(R)ode to Joy: Bikepacking Across Sweden (Film)

Additional photos by Matt Buckley

It’s not an exaggeration to say that I woke up one morning with the urge to “get into cycling.” In true Anna style, rather than test the waters and ease into a new sport, I decided to leap in at the deep end: bikepacking 1,000 kilometers across Sweden. Knowing next to nothing about bikes and wanting a bit of a safety net, I convinced my good friend (and far more proficient cyclist) Matt Buckley to tag along. Thankfully, he was up for an adventure.

Between us, Matt and I have a grand total of one night of bikepacking experience, but we are by no means strangers to human-powered adventure. I’ve kayaked 4,000 kilometers across Europe and trekked 1,000 kilometers solo across the Arctic and Northern Scandinavia. Meanwhile, Matt has ridden through the jungles of Sri Lanka and explored vast swathes of remote gravel in the Scottish Highlands.

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I’m half Swedish, and it’s fair to say I’m obsessed with the country. The vast expanses of forest and potential for endless gravel made it the perfect place for an adventure. Thus, we formed a plan to spend four days riding from Lund in the south of Sweden (where my family is from) up the west coast of Sweden before turning inland for six days to Stockholm.

The trip started smoothly. Kilometers flew by with minimal effort, cinnamon buns, and frequent ice cream stops. The sun beamed down on us, and each night was spent in a spectacular seaside wild camping spot. The days were long, but spirits were high; Stockholm was getting closer.

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Once we headed inland, that narrative changed, and our motivation was tested. We struggled with the monotony of the endless miles on roads through forests, so much so that we had to work hard to enjoy ourselves. This was easily rectified, though. Our joy was quickly reinstated by regularly tweaking the route to get as much gravel as possible, hopping on a train for a few hours, and catching a ferry into Stockholm, rather than spending a day cycling through the city outskirts. Even on the toughest days, by the time our tents were pitched and we were eating our dinner with a view of the sun setting over a lake, it felt like we were exactly where we were meant to be.

Ten days and an unhealthy volume of chocolate milk later, we reached Stockholm. We were tired, grubby, and happy not to ride a long way the next day but also wonderfully fulfilled. That is exactly how I like to feel at the end of an adventure.

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(R)ode to Joy Route Across Sweden

You can find Anna and Matt’s complete route below, and head over to their Komoot collection for more photos and daily recaps.

Further Reading

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