This is the leg!

FL-500: Sølvi Monsen about the leg from Jergul to Alta.

In 2011 Sølvi Monsen started from Alta in FL-500 – for the first time. She completed the race with great skill, and is participating as a veteran this year.  She came in to checkpoint Jergul as number 23, got six hours of rest before she continued towards Alta. – I was tired at the checkpoint and didn’t stress too much to get out of Jergul to be honest, Sølvi shares. – When you are in that state your take it easy, and with tired dogs it’s always a bit slow when you start.

Always cheerful: Sølvi ready to start in 2012. Photo, Jørn Losvar

The veteran praises the tracks of last year and is very satisfied with the set-up of the race. Especially from Jergul she followed a good track. – The track was great, and after I passed Mollisjok Mountain Lodge I could just cruise in to Joktka. I met dog teams that had come to a halt, but I just had to continue to avoid my dogs from halting, she says. Homesickness is inevitable when you are getting closer to the finish line, but over the vast lake Jesjavri you have to put of being homesick. – When you are driving across the lake is seems like you’re never going reach the end. It’s very tough, so it important to keep up the motivation, Monsen explains.

Even though the wide open spaces do not offer very hilly terrain, they do have a lot of wind. –It can be rough over both Jesjarvi and Jokta lakes, but you know every meter brings you closer to home. –If you can avoid halting when passing Jotka Mountain Lodge it’s not a long way to go. Then you have to stay awake for the descent from Detsika towards the Alta River, Sølvi says. After the technically difficult decline, you get out on the river ice and can see the lights from the city. – To see the finish in the distance is indescribable. You are pedaling as hard as you can, while the dog team is moving down the river, and torturing yourself up the last hill towards the finish, veteran Sølvi Monsen remembers. She describes crossing the finish line as one of the most beautiful parts of the race, with crowds cheering and music playing over the speakers. – The combination of adrenaline and the confirmation of having finished is absolutely amazing. -  Finnmarksløpet is completed.