Timeline
Henna went gravel riding
May 30, 2026 at 07:00
Day 3: Pasmajärvi to Kolari
On the third day more houses and village life begin to appear along the route.
A good way to start the day is a stop at the beautiful Tirronniemi beach. A boardwalk crosses the marshland and leads to a small sandy beach — a great place for a quick swim…
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Henna went gravel riding
May 29, 2026 at 06:55
Day 2: Aalistunturi to Pasmajärvi
Day two moves deeper into the backroads. The route follows remote gravel roads mostly used for logging, so forestry work is present throughout the day.
When we rode it in May 2026, a fresh layer of gravel had just been laid, which made the surface pretty loose and rocky in…
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Henna went gravel riding
May 28, 2026 at 10:34
Day 1: Kolari to Aalistunturi
The route leaves Kolari and pretty quickly settles into the River Tornio valley. The river runs along the Finland–Sweden border, and the road just follows it south on quiet paved roads for the first stretch.
After about 30 kilometres, Lappean Loma is the last easy stop — good place for…
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Henna and Adam Gairns went gravel riding
June 21, 2025 at 08:05
Konttainen GRVL loop
Perfect short but beautiful gravel ride around Ruka and Konttainen. Included more paved road but most of the traffic was reindeers so it didn't bother us :) Great views to Valtavaara as well!
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Henna and Adam Gairns went gravel riding
June 20, 2025 at 08:39
Ruka-Kuusamo-Ruka GRVL Loop
We combined two of the routes, Ruka-Määttälänvaara-Kuusamo and Ruka-Oivanki-Kuusamo, into one big loop. Smooth gravel, one fun single track section, reindeers and beautiful lake views. At Kuusamo you can have a break or buy snacks from some cafes and shops as well!
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Henna went gravel riding
October 24, 2024 at 23:37
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Henna went gravel riding
October 23, 2024 at 22:46
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February 21, 2025
After climbing through the mist for a few hours the next morning, I finally started seeing rays of sunlight shining through the fog. Before I knew it, I saw the same jagged peaks as the day before, now standing tall above a sea of clouds. I couldn’t be happier that I had waited a day before climbing
Henna went gravel riding
October 22, 2024 at 23:14
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February 21, 2025
The next day dark, threatening clouds rolled in from the mountains as I reached my hotel by early afternoon. A few moments later, the sky split open. I was glad I had kept this day short and easy, as I knew bad weather was rolling in. The short ride was still scenic, passing through persimmon trees
Henna went gravel riding
October 21, 2024 at 21:44
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February 21, 2025
I got up at sunrise, at 6 a.m., washed down my yogurt, banana, and nut combo with an iced coffee, before heading out for another long day—119 km and 2200 m of climbing. The sunset is around 5 p.m. in October, so early mornings are the only way to do long days without feeling rushed, with time to stop
Henna went gravel riding
October 20, 2024 at 22:13
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February 21, 2025
As I’m gently massaging my shoulders in my hotel’s onsen in Kusatsu, I couldn’t be more grateful for Rob from BikeTour Japan for sharing his route recommendation for the area. The first day had been tough, with 2700 m of climbing, but it was absolutely stunning. I had experienced remote mountain villages
Henna went mountain biking
August 7, 2023 at 05:40
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Henna went mountain biking
August 6, 2023 at 05:20
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Henna went mountain biking
August 5, 2023 at 05:58
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December 4, 2024
I'm just thrilled that you do such difficult tours. Res
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Henna went mountain biking
August 4, 2023 at 05:15
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December 4, 2024
Simply awesome 👍👍👍
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Henna went mountain biking
August 3, 2023 at 06:16
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February 21, 2025
The next morning, I unlocked a new level of bikepacking, starting the day with a morning onsen before beginning a cold descent through the mist. It was my last day of biking before I would take a train back to Tokyo and explore the city for two days. I wondered if there was still something that could