Day 2 - the ride through "Pönttövuori" tunnel

The highlight of our day 2 was the ride through the Pönttövuori tunnel nearby Jyväskylä. It's an old deserted railroad tunnel. The track and ties have been removed and loose gravel is left. What a better way to test one's own bravery. I had serious worries whether my better half will manage with the Suzi. The tunnel is about 1.2km long, was finnished in 1918 and used until 1995. Thanx to the BMW GS meeting folks - I had the pleasure to ride this once before.

Inside the tunnel its pitchblack, you have no idea what there will be in the way or in the waterholes. The stones underneath you are moving and make the ride rather wobbly. A few ups and downs have formed over the time ... so enjoy the ride through it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-RyWCvopd0&feature=g-upl

and BTW, I have Xenon lights at my bike - not the old and sad BMW "pocketlamp".

Ilta made it!

Now Africa - you can come! I thought that if she manages this, she will be able to manage anything. She was a bit shaky. It was a good decision to have the break with food afterward the tunnel and not before :)

Before Pönttövuori 

After Pönttövuori

Milady slightly relieved - it's over ;) - well done!

We ended the day in Leppävirta after riding some 280km small roads and gravel roads. At Leppävirta camping ground the owner had a new type of accommodation - permanently build Laavu. Really cozy inside.

The laavu had even with electricity and a proper light :)

~ Wolfi

Day 1 - From Home to Sysmä

Our first riding day started with the usual hazzle before leaving. Watering and fertilizing the flowers, quickly re-arranging plants. Packing the last minute items and so on. I used the space between the sidecar and the pannier carrier system, put a few strings there to create some kind of net and then packed three roles there (see pic). Finally we were ready to go.

The target was to get a feasible distance from home and drive such that we can explore the mystic tunnel the next day. The ride was going pretty well. We drove all the way to Sysmä camping ground via Road 25, Sälinkää and Asikkala - a distance of 196km.

The girls were just sleeping fine went we rode on asphalt roads. As soon as we hit bad roads or gravel roads, they got a little more nervous. I could see Lyra sitting quite often there and watching the surroundings. Hertta and especially Ulpu took it much easier during riding. Every time we stopped and I walked around the bike, the girls knew they will get out and then they naturally got all excited about it.

The weather was really pleasant. It was sunny and temperature was about 25C, what lead to the situation that I left some warm clothes at home which I would have needed later. Well I did manage after all. Ilta's clothes are SO small, that she fits several pants and jackets in the same size as one of my T-Shirt is - a clear advantage of being skinny.

We build our tent right away besides the lake - maybe a distance of 5m with a lovely view. Until the mosquitoes came and forced us to go inside the tent. The nite would have been lovely - just the humming of the bugs and Hertta snoring, if there would have not been the crying baby in the neighbor tent. Even earplugs did not help and so we got up the next morning a little exhausted. Well, the couple came and apologized - even though I think that this happens when you sleep on a public camping place - Still ... no good for mental health and save riding.

The girls were also fine with sleeping in the tent. It took a few days before they understand the concept of a mosquito-net ... the ladies always wanted to go through it.

And so the first day ended.

~ Wolfi

Finland trip 2012 - first test ride with the old sidecar

We decided to make a test drive this year in Finland to figure out how it is to travel with the dogs on a sidecar, what kind of distances we can take, we wanted to test our equipment. Some of it was supposed (more about this later) to come with on the ultimate ride, and for other stuff like the tent, we wanted to see what size we need so that we all fir in fine. We gathered a lot of experiences on our equipment and some stuff - nevertheless how fency - seems not to work fine for us or milady or me.

12 days - 3250km - plenty of gravel roads

a spooky tunnel, fun and of course mosquitos

This is the recorded track.

~ Wolfi