NorskOle Kristian Silseth 2010
Ole Kristian Silseth describes his of300 2010 experience
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The location is Alta, the date is July 17th and the time is 12.20pm. The of300 race is about to start and I have no idea what to expect. All the information gathered beforehand has resulted in a full suspension offroad bike, a Diamant prototype that will hopefully carry me safely through the race. The tires are low pressure/high volume, and of course, I have my backpack. As opposed to other races, the mandatory gear is necessary equipment you'd want to bring anyway. With the gear in place, there's no room for neither sand nor led, which you are forced to carry during races in for instance Africa. A dirt road in Africa is quite similar to a dirt road in Norway; a foot path is a foot path no matter where in the world it's situated... But then there's Finnmarksvidda. So radically different from anything and everything else, I had only seen a short glimpse of it while riding across Sennalandet counting abandoned snow mobiles and reindeer fences on my way from Nordkapp to Lindesnes back in the previous millennia. Waiting for the race to begin felt like being 7 years old again, waiting for Santa, curious and exited! |
| The track taking us out of Alta is wonderful, some asphalt, some dirt roads taking us up onto the plateau. We reach the first checkpoint after about 25km, taking us up and above the tree limit 200m above sea level. The scenery looks like we're thousands of metres above sea level, so it's hard to believe the numbers on the GPS saying it's only 200m. We've enjoyed fairly good roads and speeds so far, but when we go left onto the old post road to Masi, I instantly understand why the full suspension bike was recommended - and the estimated speeds of 12-14km/hrs! Enjoying 100% off road riding in rural lands, the grandiose nature makes us smile constantly. The fact that the GPS boasts a nice 22 degrees Celsius enhances the experience even further. |  |
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The climb from Masi back up onto the mountain plateau consists of partially very technically demanding terrain. The physical challenge combined with the blaring hot sunshine made me feel like I was participating in a race several thousand miles to the south. The view that awaited us when we got back up on the mountain plateau was without comparison. The view was so spectacular, it didn't really matter that I was in a bike race at the time; I just had to take it all in, riding further into the rugged wild on fairly nice tracks. We hit some muddy spots between the hills, and suddenly we were in Suossjavri. 8hrs and 20 minutes into the race, ready for our 2hrs mandatory rest. We're about half way through the race counting kilometres, but about 2/3 remains time-wise. We get to enjoy a shower, fantastic fish soup and an hour of sleep before we get back on the track at 11.20pm. |
After 4km on asphalt road we hit a nice and easy mountain road up to Mollisjok mountain lodge. When we leave from Mollisjok the time is almost 1am and the temperature is still balmy 15 degrees Celsius. The ride from Mollisjok through Stabbursdalen bathed in the midnight sun was the ultimate experience of it all to me. We got to the Jotka road, the next checkpoint, at 6am after hours of riding through a landscape and scenery like nowhere else in the world. It was raw, wild, breathtaking and I enjoyed every second of it. A refill of bread and salmon just added to the sense of bliss.
| We did the climb back up onto the plateau and enjoyed a thrilling ride down to the Jotka mountain lodge. It's really quite fascinating how a simple meal of bread and coca-cola turns into Michelin guide worthy meal when having spent 20hrs on a bike. We leave Jotka and climb back up onto the mountain plateau for the last time. Never going any faster than 15km/hrs through this area gives me time to consider how different this race is from every other I have ever participated in. It's given off road racing a whole new meaning to me, and here, stiff suspension and light tires simply isn't an option! |  |
Finishing the last bit of track along the Alta River through light rain showers I mentally summarize the race. Having participated in most of the known races around there's no doubt in my mind that this race is spectacular. The way it's organized, the nature, the track, it's just the right amount of challenge for both the bike and the rider. If I borrow a description from La Ruta in Costa Rica I can sum it up quite nicely: "It's not only a bike race, it's also a personal journey" It's a personal journey I'd recommend all riders to experience. When you get sick and tired of paying 1000NOK for a banana and time schedules on boring dirt roads and need a serious challenge - go to Alta, and offroadfinnmark!
