About Kasia Beszterda
11,870 km
913:52 h
Recent Activity
Ray Donoghue and Kasia Beszterda went for a hike.
November 12, 2025
07:50
40.2km
5.1km/h
160m
160m
Kasia Beszterda went for a bike ride.
November 8, 2025
02:34
39.7km
15.4km/h
200m
220m
Kasia Beszterda went for a bike ride.
September 14, 2025
Waiting out the morning rain that doesn't arrive. Sandals on we walk the bikes through the squishy terrain. I unsaddle my bike and carry the panniers downhill while R. gets both bikes safely to the flat ground. The fluffy dog balls run towards us again trying to make as much noise as possible. We take a more direct route towards the main road and we're back on the good surface. Soon enough we lose the cycle path and the next section towards Oslo is on the main road. Cyclists going the other direction seem unbothered by the traffic and don't react to hellos and hand waves. I insist on arriving into town along the sea route, passing small islands, a navy ship, a marina and container terminal. The road leads along the heavily trafficked E18 before turning inland. Now navigating through city streets taking in the impressions of the place I meant to visit for so long. Through hard peddling we got ourselves 36 hours for a visit in town. We're staying in a popular Grünerløkka neighborhood and Bunks at Rode quickly earn a 5 star review from us for offering secure bike storage. Showered, we head out to see the town and get some food. The nearest square hosts a Sunday flea market, we spot another one just down the road. Forgot that in Norway Sunday is a day closed for business but in this neighborhood you would hardly notice. Boutique stores are open, pavements full of people strolling between stalls and cafés. After doing some food and food price research we have a dinner at a Thai restaurant. Partly a treat and partly the fact that the grocery store is closed for the day and my pannier being empty down to the last box of fudge. The food is top notch and we continue our stroll red cheeked from the city comforts. The rain soon picks up and gives halt to our walk. The bus back to Berlin is scheduled for midnight the following day. Tomorrow will be a sightseeing day where I go to the Munch museum and R. visits the exhibition on the 19th century polar expedition. I stock up on fudge to take home with me. We get day cards from our hostel and hang out in the kitchen and rest up before an 18 hour journey back.
02:05
30.6km
14.6km/h
200m
340m
Kasia Beszterda went for a bike ride.
September 13, 2025
Breakfast in a puffy and hood up with the back to the wind. We continue along Rødenes lake and then turn west towards Oslo along the Unionsleden route. The rain jackets come out from panniers and soon we take cover under sheltered postboxes on the side of the road. The feeling of remoteness is gone once we approach the busy E18. Entering Mysen, a city with a few supermarkets, with the rain coming we stop at the first one. Sheltering behind bags of gardening soil stacked on the europalet we eat our lunch standing. It is windy and we look for a café nearby to warm up with a brew. There is a steep exit from town; it feels rewarding to climb it without issues. The cycling lane sections are getting longer, we cycle under rain threatening skies to Askim - the first city where I reunite with my favourite fudge. Conservatively I purchase three boxes to last me until Oslo. Past the city we veer off Unionsleden which continues south-west towards Moss. There is a pretty bridge crossing the Gloma river before another stretch following the main road. The coffee at the petrol station is surprisingly tasty and gives us a boost for another few kilometres. We take a turn in Spydeberg and then another onto a gravel road. A cycling route to Hallerud marked with a swimming sign goes roughly in our direction. We follow. It is squidgy underfoot at the rest stop. Too wet ground to camp here. This is my chance though for a swim and I go in for a short loop. Back on the road we have our eyes open for a place to stop for the day. The traffic gets hectic on what seems quite a minor road. The area around Mjær lake looks built up and the ground saturated with water. 32 kilometres to Oslo. At Ytre Enebakk we turn off towards a cabin in the woods. The gradient and loose gravel are soon not cycleable. I shake my head when a steep hill emerges in front of us. R. scouts ahead. Eventually the bikes get pushed up and we follow a soft track to the cabin. We have seen some weather warnings earlier today but once under the roof the heaviness of the downpour surprises us. R. makes fire and it's toasty inside. We hang our clothes and place shoes around the fireplace. We make dinner and sit back after a strenuous day. A nice Oslo IPA is shared and the wrappers of the toffee fudge pile up on the table. Once we set up to sleep on the floor R. hears mouse scratching behind the chimney. We try to make adjustments to the indoor setup but in the end we know that a tent would grant us a better sleep. R. sets it up in the dark. It's nice and cool outside after the rain. We leave the cabin to the mice and head into the tent for the last night outdoors.
04:47
70.1km
14.6km/h
680m
610m
Kasia Beszterda went for a bike ride.
September 12, 2025
The weather forecast for today is not good. R. makes a call to head out at silly o'clock to try to do some distance before the rain comes. I unhappily agree. We do 40km before 9.30. Clouds get darker and we are eventually forced to put on rain jackets. I wish I had waterproof shoes. First supermarket of the day, we order coffees and teas and wait until the weather front passes. TV with horse races is on. At the table next to us about ten elderly lads drink their coffees. When the social hour is over they head into the store to get their groceries. We set out again, there is more rain to come. Less than an hour into the cycle we manage to park at the next grocery store the minute the downpour starts. We high five each other on timing. Bananas, choko chip cookies and two cups of coffee. We wait. It should now remain dry for a while. We have a shelter marked nearby but as it's a bit of a detour we push on to the red coloured shelter/cabin up the road that R. has a good feeling about. Another climb, then one more and I'm looking forward to ending the day at what is already the 80km mark. We stop at the shelter. It's locked. The concrete porch and no direct water access don't look too appealing. Also there is a high voltage line above our heads. Reluctantly we mount again. 7km till the next possible shelter. Surprisingly steep descent (10%), glad we're not cycling (pushing) the bikes in the other direction. R. drives ahead towards the shelter down a gorgeous gravel road overlooking the lake. Before I manage to drive down he is already heading back. Private property, event function, no camping. Resigned, we continue. There is another possible place further around the lake. We are off the main road which is a good sign among the dark rain clouds over our heads. The route looks flat on the app however the undulating terrain is hard on the legs at this point of the day. The track goes past farmhouses towards Rødenes church and there is a little picnic area at the lake. The shelter is invisible from here, further on the peninsula and from what we can see inaccessible for the bikes. We hastily set up the tent in the wind as the rain starts. A windsurfer emerges from the water. I unpack and promptly go straight inside the tent and into my sleeping bag. Dinner is served to me where I am. R. still has the energy to make the sausages on a grill when the rain subsides. I book the accommodation for Oslo, we're close now.
06:14
95.8km
15.4km/h
910m
920m
Kasia Beszterda went for a bike ride.
September 10, 2025
In the morning the car campers set off for a hunt as we get ready to cycle off. After some misty mornings today we have a clear skies start as we descend towards the shores of lake Valden. We encounter a road block and follow the detour in the forest where I spook a viper out of it's sunny spot and we cross multitude of moose tracks on our path 🫎 Back on the trail we do the main climb of the day while dodging a bin truck driving in and out of nooks and crannies of the gravel side roads. A beautifully wide compact gravel road takes us to Austmarka where we stop for lunch. So far the shops on the Wilderness Route have been quite spread out so we pass one, max two a day. We get a very warm welcome at the local store, with coffee, water refill, seats and charging opportunities. An asphalt road ahead we opt in for a gravel detour on the other side of the lake. For the remaining distance we follow the main road, at least the ascend is on a good surface. The day feels fairly easy overall, we also have a cap on how far we are going today as there are limited camping opportunities nearby and we're due a laundry, wash and a day off. And it's going to rain all day tomorrow. Didn't spot that the suggested route follows a major busy road for the last stretch, so we detour into the woods, cross into Sweden and into Norway again. Phones flood us with welcome messages from each country over the last three days as our cycling route tightly hugs the country border. The campsites we can choose from are two RV parks with busy trafficked road in between them. Not a dreamy location, but the cabin we get is dry, spacious and comfy and we move in swiftly as the rain starts tapping on the roofs.
04:00
55.3km
13.8km/h
450m
600m
Kasia Beszterda went for a bike ride.
September 9, 2025
Can't say that I sleep easily knowing I potentially share the forest with bears. The brown bears in the region are said to be shy but the mere possibility plays on my imagination. We start the day by following a lovely high road through the forest, passing sparse homesteads. The slow descent takes us to Grue Finnskog where we visit the first grocery store on this side of the border. Not much there for me to grab so I rummage through my pannier for leftover food. On the way to the toilet on the church grounds the black cat comes to my side and allows eagerly to be petted. After a turn the route follows the Rotna river on a gravel road. We ring our bells occasionally in an attempt not to surprise any animals we share the forest with. It worked well in the past when hiking in the reindeer territory and I hope it will help dispel my bear fears. Sadly a lot of the forest seems to be grown here for cutting and we pass vast areas of hills emptied of timber. The road touches the Swedish border and the other country's sign appears on the road. The legs are tired by now, feeling the distance and elevation of the previous days. We stop at a fisherman's cabin - it is somewhat dark and stuffy inside. As the weather is nice today we move on. The next few kilometres I look just ahead of my front wheel and keep peddling. We entered a lovely area with bog lakes and the coarse gravel road weaves between them. We turn towards the shelter, overlooking Abbortjenn lake. It's peaceful and pretty so we decide to stay. Again no swim access unfortunately, so I pour pots of lake water down my back to wash. There is a distant noise of a car stopping back at the road. By the time I'm dressed I can hear the sound of a hammer, whoever arrived is staying the night. The two lads set up camp adjacent to a common toilet, so we have an awkward encounter later when we go to use the facilities. The dog is barking but is also wagging its tail. The men turn out to be hunters, otherwise they are sparse with words and keep to themselves. I stretch my legs on the shelter's bench and watch the evening go by as if through window panes - landscape framed by the pine trees between me and the lake. We set up the tent on a slopey ground next to the shelter. If there are bears, the dog will alert us. I sleep better tonight.
03:47
55.6km
14.7km/h
350m
410m
Kasia Beszterda went for a bike ride.
September 8, 2025
Quiet anticipation this morning knowing that the postponed climb is the first thing that we're going to tackle today. It's misty and the dew is thick on the grassy ground. Improving on yesterday morning we let the sandals, rather than cycling shoes, go wet before it's time to set off. Lights on, we climb. R. waits every now and then so we can cycle not too far from each other in the mist. The weather is a bit unsettling and it gives me a tight feeling in the chest in an otherwise wide open space. Some cars and trucks pass by and so does an elderly man in yellow hi-vis on a single speed bicycle. The mist clears just as we reach the top of the climb and the glorious sunshine joins us on a descent. The worry of the last days gives way to excitement, I'm very much looking forward to crossing into Norway. Even if only for a few days. We stop at the last shop on the Swedish side. Loving the grocery stores in the remote locations, stocked to the rim with useful stuff, have a toilet, sitting area and coffee. Even gluten-free products make it to the shop's selection. The descent takes us all the way into Norway. We turn off of the main road, one last descent and the climbing starts again. Trying not to breathe too loudly when passing a house with the owner sitting outside in the sun. Beyond the house stretches a gorgeous view over Vermundsjøen. The climb continues and the gradient is less forgiving now and I push my bike past a pasture of curious cows. We reach the day's elevation and join the trail that we will be following for the next few days. Labelled as the Wilderness Route (national cycling road number 9), it is advertised as quiet and close to nature. We join in Finnskogen, an area defined by wide dirt roads, numerous lakes and ponds, waterways, large pine bogs and moderate hills. As we can't see any rest stop we roll out the blanket on the side of the road for a well deserved break. A car comes from the side road and we get to chat with a worker from a local community who is marking the local trails. In the booth he has a trophy from the hike - elk antlers collected on the trail. I forget to ask about the other wildlife, namely if we can expect to see bears in the area. With the thought still in my head we go on. There are occasional cars passing by but otherwise it's just us, the road and scattered homesteads. Both climbs done, we can now relax. We have a shelter marked a couple of kilometres off the main road; it's just a sit-in shelter but R. is happy to have a place with a firepit and a place to sit off the floor. The area is boggy and there is no lake access for a swim. I cross the forest track to the other lake and use our cooking pot as a scoop to wash up. R. gets water from a small river; we will notice later that the sediment in the water slowed filtering considerably. R. makes fire and buys us some mosquito free moments before heading for bed. All is quiet on the bog.
04:05
56.6km
13.8km/h
640m
430m
Kasia Beszterda went for a bike ride.
September 7, 2025
The campsite is functional but not particularly charming. We pack up next to the kitchen block to avoid going back through the grassy field. The dew is so thick that my shoes and socks are wet before we cycle off. A misty morning turns into a warm and sunny day. We cycle almost exclusively on gravel passing villages and farms, and R. is quick to announce it is his favourite day cycling on this trip. I on the other hand struggle with a flat cycle - it emphasizes pains in the body (especially my fingers, which go numb) and lack of a challenge in front of me makes me feel impatient. We don't encounter any bench, big rock or other suitable infrastructure to stop for lunch so I roll out a blanket on the grassy side of the road. We cross the river to check out the grocery store, which doesn't hold anything exciting for me except for a coffee pot. We move to the seats with low umbrellas next to a petrol station. We order another cup of coffee and share pistachio & sea salt chocolate before we're ready for another stretch. We pass by Branäs ski centre with plenty of lodgings and even more being built for the upcoming season. What looks like snowmaking machines are waiting for their turn in the backyard. From here there are some climbs before arriving at Sysslebäck, the end point of the Klarälvsleden trail. I notice how tired my legs are and force me to dismount. I have pain in my knees and I can feel some stiffness when bending. Today I'm making a call again and we're stopping for the day. We were hoping to make at least one climb out of town towards the Norwegian border but my knees need as much rest as they can get. We roll into Bråtens Camping, advertised as a nature campsite, the last flat place before the climb. It stretches along the river with nicely spread out motorhome plots. The small reception cabin is closed and R. calls Kenny the owner to check in. We pick a spot at the waterfront and I unapologetically spread out my blanket and rest up. R. narrowly escapes a medical emergency when a tent peg goes through his sandal while pushing it down into hard ground, and luckily misses his toe. Kenny sells us half a bag of firewood and R. gets to work to get the campfire started. It's quite a relaxing evening at the riverside. We stand by the firepit looking out towards the river until it's time to go to bed.
04:27
68.8km
15.4km/h
390m
370m
Goal achieved. Congratulations,,🏅
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