When we got there we saw that the garden was all fruit plants – red, black, and white currents, pear trees, apple trees, a gooseberry bush, and several strawberry plants. We were so tempted to pick, but stuck to our sandwiches.
It is amazing that it has taken me seven summers of bike trips to truly just enjoy cycling. I am no longer counting the kilometers to the end (well, not the whole way) and I am just enjoying the ride. I’m looking forward to cycling each day. The landscape is so peaceful.
The next stretch was along the river until Husum which didn’t seem as big as we had expected. We had to make quite a detour to get to the supermarket. In doing so we passed by a very stinky factory on the coast called Metsä. It smelled like something between rotting seaweed and sewage. We went over a big hill to the ICA where our hunger caused us to go overboard by getting a soda and an ice cream each. Finland and Sweden have had these raspberry sodas that I have been getting. I love raspberry!!
Then it was a very long and hilly 15km to camp. The altitude profile had said that we would cycle 30km up and then down the rest of the day but it didn’t feel like that at all. After all the up it just remained hilly and we had such a headwind that we fought to even go downhill. The sugar strengthened us but we were relieved to arrive at camp. It was after 17:00, later than we have arrived on any other day.
Showered, cooked, walked to the lake, read maps about Hoga Coast. Sleeeeeepppp
Day 24 Mosjöns to Överhörnäs 47km
Super sunrise when I got up at 4am to pee 🙂 The camp owner gave us great directions to get back on our route. Today was the shortest journey but definitely long enough after yesterday’s hilly marathon. There were also a lot of hills today but short ones.
We passed so much water today, sometimes lakes and sometimes the sea. After 20km we went off route to take a break at a beach at the sea. There were picnic tables, changing rooms, men’s and women’s drop toilets, and a workout area! You could even camp here for 50SEK.
In no time we were in Örnsköldsvik. We parked the bikes and took a walk around. This was supposed to be one of the info points for the Höga Kusten and we wanted more information. Also, I was very hungry so we rushed to a cafe before hangry arrived. I got a slice of Kladkaka with cream. It was super gooey and delicious. We walked back through the pedestrian zone to pick up our bikes.
As we rode along the harbor C paused at some picnic tables. He didn’t think we’d find a better lunch spot so we stopped to have lunch. I didn’t need the cake run if I knew it was lunch time, but I also wasn’t sad about chocolate cake.
Then it was just a few more kilometers to go. On our way to the camp we passed a Natur Kompaniet outlet which had a ton of Fjällraven apparel. In the end, I got a new pair of hiking pants! A great Swedish souvenir.
Then to ICA. I got raspberries which were gone in an instant. At camp we also got ice cream. The camp is super full and we got a spot directly on the lake. The view is great!! We can’t wait to see more of the Höga Kusten!!
Day 25 Överhörnäs to Friluftsbyn / Dockstra
We cycled 10km back towards Örnsköldsvik before getting back on trail. We passed the Naturkompaniet / Fjällraven outlet on the way. Fjällraven was founded in Ö-vik,so it’s great that I got this souvenir here 🙂
We passed by the sea and several beautiful lakes. The houses were adorable and the views even better. Before we knew it we were in Bjästa where an art work I read about should be. It is located along the E4 and both Google and Komoot didn’t seem to know how to get there. We got as close as we could and took a photo of the 4 granite arches next to the highway. It was a small detour from our route, but right there was a nice picnic table that we took advantage of for our snack break.
Out of Bjästa we climbed a giant hill, getting up to 110m. Then we neared the E4, which should have been part of our route for a short bit. Luckily there was a road parallel we could take. But it was gravel and hillier than the highway. From here on the asphalt was over. The steepest part of the day would be on gravel.
It started with a slow climb with amazing panoramic views of farmland and surrounding forests in the hills. Then the climb became steeper and we pushed a few times to save the little energy we had left. More cars came by than we expected. The road was wide but the gravel was thickest on the sides, so it was annoying to move over to let the cars by. And if they were going fast, they left us breathing in their dust clouds.
At the very top we came to a stuga (75m from the trail) with a picnic table where we could have lunch and rest. Clouds began to roll in while we took our lunch break. When the sun was out it was so nice and warm, but when the clouds were above us I had goosebumps. I put on leggings and my windbreaker before we moved on.
It was mostly downhill the rest of the way to Docksta with more incredible panoramas of farmland and lakes. We had seen a lot of horses at the start of the day and now it was mostly cows. Eventually the road became asphalted again and we both cheered its return.
In Docksta we stopped at the praline shop for 2 pralines and a slice of carrot cake. Then our usual ICA stop before heading to camp. As we checked in, the dark clouds let loose and it rained for about a half hour. Then we set up our tent, showered, and cooked. Dinner was penne with tomato sauce and feta. I can’t wait for hiking in the national park tomorrow!!!
Rest Day Docksta
This morning we got up normal time and left at 8 on our empty bikes for the national park. We rode around the bay, past the other campsite, through small villages, and then up the hill. In under an hour we had climbed 110m to the park’s south entrance. C thought this would already tucker me out, but I was so excited for the park that I was running for the trail.
We parked the bikes and began our loop. A lot of the trail was on two plank boardwalks through the forest. We hiked down towards the sea and followed the shoreline a while. It was absolutely peaceful. We could finally no longer hear the E4. I was so happy to be there and found it so beautiful. The water was still and occasionally we heard a bird. A young European robin stopped on the path in front of us, watching us as much as we watched him. He was very curious and got quite close. He hadn’t lost all of his baby feathers yet.
We walked by a few beaches where you could pitch your tent. One was vacant but the others all had hikers who were finishing their breakfast or packing up to move on. At one beach there was a stuga and in two spots there were dry toilets. We came to a village reachable only by boat and turned inland.
From here we began to climb back up the coast. We spotted 3 young three-toed woodpeckers who were yapping at one another as they took turns pecking the same tree, flying off, and chasing one another. Shortly afterwards, C spotted a chicken-like bird which we watched for a while. It was a hazel grouse and had an offspring with it. They walked through the bushes picking blueberries coming within 2 meters of us to cross the path and continue feasting on the other side.
Then the trail got steep and we really climbed in altitude. Nearly at the top there was a detour for a cave which gave us our first view of the sea and islands. The higher we climbed the better the views became.
We arrived at a beautiful lake where we began to meet a lot of other hikers. The Hoga Kusten trail with the orange dot met us here instead of the blue dot. There were picnic benches, some toilets, a wood shed, and a cabin. We hiked further on to a second lake where we sat on some rocks to eat lunch – Gruyère rolled up in polar bread with cherry tomatoes.
Then we hiked again higher and now we had a view of several lakes and the sea with the islands. I couldn’t believe that it was just getting better and better. We then came to the slot canyon which is a big attraction in the park. You used to be able to walk through but due to rock fall you can now just look in at either end. I was slightly disappointed because I thought the canyon would be longer and tighter. The hike continued up a bit (more viewpoints!) and came around to the other side of the canyon. From here it was more impressive. You could get a better look at the canyon walls and had the impression it was bigger since you could see the sea at the other end.
We left the orange dot and hiked up a bit more using some cables attached to the rocks to get to the top of the Slåttdalsberget peak. Again, amazing view! We sat down to take it in before hiking back down to meet the Hoga Kusten trail and many boardwalks back to the south entrance.
After another round of snacks we were ready to bike out. It seemed to be quite a bit of incline on the way back down, but maybe I was just tired from all of the activity. On the way back we stopped at the Docksta shoe factory which makes a slipper/clog in many different patterns and fabrics.
Docksta Day 2
We slept in today since the Naturum visitor center didn’t open until 9 and the restaurant at the peak of Skuleberget didn’t open until 11:30. Despite the late start we were again the first ones to get up and going from the tent pitch.
We hiked directly behind the camp and through a Hoga Kusten portal. Not far from camp is one of the 9 wind shelters designed in an architecture contest. We visited it on the way back down since directly there a family with several dogs allowed us to pass them. The trail goes right by the Docksta Sko shoe factory.
Soon we were at the Naturum and viewed the exhibits about the geology, flora, and fauna of the region. Most of it is in Swedish, but enough is in English to make it worth visiting (free!). Inside there are stairs to the roof which lead you directly to the Grottastig trail to the cave. This trail is very steep but was technically less demanding than I had expected. There were many steps and ladders built in to the trail which is easier than navigating over rocks and roots. The view got more amazing as we went up.
The trails were much busier than our experience yesterday. Almost at the top there is a detour to a cave. It used to be at sea level and was formed by the crashing waves eroding the stone away.
At the top, the restaurant hadn’t opened yet (I had promised myself waffles two days ago), so we also did Kallotenstig. Part of it is wheelchair accessible, even though the chair lift is only semi-accessible for getting to the top. On this loop of the cap, we found a windy bench to have an early lunch on – the last of our Gruyère in roll-ups.
We got back to the restaurant and ordered waffles with raspberry jam. I was so excited! We also got a seat in the glassed in porch with a great view. Then it was time to hike down. This trail was less steep and on granite slabs for a large portion. The trail markers here are fantastic and each intersection is clearly marked with directions. On our way back down we checked out the wind shelter, called the Forest Cradle. It looks really cool but isn’t as comfortable as you would hope. It hangs between 4 trees and looks up at the mountain instead of outward.
Back at camp we vegged out on the couches on the porch before going in to town for groceries. Of course we stopped at the praline store beforehand. C got a scoop of ice cream and I had another slice of carrot cake with the cream cheese frosting. At the supermarket we got ingredients for a potato gratin. That was delicious!
Day 26 Docksta to Ramvik 64km
We had breakfast on the benches by the lake as the sun came over Skoleberget and slowly warmed us. Several groups of geese landed on the lake, each announcing their arrival. Today’s route would be a challenging one with three inclines of over 100m.
We cycled through Docksta and followed a bike path along the E4 which alternated between asphalt and gravel. It was hilly and winding, but I was grateful to not be on the loud highway. In Ullånger we crossed under the E4 and began the first incline, which turned out to be the hardest of the day. We passed by farms and several beautiful lakes.
At the bottom of the hill we stopped at a rest stop. The town of Nordingrå had made a very cute display with houses and a church. Unfortunately we weren’t going to visit this place which was a big detour down a peninsula from our route. More beautiful lakes and then we began the next hill, the tallest of the day. Halfway up C took the Wurst and the rest felt easy.
At the bottom in Nora, we stopped at a picnic bench on the lake across from the church. We had cream cheese on polar bread with cucumber and tomatoes. My favorite sandwich so far. We crossed over the E4 and went up the next hill, which was the gentlest of the three. Even more lovely landscapes with farms and lakes and forests. The other side of the hill was very steep. I was so glad we didn’t come up this side.
The hills weren’t over because we had to cross a few high bridges in Klockestrand to get across the Ångermanälven river via 2 islands. The bridges were about 40m above the water to let ships pass underneath. We could see the Högakustenbron bridge in the distance, which looked a lot like the Golden Gate Bridge. As we got closer, I could even see that it was red.
At the end of the last bridge was a cafe and I couldn’t resist. We went inside and it seemed to be quite an institution in Lunde for a good long while. An old newspaper clipping reported that the Swedish Queen had visited here to have Fika. The walls had were padded with a green leather and everything seemed to be there from the 60s. There was a juke box with 45s and a matching TV. C had a chokolodboll and I had Kladdkaka. They were both really good!! Wåsterlunds Konditori.
We turned onto highway 90, which wasn’t as busy as the E4 but was faster and more trafficked than we would have liked. Luckily there was a very wide shoulder, but we jumped at the chance for riding through town instead, even though it meant steeper inclines. Just before camp we stopped at a tiny grocery store.
The camp is at such a nice location directly on a lake. There are a lot of people here camping, the place is just about full.
Day 27 Ramvik to Timrå 78km
The rain called for this morning ended up being a light drizzle around 5am and did not foil any of our plans. We rode directly on the 90 for a bit, and there was no shoulder any more for cyclists. When we turned off the road it seemed like a layer of dirt had been recently spread in patches up to 200m long. After a few km of this, we saw that it really was very fresh because a truck was watering the road and a bulldozer was spreading the dirt behind him. I was actually happy each time we got back to the gravel, the dirt was that impossible to ride on.
Today’s trail was challenging. We would have one giant hill of 220m to climb plus tons of mini hills in between. The mini hills are the worst. I have to constantly change gears and they can be quite steep.
At one spot C was waiting for me I declared “stop!” and we sat on the ground on the side of the road to have the first snack break after 25km. I couldn’t wait a minute longer.
We rode along the E4 on a bike path and then through an industrial area. C took the Wurst because we were about to climb the big hill and I was already struggling. 8 days of activity prove to be too much. Then it got more rural again. We were in farmland with lots of lakes. Halfway up we stopped by a church with a lake across the street. Everyone in the village seemed to be at the beach enjoying the last days of the summer holiday. We each had a clif bar before going up, up, up.
There were some steep parts and less steep parts but it was all up. My legs were so heavy that each time I pedaled it took all my energy to keep pushing my feet around in a circle. The last 300m I pushed my bike to the top of the hill. C was waiting for me at a pull out. He said he found a bench. A little bit into the woods was a bench propped up on 3 sticks like a teepee with 3 sticks around the base to stabilize it. We had polar bread with cream cheese and cucumbers. Then we took a nap. C laid among the moss, blueberry bushes and heather with his helmet for a pillow and I took up the bench.
Downhill was great. It took forever but also was over in an instant. We saw another bikepacker going at a good clip up. And there was a road biker who was just as fast up as we were down. At the bottom we turned onto a busy and fast road. We watched as two giant trucks with 3 loads of tree trunks each passed by. Several more passed us as we joined traffic. The trucks treated us well though. Once, even though the truck moved to the other lane to pass me, he didn’t slow down and I felt like his draft was pulling me with him. When he passed C there was traffic from the other direction, so he slowed down and waited for the car to pass before pulling around C.
After a few km we could ride through residential areas. The bike trail was a bit tricky but we found our way. We made a short cut to stop at the ICA instead of following the trail on a larger loop. When we came out of the ICA we saw a few bikepacker bikes outside and wondered if they would join us at camp.
We pitched our tent and ate a carton of ice cream. The bikepackers arrived – the same family we had seen last night at Snibbens camping. They had taken a completely different route than we had today, though it was also around 80km and a ton of altitude. We had seen several bikepackers on our route today. More than the past several days together. Camp is sandwiched between the E4 and a train line on a small lake. The trains toot their horns loudly when they come through. Not sure how much sleep we’ll get but its just 16km to Sundsvall tomorrow.
Day 27.5 Timra to Sundsvall 16km
Way too much hill for this short ride. Then a rest day here in the coziest hotel with breakfast, fika, and dinner. Home Hotel Grand Sundsvall
It was quite stormy during our visit of Sundsvall. We ran our typical rest day errands and mostly relaxed in the cozy hotel. Our next week would be a tough one with lots of altitude to get to Falun.