At the end of the track, past the ruined garrisons of Sredny and across another narrow neck of land, lies Rybachy, the Fishermen's Peninsula, the northernmost reach of mainland European Russia. Its tip, Cape Nemetsky, has a lighthouse and a view north to nothing but the open Barents Sea. The name is old: Russian Pomors and Norwegian fishermen worked these waters for cod and halibut for centuries, salting their catch in seasonal camps along the shore, and fishing villages survived here until the Soviet period swept them away.
The landscape is dramatic in an understated way. The peninsula is a plateau of layered sandstone and slate, tilted and broken into cliffs along the coast, with tundra on top and streams cutting down to the sea. There are waterfalls tumbling over coastal cliffs, beaches of pebbles and driftwood, and small lakes full of trout. In summer the tundra blooms with cloudberries, cotton grass and tiny Arctic flowers, and the sea birds nest on the cliffs. The light is the great thing here: soft and endless in June and July, low and golden in August.
Getting around is hard work. The tracks across Rybachy are rough, rocky and often muddy, with fords, deep ruts and sections where the trail disappears into a confusion of options. A light, capable bike, good tyres, spare parts and a riding partner are essential, and a GPS track is very helpful. The weather can be brutal even in summer, with gale-force winds, cold rain and fog off the sea, and conditions can change within an hour. Take warm layers and full waterproofs regardless of the forecast.
There are no services on the peninsula, apart from a few seasonal tourist camps that may or may not be operating. Carry all fuel, food and water for the round trip from Murmansk or Zapolyarny, and remember that Zaozyorsk is a closed town. The area is a border zone, so check permit requirements well ahead. People who make it out here tend to talk about it for years afterwards: the cliffs, the wind, the light, and the sense of having reached the very edge of the continent.