Explore: A Home Away from Home

As the first snows of winter fell back in October, we followed three Rapha riders in search of a home away from home on an intrepid overnighter into one of Norway’s greatest wildernesses.

03 November 2020

Home is where the heart is but in this strangest of years, many of us have spent more time there than we might have expected. This October, in search of a release from restrictions, three Oslo-based riders swapped the city for the open skies and snow drifts of the mountains to the north.

In the midst of six of Norway’s most famous national parks, our trio had their sights set on an overnight stop in a remote mountain hut. But nature had other ideas. As the first snows of winter arrived earlier than anticipated, the riders knew a change of plan would be needed.

Waking to find 15cm of fresh snow, they knew the mountain hut was out of reach. Without a place to stay but with their sense of adventure intact, the riders set off with an adapted itinerary. Exploring remote river valleys and riding against beautiful backdrops, they realised that, rather than a point on the map, it was their bikes that would provide solace from the current situation, and a home away from home.

The Riders

“I wasn’t too worried about the snow. I got pretty excited when we were driving up there because I knew the views were going to be amazing. I was expecting rain and fog and bad light. So I was happy with the snow.”

– Kirsti Ruud

MEN'S CARGO WINTER TIGHTS WITH PAD

An insulated winter tight with added storage and increased visibility.

Shop now

“It ended up being very different than we planned. We were expecting to have snowy peaks and maybe some frozen gravel. And then the night before the trip, when everyone was arriving It started snowing.”

– Marius Nilsen

“Marius had been up during the night to see if it was still snowing. We got up at about 6am and had some breakfast. The breakfast conversation was about the weather and road conditions and everyone was constantly on their phone checking the weather forecast.”

– Sindre Grønli

EXPLORE DOWN JACKET

A lightweight, packable down jacket for exploring on and off the bike.

Shop now

“All worries were forgotten once we started riding and we just enjoyed the landscape. The first snowfall is always special. Everything is white, the light changes and all sounds get muted.The sounds of the bike and tires are different. It's also fascinating to see how all the rocks and plants have changed.”

– Sindre Grønli

“We were riding amidst the six biggest national parks in Norway: Rondane, Dovre, Dovrefjell, Jotunheimen, Reinheimen and Breheimen. Around and in between are amazing gravel roads and vast stretches of mountains with a multitude of peaks over 2000m.”

– Marius Nilsen

“The best part of the ride was how beautiful everything was with a thin layer of snow. The landscapes looked quite different because the colours had changed and that was beautiful.”

– Sindre Grønli

“The most memorable part of the ride was around midday on the first day, we just ended up having the best low winter sun.”

– Marius Nilsen

EXPLORE LONG SLEEVE PULLOVER

A quick-drying, insulating mid-layer with windproof panels for cold weather adventures.

Shop men's       Shop women's

“It was really nice to get into the warmth and have a hot shower after riding in the snow. Obviously after a long day, it’s nice to sit down, have a hot meal and talk about the ride. Everyone was tired, but in a good way.”

– Sindre Grønli