Cycle Exped to Japan via Finland

By Mark · April 28, 2024 – September 28, 2026 · 13 844 km · 359 pebbls

Countries: Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Türkiye, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan

Welcome to my Alzheimers WAI-cycle Expedition - from Swiss to Finland and then to Japan. I’m Mark & this is my re-TYRE-ment project! My aim is to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s and as a candidate myself, discover what I/you must do now to avoid it.

See it on the interactive map · Flyby videos

Chapters

  1. START Stage 1 ETAP/day1 Apr 27 2024 · 1 pebbl
  2. Stage 1 ETAP/day 2 · 6 pebbls
  3. Stage 1 ETAP 3/day 3
  4. Stage 1 ETAP/day 4 · 2 pebbls
  5. Stage 1 ETAP/days 5&6 1&2 May 24 · 7 pebbls
  6. Stage 2 ETAP/day 1 27 May 2024 · 2 pebbls
  7. Stage 2 ETAP/day 2
  8. Stage 2 ETAP/day 3 · 5 pebbls
  9. Stage 2 ETAP/day 4 · 1 pebbl
  10. Stage 2 ETAP/day5
  11. Stage 2 ETAP 6 June 1 2024 · 4 pebbls
  12. Stage 2 ETAP 7 Sun 2 June
  13. Stage 2 ETAP/day8 3 June 24 · 1 pebbl
  14. Stage 2 ETAP/day 9 June 4 2024 · 3 pebbls
  15. Stage 2 ETAP/day10 - 5 & 6 June · 4 pebbls
  16. Stage 3 ETAP1 Sylt 18 June 2024 · 3 pebbls
  17. Stage 3 ETAP 2 June 19 · 1 pebbl
  18. Stage 3 ETAP 3 June 20 · 3 pebbls
  19. Stage 3 ETAP 4 June 24 · 2 pebbls
  20. Stage 3 ETAP 5 June 23
  21. Stage 3 ETAP 6 June 24 · 6 pebbls
  22. Stage 3 ETAP 7 June 25 · 1 pebbl
  23. Stage 3 ETAP 8 June 26 · 4 pebbls
  24. Stage 4 ETAP 9 final June 27 · 1 pebbl
  25. Stage 4 ETAP 1 July 9 2024 · 5 pebbls
  26. Stage 4 ETAP 2 July10 · 2 pebbls
  27. Stage 4 ETAP 3. July 11 · 7 pebbls
  28. Stage 4 ETAP 4 - July 12 · 4 pebbls
  29. Stage 4 ETAP 5 - July 13 · 1 pebbl
  30. Stage 4 ETAP 6 - July 14 · 2 pebbls
  31. Stage 4 ETAP 7 - July 15 · 6 pebbls
  32. Stage 4 Final ETAP 7 - July 16 · 3 pebbls
  33. Stage 5 ETAP 1 Aug 4 · 2 pebbls
  34. Stage 5 ETAP 2 Aug 5
  35. Stage 5 ETAP 3 Aug 6 · 3 pebbls
  36. STAGE 5 ETAP 4 Aug 7 · 3 pebbls
  37. Stage 5 ETAP 5 Aug 8
  38. Stage 5 ETAP 6 Aug 9 · 2 pebbls
  39. Stage 5 ETAP 7 Aug 10 · 1 pebbl
  40. Stage 5 ETAP 8. Aug 11 · 1 pebbl
  41. STAGE 5 ETAP 9 Aug 12 · 2 pebbls
  42. Stage 5 ETAP 10 Aug 13 · 2 pebbls
  43. Ship From Ålesund To Bergen Aug 16
  44. Stage 6 ETAP 1 September 6 2004 · 3 pebbls
  45. Stage 6 ETAP 2 Sept 7 · 2 pebbls
  46. STAGE 6 - ETAP 3 Sept 8 · 6 pebbls
  47. STAGE 6 ETAP 4 Sept 9 From Karlstad · 5 pebbls
  48. STAGE 6 ETAP 5 Sept 10
  49. STAGE 6 ETAP 6 - Sept 11
  50. STAGE 6 ETAP 7 - Sept 12 · 2 pebbls
  51. STAGE 6 ETAP 8 - Sept 13 Finland · 1 pebbl
  52. STAGE 6 - ETAP 9. Sept 14
  53. STAGE 6 ETAP 10 - Sunday 15 Sept · 1 pebbl
  54. Stage 7 Etap 1 Helsinki To Tallinn
  55. Stage 7 (2025) Etap 2 25/4 Tallinn · 2 pebbls
  56. 260425 Sta 7 Stage 3 Loksa - Rakvere · 1 pebbl
  57. Stage 7 Stage 4 27.04.25 Rakvere · 2 pebbls
  58. Stage 7 Etap 5 Monday 28.04.25 · 3 pebbls
  59. Stage 7 Stage 6 Paide 29.04.25 · 1 pebbl
  60. Stage 7 ETAP 7 TURI to West Coast · 3 pebbls
  61. Stage 7 Stage 8 From Pärnu Southeast · 3 pebbls
  62. Stage 7 ETAP 9 Viljandi to Tartu
  63. Stage 7 ETAP 10 Tartu - Otepää · 2 pebbls
  64. Stage 7 ETAP 11 Otepää Into Latvia · 2 pebbls
  65. Stage 7 ETAP 12 Latvia 05.05.25 · 1 pebbl
  66. Stage 7 ETAP 13 Cēcis to Sigulda
  67. Stage 7 ETAP 14 - May 7 2025 · 3 pebbls
  68. STAGE 8 etap 1. Leaving Riga · 4 pebbls
  69. STAGE 8 etap 2 June 4 2025
  70. STAGE 8 Etap 3 June 5 2025 · 2 pebbls
  71. STAGE 8 Etap 4 June 6 2025 · 3 pebbls
  72. STAGE 8 Etap 5 June 7 2025 · 3 pebbls
  73. STAGE 8 Etap 6 June 8 2025 · 6 pebbls
  74. STAGE 8 Etap 7. June 9 2025 · 2 pebbls
  75. STAGE 8 Etap 8 June 10 2025
  76. STAGE 8 Etap 9 Lithuania. June 11 · 2 pebbls
  77. STAGE 8 Etap 10 June 12 2025 · 2 pebbls
  78. STAGE 9 Etap 1. Sun 6 July 25 Lithu · 3 pebbls
  79. STAGE 9 Etap 2 July 7 2025 · 3 pebbls
  80. Stage 9 Etap 3 June 8 2025 · 3 pebbls
  81. Stage 9 Etap 4 - Towards Warsaw · 2 pebbls
  82. STAGE 9 Etap 5 July 10 2025
  83. Stage 9 Etap 6 - July 11 2025 · 1 pebbl
  84. Stage 9 Etap 7 - July 12 2025 · 2 pebbls
  85. Stage 9 Etap 8 - July 13 2025 · 5 pebbls
  86. STAGE 10 Etap 1 - August 3 2025
  87. Stage 10 Etap 2 - August 4 2025 · 1 pebbl
  88. Stage 10 Etap 3 - Aug 5 2025
  89. Stage 10 Etap 4 - July 6 2025
  90. Stage 10 Etap 5 - July 7 2025 · 2 pebbls
  91. Stage 10 Etap 6 - Aug 9 2025
  92. Stage 10 Etap 7 - August 10 2025
  93. Stage 10 Etap 8 - 11 August 2025 · 1 pebbl
  94. Stage 10 etap 9 - Aug 12 2025 · 1 pebbl
  95. Stage 10 Etap 10 - Aug 13 2025 · 3 pebbls
  96. Stage 10 Etap 11 - Aug 14 2025 · 3 pebbls
  97. STAGE 11 etap 1. - Sept 16 2025
  98. Stage 11 Etap 2. - Sept 17 2025 · 1 pebbl
  99. Stage 11 Etap 3 - Sept 18 2025 · 3 pebbls
  100. Stage 11 Etap 4 - September 19 2025 · 1 pebbl
  101. Stage 11 Etap 5 - Sept 20 2025 · 1 pebbl
  102. Stage 11 Etap 6 - Sept 21 2025 · 1 pebbl
  103. Stage 11 Etap 7 - Sept 22 · 3 pebbls
  104. Stage 11 Etap 8 - Sept 23 2025 · 1 pebbl
  105. Stage 11 Etap 9 - Sept 24. 2025
  106. Stage 11 Etap 10 - Sept 25 2025 · 1 pebbl
  107. Stage 11 Etap 11
  108. 2026 0804. Stage 12 etap 1 Romania · 4 pebbls
  109. Stage 12 etap 2 into Bulgaria · 2 pebbls
  110. Stage 12 etap 3 - April 10 Bulgaria · 1 pebbl
  111. Stage 12 etap 4 - April 10 Bulgaria · 6 pebbls
  112. Stage 12 etap 5 April 12 2026 · 1 pebbl
  113. Stage 12 etap 6 - April 13 2026 · 1 pebbl
  114. Stage 12 etap 7 - April 14 2026 · 3 pebbls
  115. Stage 12 etap 8 - April 15 2026 · 1 pebbl
  116. Stage 12 etap 9 - April 16 2026 · 3 pebbls
  117. Stage 13 etap 1 - May 13 2026 · 1 pebbl
  118. Stage 13 etap 2 - May 14 2026 Turk · 1 pebbl
  119. Stage 13 etap 3 - May 15 2026 · 3 pebbls
  120. Stage 13 etap 4 - May 16 2026 · 5 pebbls
  121. Stage 13 etap 5 and 6 - May 17 & 18 · 4 pebbls
  122. Stage 13 etap 5 and 6 - May 17 & 18 · 3 pebbls
  123. Stage 14 etap 1 - June 7 2026 · 7 pebbls
  124. Stage 14 etap 2 - June 8 2026 · 2 pebbls
  125. STAGE 14 etap 3 - June 9 2026 · 7 pebbls
  126. STAGE 14 etap 4 - June 10 2026 · 3 pebbls
  127. STAGE 14 etap 5 - June 11 2026 · 2 pebbls
  128. STAGE 14 etap 6 - June 12 2026 · 3 pebbls
  129. STAGE 14 etap 7 - June 14 2026 · 4 pebbls
  130. STAGE 14 etap 8 - June 15 2026 · 2 pebbls
  131. STAGE 14 etap 1 - July 7 2026 · 2 pebbls
  132. STAGE 15 etap 2 - July 8 2026 · 4 pebbls
  133. STAGE 15 etap 3 - July 9 2026 · 2 pebbls
  134. STAGE 15 etap 4 - July 10 2026 · 2 pebbls
  135. STAGE 15 etap 5 - July 11 2026 · 3 pebbls
  136. STAGE 5 etap 6 - July 12 2026 · 2 pebbls
  137. STAGE 15 etap 7 - July 13 2026 · 6 pebbls
  138. STAGE 15 etap 8 - July 14 2026 · 1 pebbl
  139. STAGE 15 etap 9 - July 15 2026 · 3 pebbls
  140. STAGE 15 etap 10. - July 16 2026 · 2 pebbls
  141. STAGE 15 etap 11 - July 17 2026 · 4 pebbls
  142. STAGE 15 etap 12. - July 18 2026 · 4 pebbls
  143. STAGE 15 etap 13 - July 19 2026 · 6 pebbls
  144. STAGE 15 etap 14 - July 20 2026 · 3 pebbls
  145. STAGE 16 etap 1 -August 10 2026 · 2 pebbls
  146. STAGE 16 etap 2. - August 11 2026 · 1 pebbl
  147. STAGE 16 etap 3 - August 12 2026 · 3 pebbls
  148. STAGE 16 etap 4 -August 13 2026 · 5 pebbls
  149. STAGE 16 etap 5 - August 15 2026 · 4 pebbls
  150. STAGE 16 etap 6 - August 16 2026 · 6 pebbls
  151. STAGE 16 etap 7 - August 17 2026 · 5 pebbls
  152. Stage 17 etap 1 - September 11 2026 · 2 pebbls
  153. Stage 17 etap 2 - September 13 2026 · 4 pebbls
  154. Stage 17 etap 2 - September 13 2026 · 2 pebbls

START Stage 1 ETAP/day1 Apr 27 2024

Day 1 Luzern - Rapperswil target but only got to Einseideln
= 86.5 Total now = 86.5

Up 705. Total now = 705
Down 345

Stage 1 ETAP/day 2

Rapperswil walensee and the Rhine

Total = 136.4. Total to date = 222.90
Up = 727. Total up = 1432
Down= 1215

28 April 2024 - 14:58

· Switzerland

Walansee. Interesting ride through tunnels in the steep rock face. Feeling ok right now with 60k done. There will the same again!

28 April 2024 - 14:58, Switzerland

3 more pebbls in this chapter

Stage 1 ETAP/day 4

From Leukirch my target is Bergheim (which Garmin doesn’t know exists! ) so I hope I find it!! Note - google changed route so I never did!

Total = 93.2 Total to date = 411.07

Up = 153. Total up = 2270
Down = 350

30 April 2024 - 09:32

· Germany

Here in Leukirch. Tough day yesterday so arrived around 9pm! lots hills in this part of Germany but some of the cycle tracks in beautiful landscapes. Now setting off a bit earlier this am

30 April 2024 - 09:32, Germany30 April 2024 - 09:32, Germany

30 April 2024 - 19:31

· Germany

Another great sunny day mostly in countryside; in the forests around farmland and along the rivers. Stopped at 93km in Langenau at 17.30 because the next town would be another 25km and I promised myself an earlier finish for a change!

30 April 2024 - 19:31, Germany

Stage 1 ETAP/days 5&6 1&2 May 24

Another 2 days towards Marktbreit = 185.2 km
5 total = 90.61. Total to date = 501.68
Up = 926. Total up = 3196
Down = 941

6 total = 92.19 Total to date = 593.87
Up = 638 Total -=.3807
Down = 881

6 total = 92. Total to date =

1 May 2024 - 13:21

· Germany

Up a steep forest route and looking forward to the down!

1 May 2024 - 13:21, Germany

Love At First Site

· Germany

To check-mate what google was doing to me - keeping me in the gravel maze - I chose a small town with an interesting sounding name: a town called Schopfloch, because a) I imagined there would not be another town in Germany called that and b) it sounds kinda naughty!
But 6 km before that I passed through this amazing place and decided this was the place for me……

Love At First Site, GermanyLove At First Site, Germany

2 May 2024 - End Of Stage 1

· Germany

Another tough day on multiple surfaces and hills to end at Alzheimer’s house in Marktbreit. Bavaria ist wunderbar! Thanks to google maps for surprising me every day!

2 May 2024 - End Of Stage 1, Germany2 May 2024 - End Of Stage 1, Germany

4 more pebbls in this chapter

Stage 2 ETAP/day 1 27 May 2024

Leaving Marktbreit & the Alzheimer family home towards Northern Germany and the Nordics

Stage 2 ETAP/day 3

Yesterday cooler and windy with a lot of cloud but no rain. Up steep on rough forest tracks eventually down and gentle on old railway. Hard to find a place to stay! Feeling good this morning 👍

29 May 2024 - 08:48

· Germany

No idea what to expect today! The garmin edge prompted an update and is now stuck in that. I cant even turn it off! Thank goodness for google maps! 🙏🏻

29 May 2024 - 08:48, Germany

29 May 2024 - 14:56

· Germany

A lot wood frame houses in these parts. This is a nice example. Also an old mill house and a couple of handsome horses

29 May 2024 - 14:56, Germany29 May 2024 - 14:56, Germany

2 more pebbls in this chapter

Stage 2 ETAP/day 4

From Bad Sooden-Allendorf (the town of ancient wood-frame houses towards Hanover and Hamburg. Its a long holiday weekend and raining!

Stage 2 ETAP 6 June 1 2024

Yesterday pm route became an urban drag to Hanover. That can sometimes happen anyway - but especially so if we make the destination more important than the journey. Today I will put journey first 👍

Bergen-Belsen

· Germany

I was kind of shocked to a stop as I realised I was cycling past Belsen, and the site of the infamous concentration camp where Anne Frank and her sister along with at least 52,000 other women, men and children prisoners died from disease, starvation and neglect.

Bergen-Belsen, GermanyBergen-Belsen, Germany

1 more pebbls in this chapter

Stage 2 ETAP/day8 3 June 24

Quite a ‘blended’ experience yesterday cycling through Hamburg from south to north and ending at the impressive Hafer-city project. Heading towards the end of Germany in the next days.

Stage 2 ETAP/day 9 June 4 2024

It took a few attempts to find a place to stay and they even made a 30 euro donation. Waited for the rain to ease to get started. My goal today is to cycle as close to Sylt as possible
My goal today i

Stage 2 ETAP/day10 - 5 & 6 June

Long 120 km ride yesterday and eventually found a place to stay. Sunny breezy day today as I head to the furthest north west of Germany and onto Sylt Island and kampen beach to complete Stage 2. Thu 6 I will go the south of the island.

1 more pebbls in this chapter

Stage 3 ETAP1 Sylt 18 June 2024

The sun is shining through fluffy clouds 🤗 I will ride up to the North of Sylt island and then take a ferry across to the Danish island of Rømø. I cycle across a causeway to Jutland and then SE.

Stage 3 ETAP 2 June 19

This morning I head to Fynshav on ALS for the ferry to Fyn and island hop/cycle towards Copenhagen

Stage 3 ETAP 3 June 20

The sun is shining. More islands Eastwards: Täsinge - Siø - Langeland - Lolland before crossing to Sjælland and heading up towards Copenhagen

Crossing to Siø Island

· Denmark

Its only about 1.5 km across and then the next bridge to Langeland and then a ferry to Lolland

Crossing to Siø Island, DenmarkCrossing to Siø Island, Denmark

2 more pebbls in this chapter