Episode 37 - Norge På Langs with Ben Bardsley

Go Mountain Goats

It's December 2019. Ben Bardsley packs up his wet tent in the rain at Lindesnes lighthouse, the most southerly point in Norway. He sets off heading north, a direction he will rarely waver from over the next 3 months as he attempts to traverse the entire length of Norway - Norge På Langs - in a single winter.

Dealing with a particularly stormy winter, he first met difficulties when the usual winter routes across frozen lakes were not safe in the south due to mild conditions. Next he experienced exhausting trail breaking in one of Norway's snowiest Februarys on record, which increased the difficulty of this 2700 km journey significantly. Finally, suffering from illness and the strain of near constant bad weather and incessant wind, he entered an Arctic Circle even more deserted than usual due to the outbreak of Covid-19.

A veteran of multi-day adventure racing competitions, an accomplished fell runner and a champion mountain bike racer, Ben recounts his 106 day solo adventure with passion and honesty. This was a journey that challenged him in ways that few have experienced.

Returning from the trip, Ben suffered from extreme fatigue and was unable to return to work for several months. He talks us through the process of discovery and positive thinking which led to his recovery.

Ben was supported on the trip by Lyon Equipment and Rab Equipment.

He raised money during his trip to support his friend Dave Hollinger who suffered a spinal cord injury in a skiing accident in 2018. For more details and to donate go to www.gofundme.com/f/quotnorge-pa-langsquot-inspired-by-dave

If you want to buy me a cuppa to help support the podcast, thank you and please do at: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/finlaywild⁠