Photo Story: Riding 7,601km Across The European Continent With A Stranger

I was sitting looking out across the Arctic Ocean just a couple of hundred metres from Russia. It was a weird place, with military look outs on the hills either side of the valley.

This was Grense Jakobslev, the furthest north east corner of Europe and the start of the trail I was planning to take across the continent for the next three months.

I was sitting eating lunch with my mate Max. The only person I could find crazy enough to join me out here. He was going to be with me for the first three weeks then it was just me.

Or I thought it was going to be just me anyway.

Not long after we had sat down another cyclist turned up. She had similar gear to us, very similar. I knew straight away what she was doing. I knew where she was going. But I asked anyway not really believing this would happen. “Portugal” she replied.

Half an hour or so later the three of us pointed our bikes south and started cycling.

Three months or so later Anna and I arrived in the opposite corner of the continent.

If you’d have asked me my wildest dreams for this trip, finding someone to cycle with everyday from the very start would not have even been something I'd thought about. That idea was far too wild.

But it happened and it was the best thing that could possibly have happened.

I’m not really sure where I’d have ended up had I been on my own. I certainly wouldn’t have got to Portugal, that's for sure.

We were riding the European Divide Trail that runs 7,601km predominantly off road from the North East to the South West corner of Europe. It wiggles through the forests of Scandinavia, through the heart of the continent and into the dusty dry mountains of Spain. Here are some of the photos I took on the trip. You can see more in the photo book I made called Strangers Make Great Friends here.





























All photos taken on 35mm film on an Olympus XA.

Photos and words by Jacob Martin.

You can get a copy of the photo book here.

Follow Jacob's work on his Website and Instagram.

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