Snefjord is a small settlement on a fjord of the same name in the far north of Finnmark, in a landscape that has more sky than land. At seventy degrees north, the trees have given up, and what is left is tundra, low birch scrub in the hollows, bare rock, lakes and long hills the colour of old rope. The road to Havøysund, the fishing village at the end of the peninsula, crosses this country and drops down to the fjords at intervals, and Snefjord is one of those places where you suddenly find water, boats and a handful of houses at the foot of the hills.
For a rider, the road is a long, quiet, rolling one. The surface is generally good, the bends are gentle, and there is little traffic apart from the occasional truck, a fisherman's pickup and, in summer, campervans. Distances are large and the villages are far apart. The wind is the main hazard, as there is nothing to stop it, and on the high stretches gusts can be strong. Snow can come early in the autumn and stay late in the spring, and in winter the road is often closed or convoy-led, so check conditions before you set out.
This is Sami country, and reindeer herding is part of life here, as it has been for centuries. In summer the herds move to the coast to graze and escape the insects, and you may find them on the road. They have no sense of traffic, and a rider should slow right down. From mid-May to late July the sun does not set, and the light has a golden, low-angled quality that makes everything look closer.
Fuel is a serious matter. Hammerfest, the nearest town of any size, is a long way off, and Havøysund has a pump but it is at the end of the road. Fill up before you set out and carry a little extra if you can. Food and coffee are rare on the road itself, so bring a flask and a sandwich. Mobile signal fades in the fjords, and there is no help for many kilometres, so tell someone your plan. The reward is silence, space and the strange northern light.