Fredrik Erixon’s plan is clear: leaving southern Sweden on Monday, May 29, to reach Barcelona 30 days later. All the stages are planned to be around 90km daily for more than 2500km.

ProXCskiing.com had talked with Erixon just a few days before the start of his project. We talked about his plan, training, preparation, and thoughts. 

In what state of mind are you now, only a day before the beginning of your project? 

“It’s a bit of chaos, a bit of stress, and also, when doing this kind of big project, it’s a lot of anticipation. I am really looking forward to this, but there are also many details to handle. This is nice because I finally say that I have done all I can and there is nothing more to do before the start. It’s up to me.” 

“And I have been doing adventures for many years now, and this time is like the peace before the storm. Only a few days are left, and I have done everything I can. Now I just have to do it.” 

“This is actually the best time. Everything is ahead of me, and I have done the preparation, and I am ready to throw myself up!”

Read More – Roller skiing across Europe: One Vasaloppet per day for 28 days.

Speaking about that, please tell us a bit about your training and preparation. 

“I decided to do this about a year ago. I also decided to try to do a regular ski season in Sweden. I did Vasaloppet, Marcialonga, Toblach-Cortina, and 5 or 6 races here in Sweden.” 

“Usually, when I am done with Vasaloppet, I more or less stop skiing and start biking, golfing, and taking a bit of rest.” 

“This year I went up to the Northern part of Sweden to the finish of the season with all the Swedish skiers. That increased my season by about a month. After that, I’ve been going on roller skis and Skierg at home. I also went roller skiing for seven days in Mallorca.”

“To fix all the gears, I went for my new roller skis with blue wheels. I’ve also fixed the flag on my backpack. This flag is also an extra pole in case I break one. I had to find a backpack that was not that big. I will stay in a youth hostel and B&B, so I will travel lighter than the first time I did this type of adventure. (Erixon crossed Sweden from the North to the South 3 years ago). I also had to fix all the clothing and the traveling stuff.”

Do you have a car that will follow you for your security, or will you be on your own? 

“I have three persons following me for the filming team – we are producing a movie. One guy is with me at the start for a couple of days, one is flying to Lyon, and one will be at the end in Barcelona. So, I will be on my own for 75% of the time, with my flag!”

Which part of the journey are you most looking forward to? And in what country are you the most excited to go? 

“I am looking forward to going through Europe. Down to the part of southern Germany and the eastern part of France. This is a part of the country that I’ve never been to. I’ve already been to the Alps in both summer and winter, so I look forward to discovering other parts of France.”

And on the other hand, are there things that you are worried about?

“It will be a challenge to go 90km daily and between 750 and 1100 meters of elevation every day. The physical part will be challenging. Of course, I am a bit worried about that: will my body hold on? I am 53, not 23, so at some point, I need to be able not to get injured, and I must pay attention to recovery. 

I am also a bit worried about navigation and finding the right roads to go by. When crossing Sweden, I knew pretty much the route and the Swedish way of thinking about signs and ways of driving. Going from Sweden to Spain by Denmark, Germany, France, and maybe Switzerland, will be a different cycle path and way of driving. And I have blue wheels, so it will be hard to break or stop. So, this will be challenging.”

Erixon’s project starts on Monday, and Proxcskiing.com will follow his project. So if you also want to follow this journey, stay tuned on ProXCskiing.com and Fredrik Erixon’s Instagram.