1,619 km bicycle trip started in the capital Oslo along the southern coast to Arendal, then from Sandnes northwards to Hardangervidda, Preikestolen and Bergen and from there heading to Geirangerfjorden and Trollstigen before arriving in Alesund. From there returning south via inland Otta and passing Lillehammer on the way back to Oslo.
30 July - 30 August 2002 / 32 days
1,619 km
Metres in altitude unknown
Highest cycled point: 1,067 m
Unfortunately no travel report in English available yet. Below the German report translated by Google Translate. Sorry for the partly weird and bizarre English! Proper translation is coming within the year 2018!
It was quite hot when we assembled the wheels at Oslo Airport Torp 60 km south of the capital, packed our bags and started south in brilliant sunshine. Along the Oslofjord we drove over Sandefjord over flat land to Helgeroa, where we took the ferry to Langesund. We drove through the beautiful archipelago from one small island to the next. About Aby we continued along the coast over hilly Valle and on a beautiful route along the Fossingfjord in hot weather to the southwest. About light it went to Kragerö, where we translated by ferry to Stabbestad.
At night it was raining every now and then and on the way to the ferry from Öysang into the beautiful Risör caught us then a few showers. Along the Sörfjorden we drove on Bergendal and Tvedestrand and then on the 410 until just before Arendal, where we turned off, on the island of Tromöy and the next day to Arendal, where we wanted to abbreviate a little for time reasons. The archipelago with its small fjords had been very beautiful, but it pulled us into the "real" fjords and into the mountains. Unfortunately there was no ship, but with the bus we drove a good 300 km over Kristiansand to Stavanger.
On the 13th, which was quite rightly called the panoramic road, it went on a very beautiful route over the Högsfjorden and steeply along the Lysefjorden along uphill, before we cycled uphill to the famous Preikestolen. The next day we hiked over a path through Moore and past ice-cold mountain lakes to the priest's chair, which, as if cut by a stonemason, squared out of the steep wall 600 meters above the Lysefjorden. The view was gigantic!
We continued on Vatne and Tysdal in a magnificent landscape north and uphill and downhill over the Fisterfjorden to the ferry in Hjelmelandsvagen, which brought us over the Jösenfjorden. On this we cycled along with an impressive backdrop, before we left him over a short but exhausting climb with a thunderstorm in the neck to the north.
Up the Erfjorden and the Lovrafjorden uphill we went to sand and further inland along the Suldalsvatn. Through many tunnels, partly unlit and curvy, sometimes uphill and downhill, we cycled to Nesflaten, where we made our way up into Brattlandsdalen heading north. With a little bit of rain every now and then it went from there over serpentines steeply up into the Röldalsfjellet to the ski area. We took the closed old pass road for cars up to 1,067 m in tight serpentines and past snowfields we rolled icy downhill again, later on the main road to Odda.
From here we hiked over suspension bridges, which led over torrential glacial rivers, and climbed with help ropes over rock passage to the Folgefonn glacier. The next day we threw our bikes and bags into a bus that took us through the 11km tunnel under the glacier to the other side of the massif. At the Maurangerfjorden and later along the Sildefjorden we cycled further west. In Kvinnherad we took the ferry to Gjermundsham, where raining rain forced us for the first time on this trip into the full rain gear. In pouring rain we pedal north on the R48 along the Öynefjorden, which we did not see much due to the weather.
About Mundheim it went exhausting uphill direction Eikelandsosen and Fusa then by ferry over the Fusafjorden to Hatvik and by bike on through Osöyro on small narrow roads exhausting uphill over the Fanafjell to Bergen. We camped with countless other vanguards at the campsite in Midttun and wandered through the city with its beautiful harbor, the beautiful old town and the markets, especially the fish market, from which we came back heavily laden.
About a steep bypass of a tunnel for cyclists then went in countless hairpin bends from mountains to Knarvik and from there on the busy 57 without side stripes to Leirvag. On the way we again passed some tunnels with steep detours. We took the ferry to Slövag and continued cycling north along the Eidsfjorden 57. We climbed over a mountain range to Sognefjorden and rolled down to Rutledal to the ferry. On the 57 we went further north to Dalsfjorden, which we followed its southern side. From Eidevik the road led steeply uphill again in the burning sun. On the E39 it went then due to hard shoulder and moderate traffic unexpectedly pleasant to the northeast. At a lake we pitched our camp near Volker's tent, went swimming and cooked together.
The next day, we cut the main road three of Förde by bus and unloaded our wheels in Innvik on Innvikfjorden. From there we rounded the fjord in a wide arc over Stryn and then uphill to Hornindalsvatn, the deepest inland water in Europe at 514 m.
On the 60th we cycled to the world famous Geirangerfjord. It went up to 390 m altitude and down to the ferry. With this we sailed then, sonicated in several languages with tourist information, in stifling heat for an hour in the impressive Geirangerfjorden inside. Due to the regular visit of large cruise ships and because of the now built road, the place Geiranger had lost its former idyll at the end of the fjord as far as possible. So we set off in bright sunshine on the strenuous climb on the serpentine, which led steeply out of the valley in about 30 hairpin bends and with breathtaking views. We were quickly in Eidsdal at the ferry, with which it went over the Norddalsfjorden to Linge, where we set up our tents after a beer and cooking together.
About Sylte then went to the famous Trollstigen, steep serpentine, which had to be built decades ago by prisoners as a job creation measure. Steadily and moderately it went uphill and then downhill over the steep bends. In the evening we jumped into an ice cold glacier river, camped together and the next morning we said goodbye to Volker.
From Andalsnes we headed west on the E136, passed through a 6,594-meter-long tunnel to Tresfjord and from there on a steep and deteriorating gravel road into the Naeremstindane. In the rain we rolled in the next day in Alesund. After a day exploring the city, we left them again due to time constraints by bus and drove with the Alesund-Oslo-Nachtexpress nearly 300 km to Kvam south of the city of Otta on the E6 inland. In Vinstra we then cycled on the minor road 255 to avoid the traffic and pedal uphill and downhill through beautiful scenery over longer climbs to the south. We camped on the beautiful Espedalsvatnet and were surrounded by the first colorful autumn leaves. About Lillehammer we drove to the 250, passed the Storlon Reservoir and were quickly in Dokka. Along Randsfjorden we drove further south, though hilly, but almost no traffic. In Jevnaker we turned onto the narrow, heavily used and steeply uphill 241 and followed it to Vang, where we then turned off onto a smaller road to the Steinsfjorden.
The next day we were quickly in the capital Oslo. For reasons of time, we cycled through the city for only a short time and then took the bus back the last few kilometers to Torp Airport. After a night in the tent in sight of the runway, we collected some boxes at the airport to pack the bikes and then our time in Norway was already over!