Mac @Mother North 2025, Lillehammer - Norway

I landed in Oslo Gardermoen at 11:00 PM, but the bike hadn't arrived. Meanwhile, I met Roberto, who was also in the same situation. At 3:30 AM on Friday morning, they told us they didn't know where our bikes had ended up, asked us to fill out a form, and said, "We'll do our best to get them to you as soon as possible." I called the hotel shuttle, which came to pick me up in the middle of the night. I went to bed feeling disappointed.

Thus begins my Norwegian adventure, all seasoned with a little concern for the weather that awaits us during the days of the event.

Mother North is an unsupported bikepacking loop event starting in Lillehammer, Norway. The numbers are straight out of the box: 1,000 km x 16,000 meters of elevation gain.

The next day, I take the train to Lillehammer anyway. I try to enjoy some sunshine, even though my mind keeps wandering to that: the bike isn't there. Fortunately, some good news arrives: the bike has been found in Bologna and will be delivered to me on Saturday... I'm crossing my fingers and hoping everything goes smoothly.

Meanwhile, I personally met Bruno, the event organizer, and many other participants. Lillehammer is small, so it's easy to meet people, and in the evening, a great group quickly forms over dinner. Laughter and sharing setups ease the anxiety of the day before.

Saturday morning, briefing and accreditation at Søndre Park. Shortly after, we finally get our bikes delivered (even to Roberto!). With high spirits, I spend the afternoon getting everything ready. That evening, I have dinner with Giorgio, Roberto, and another girl: a hearty plate of pasta, while it pours outside.

Everybody go to bed, tomorrow is the big day!

At 8:30 we're at the Olympic Park. After Bruno's final instructions, we clip into the pedals at 9:00 sharp. As a good planner, I had a plan A and a plan B... and luckily I had thought of plan B!

The first day flies by: fresh legs, 180 km with good elevation gain, mild weather, and the colors of Norway starting to show. Along the way, I meet Stefano, Alex, and Daniele: we cross paths, pedal together for a while, and the conversation makes the journey lighter.

I decided to stop for dinner, without overdoing it, to sleep in and leave early. Many had continued on toward Grimsdalen, but I had my own plan and chose to stick to it.

I set off again in the night, it's around 3:30. I put on a black metal playlist and immerse myself in the Norwegian atmosphere, the bike heading towards Grimsdalen. The sun is just rising and I'm on the Grimsdalsvegen, a gravel road that runs through this enchanting valley.

I arrive in Dovre for breakfast and continue through Otta and Vinstra where I decide to have lunch.

The day continues with a long climb that leads to the old milk route, the Mjølkevegen: one of Norway's great gravel crossings, immersed in nature, with a rustic and traditional charm.

In the late afternoon, the rain arrives, very hard. There are still hours to go until Beitostølen, but I decide to continue on to stick to my plan. At 1,200 meters, the wind is constant, visibility almost zero. Cars pass me indifferently: it must be normal for them to encounter cyclists in a storm. When I finally reach Beitostølen, I'm soaked and shivering, but I manage to do some shopping and then take refuge in the hotel, where I finally warm up and put my clothes out to dry.

The next day it rains again. I take advantage of the opportunity to rest a bit and set off again around 11:00 a.m. The long climb along Mjølkevegen warms me up, reaching 1,300 meters and then it's off downhill. I stop at a kiosk where I meet Giorgio and Omare: we calmly treat ourselves to a hot coffee and something to eat. We encourage each other, and when a ray of sunshine appears, we decide to set off again.

The view is always fantastic, making the climb easier. The route varies, with a nice hike-a-bike section on a forest trail, with artificial wooden walkways, bike park-style. I reach a "beach" where I snap a few photos; how peaceful this corner of the world is.

I feel good and pedal determinedly towards Hemsedal, where I treat myself to a nice pizza at Peppes Pizza. The next morning I cross the Mørkedalen Pass and stop at a lovely, cozy café for breakfast. I love these places so much, I could spend hours there.

I finally arrive at Borgumd Stavkirke, what a beauty!

There were approximately 1,000 of these medieval stave churches throughout Norway, but today only 28 remain.

I set off again, and 2km later I'm again stopping to take photos: I'm on Vindhellavegen, a historic serpentine road that connects Bergen to Oslo.

The route continues toward the first fjord, Lærdalsøyri. The wind picks up, and my knee begins to hurt.

Lærdalsøyri

I stop, buy an anti-inflammatory and have a hearty lunch: the climb that will take me to the second fjord, Aurland, awaits me.

18 km and 1,300 meters of elevation gain. Slowly, with music in my ears, I reach the top of Aurlandsfjellet in the rain.

The landscape is typically Nordic: snow, lakes, waterfalls, rocks, and clouds. The descent towards Aurland is endless, but the viewpoints force me to stop several times to take photos.

From there, I head to the center of Flåm: I dine on a burger and chat with other participants. I spend the night in an old, creaky wooden house, which I imagine to be magical in the winter with a roaring fireplace.

In the small town of Flåm

The next day, I ride along the railway line and, after a steep climb that I prefer to tackle on foot to avoid worsening the pain in my knee, I reach Myrdal. Shortly after, I find myself on the Rallarvegen, a historic cycle path with breathtaking views.

Rallarvegen is a route of approximately 80 km that passes through the wilderness of the Hardangervidda plateau, following the Bergen railway line.

The constant ups and downs lead to Finse, a village surrounded by nature and inaccessible by car. I stop at the Finsehytta refuge, a very large and well-organized facility. Here I treat myself to a hot soup and a fantastic view of the Hardangerjøkulen glacier (where some scenes from Star Wars were filmed).

The Rallarvegen ends at Haugastøl, then asphalt to Gol, where I sleep in a wooden cabin on a small campsite.

The next morning, I stop to take some photos of the wooden church in Gol. The weather finally improves and some sunshine returns: the finish line is approaching. I return to Mjølkevegen and in Vaset I meet up with Omare and other participants again in a supermarket. In Fagernes, I stop for lunch and do some last-minute shopping, in preparation for the next remote section, with no refreshments.

I could continue on to the finish line, but I'd arrive in Lillehammer in the middle of the night, so I decide to book a hotel slightly off the beaten track. The place is really beautiful, I spend little, and I enjoy the last dinner of the trip.

The next day I set off early. There are only a few kilometers left, and I pedal lightly. The last climb, with Lillehammer church finally in sight, and I know it's done. I enter the park: Bruno welcomes me, Giorgio has just arrived, and Roberto has been there for days.

How beautiful Norway is and what an incredible track Mother North!

I'm so in love with these views that sometimes I think: in a past life I must have been a Viking... or maybe a troll!

Words: Marco Casadio

Photographs: Marco Casadio, Andrea Peruzzo and Giorgio Roda