The Long Way Home - Norway

Day 5 – Bergen – Distance 10.0 km

Woke to discover that we were cruising through the islands off of Norway. The forests and hills made a refreshing change from the Shetland. Met Simon at the ferry port and then shoved my bike up the unfeasibly steep hill to his flat. Great view from the top though.

Spent the afternoon looking round Bergen, checking my email and planning our hiking trip. Very tired and feeling a bit crap in the evening. I think I picked up a bug on the boat.

Arriving in Bergen

Day 6 – Mosdalsbu – Distance: 0.0 km

Felt much better after a good night’s sleep. Popped into the DNT office then drove East to Odda, reportedly the ugliest town in Norway, via some of the most beautiful fjords.

We started our hike from the Ringedalsvatnet reservoir, where a Dutch couple enquired where we were headed to. They were very impressed when we briefly outlined our 3 day plan and said that we were “real hikers”. We didn’t really agree, especially with the number of carrier bags and frisbees that were hanging off of Simon’s rucksack.

A couple of hours of steady climbing took us to Mosdalsvatnet lake and we immediately spied a hut which we presumed was the DNT hut and our accommodation for that night. However after consultation with the map it proved not to be, being situated on the wrong side of the small lake. We soon found another building in the right place but were dismayed to discover that our DNT key did not fit the padlock on the door. After an amount of fretting with explored the area a little further and located the correct hut a small distance away.

The hut was small but well supplied with 8 bunks, bedding (you bring your own sheet sleeping bag), gas stoves, a wood burning stove and cut fuel and a selection of dried and tinned fuel. The deal is that you pay for a night’s stay and any food that you use. The prices were a little high (even for Norway) but that helps to pay for the annual helicopter drop of the supplies and saves you having to carrying much. It is a great system, if a little formalised. It is not possible to book the huts but they only fill up at weekends in July. There is also extra bedding so you will always get a spot on the floor if the bunks are taken.

After eating we hiked up the nearest mountain to get a better view of the neighbouring glacier and to play some late night, high altitude Frisbee. it was light until well after midnight and still and warm even though we were at an altitude higher than Ben Nevis, as we would be for much of the next 2 days.

Ringedalsvatnet Reservoir

The DNT hut at Mosdalsbu

Simon preparing tea outside the hut

Playing high altitude fisbee

Day 7 – Reinaskorsbu – Distance 0.0 km

On the map this looked like a straight forward day and we scoffing at the predicted hours to cover what looked like little more than 15 km. However we had been warned that it was tough going by a Norwegian guy staying in the hut and so it proved.

The first scramble to the top of Einseter was ok for some more great views. However after this diversion we struggled to find the path for most of the rest of the day. The going was always steep with a lot of scrambling and the sun hot. In mid afternoon we somehow both contrived to run out of water. Despite having crossed many streams all day, all of a sudden we were climbing a steep rock face, dehydrated with no sign of any water. Eventually we came across a small stream and took a long drink.

In the end we crawled into the Reinaskorsbu hut at 1830 absolutely bushed. The hut was slightly smaller than the previous night but we had the place to ourself and the view was even better down to the Ringedalsvatnet reservoir.

Looking towards the glacier from the summit of Einseter

Simon finding another use for the fisbee

Probably the best dunny in the world at Reinaskorsbu DNT hut

Day 8 – Bergen – Distance 0.0 km

Soon after we set off we found the Trolltunga (troll’s tongue); a 10 metre horizontally protruding rock some 650 metres above the reservoir. Spent a while taking photos and admiring this stunning natural feature. If it wasn’t a 2 days hike to get to and there weren’t other similar places in Norway, it would’ve been mobbed with tourists. We had the place to ourselves.

A much better path led us to the top of the steep descent back to the reservoir dam. After a free hot shower at the car park (what a great country) we returned to Bergen.

The Trolltunga

Day 9 – Bergen – Distance 0.0 km

Popped into town to pick up email and get a cycling map. Despite being at the start of the North Sea Cycle Route through Norway no-one seemed to have heard of it so I made do with an ok road map. The main obstacles are the numerous tunnels many of which are closed to cyclists; the rest are just dangerous and unpleasant to cycle through.

After lunch we hiked up the hill behind Simon’s flat for some even better views of Bergen. This is also the top of the funicular railway from the city centre so there were plenty of tourists and an ice cream shop.

Still feeling the effects of the cold/chest infection that I picked up on the ferry so I fell asleep watching the football.

Bergen

Day 10 – Leirvik – Distance 67.8 km

Spent the morning doing laundry and packing up. Set off on my journey proper after lunch. It felt good, if a little daunting, to be underway.

I soon got lost trying to escape Bergen, but managed to pick up the North Sea Cycle Route which took me out of the city on a very pleasant traffic free path and then over a massive hill, which was 30 very sweaty minutes of granny gear climbing.

I took the ferry from Haljem to Sandvikvag and then spent the early evening cruising 30 km of quiet country roads. The campsite I was aiming for seemed to have been built over with some very big houses (most are here) so I had to backtrack 5 km to Leirvik. Campsite is small and attractive, set by the side of the fjord. Weather is still fantastic apart from a slight Southerly (ie head) wind. On the downside the battery has died in my bike computer and the bottom bracket is making some kind of racket. I think the former is actually more annoying.

Leaving Bergen

Congestion in rural Norway

Day 11 – Skudeneshavn – Distance 120.0 km

Tough day today; I seemed to be permanently lost and the head wind got stronger as the day progressed. Obviously it is still now (7pm) and the beasties have come out.

Got a battery for my computer in Hageusund. The road after that was busy and the scenery un-inspiring. I am staying in a soulless campsite by the side of a busy road.

I spent the evening chatting with a very charming and famous Danish author who is also staying at the campsite before being marooned on a deserted light house for 2 weeks to find inspiration for her next book.

Day 12 – Egersund – Distance: 115.0 km

Rained a lot in the night so I packed up the tent wet as I had an early ferry to catch. The crossing was 2 hours long so it was 11 before I started cycling. A frustrating start to the day as I had missed the cool morning.

Following the North Sea Cycle Route around some coves and bays around Tananger involved some technical mountain biking skills. The road along Stavanger’s sandy beaches faster. Stopped at one of these beaches to eat my lunch and admire the, ahem, view.

The early afternoon saw me passing through some uncharacteristically flat arable countryside with even a slight hint of a tailwind. There were still a few comedy offroad sections through cow fields. My poor bike.

A complete deficiency of shops saw me running out of food and water again – and it was getting seriously hot. Eventually I found a petrol station and expensively re-fuelled. The only thing more expensive than alcohol and cigarettes in Norway are campsites and soft drinks from petrol stations.

Shortly after I found a supermarket so I bought my dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast. I soon regretted the extra weight as the next section was a very steep, long, technical offroad climb through some interesting exposed granite slabs. I soon lost patience with the rough stuff as I had already covered more than 100 km in the heat and I was worried about things falling off my bike, not least me.

A fast road descent eventually took me to the campsite which was cheap(ish) and busy with cyclists. I spent the evening chatting to a very slim, tough Dutch girl who is cycling the whole North Sea Cycle Route with an enormous amount of luggage. She is not enjoying the hills.

One of the many tracks on the North Sea Cycle Route

Stavanger beach

North Sea Cycle Route passing through a cow field

The track through the exposed granite near Egersund

Day 13 – Flekkefjord – Distance: 90 km

Seems to be good day/bad day. Here’s hoping that tomorrow is a little easier. A dreaded headwind today but I still covered 50 hilly km by lunchtime. After lunch at Hauge the climbs were long, steep and brutal in the heat and I really didn’t have the heart for it. 40 minutes of grinding up hill was followed by an all too brief descent, usually through a dark and scary tunnel.

Decided on a short day to spend sometime in Flekkefjord doing town things. Even failed to this properly; picked up my email but couldn’t update my website then the shops shut at 4 so I couldn’t buy any postcards.

Campsite is the most expensive and worst yet. The tents are the other side of the road from the showers and there are screaming kids everywhere. I have a headache, the tail end of my cold still and Kristiansand looks 2 long days cycling away, which is the same as it was yesterday. Praying for less wind and smaller hills tomorrow.

My trusty steed next to a more typically laden bike

A steep, dark and scary tunnel near Sokndal

Preparing dinner at Flekkefjord

Day 14 – Mandal – Distance: 94.8 km

Back on form today. Pretty good night’s sleep and a lie in of sorts (8am). Still a head wind and some pretty long climbs, but nothing as steep as yesterday. By avoiding the North Sea Cycle Route whenever possible I made much better progress.

Campsite is the most expensive yet (~£12) but pleasant enough. It rained whilst I put the tent up but brightened up later and I went for a good walk around the headland.

Looking back at the campsite at Flekkefjord

Feda, Norway

The view from Kvinesdal

A German camper-fire engine at Mandal

Sunset from Mandal

Day 15 – Kristiansand – Distance: 81.4 km

Campsite was very noisy until late and I stayed up to finish my book so I had a lie in. don’t know why I do this as the tent is always sweaty and uncomfortable in the morning.

Muggy, heavy day with a constant threat of drizzle. Followed the pretty coast road to Kristiansand and the kms seemed to fly by. Bit flatter I think.

On arrival in town I booked my ferry to Sweden for the next morning and went looking for the youth hostel. When I eventually found it down by the docks I changed my mind. There is a music festival in town and the rather grotty building looked very busy. The weather was picking up so I pedalled out of town to the nearest campsite.

Still plenty of the day left to pop back into town to an internet café and to get a new book. Sweden tomorrow, although I am not looking forward to arriving in Gothenburg late on a Saturday night.

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