Country Archives: Norway

Continued to cycle north on the Lofoten, past Svolvæer, where I had a short break. Later I met another Swiss cyclist who recommended a detour but also warned me that the road conditions were bad there. He was right. Took a ferry from Fiskebøl to Melbu, which is located on the Vesterålen group of islands. Met a cycling Polish couple at the wharf at Fiskebøl. They’re on their way to the North Cape as well. Reached Stokmarknes after 139km.

Decaying boat

From the village of Moskenes I cycled south for a few kilometers, to Å, the southern-most settlement on the island of Moskenes. Then I turned around and cycled north for 90km.

The village of Å

Woke up early, packed some food, and followed the narrow track along the northern shore of the island.

At a low pass I crossed to a bay on the southern side. On my left some cliffs led to a sandy beach with a huge cave, on my right a path led to an old and intermittently abandoned fishing village, Måstad. I’d read about prehistoric paintings in that cave so I tried to climb along the cliffs but gave up after some hundred meters. Turned right instead towards the couple of houses still standing.

At the southern end of the village a track leads up to the peaks of the mountains in the back. Had a wonderful view from the top!

Back down near the village I met Manu, a French photographer. Talked for a while, then I walked back to the cliffs and gave it another try to get to the cave. Managed it this time, saw some ‘fish’ that possibly could have been porpoises, but didn’t find the rock paintings/carvings.

Returned to the tent, tired, hungry, with wet feet, but incredibly happy about the day. Packed my stuff and rode back to the wharf from where the ferry brought me to the Lofoten island of Moskenes. Pitched tent on a campsite near the wharf.

The tent

The beach

Across the bay

The village (Måstad)

The cave

The view - to Moskes (middle) and Moskenes (background)

Took the ferry to Værøy. Stopped at Røst first. Røst is amazingly flat and quite a contrast to the mountainous landscape everywhere around it.

In the evening they dropped me off at Værøy and I cycled along the north coast looking for a place to pitch the tent. The sky was still quite bright even at midnight, but I was too late in the year for the real midnight sun.

Røst

Værøy

View from the tent at half past 12am

Another day in Bodø.

Bodø

Enjoyed a break in Bodø’s Café Kafka today.

Café Kafka

Took the tour of the mine today, then rode the 111km to Bodø. About 10km from Bodø I cycled over a hill and was greeted by cool air on the other side. The fjord and Bodø in the distance had disappeared in thick fog.

In the mine

In the mine

Rode on the E6 to the north for a few kilometers, then I took a shortcut and turned east towards Rv830 to Sulitjelma. This shortcut involved some nasty climbs on dirt tracks.

Sulitjelma is an old mining town, and very close to the Swedish border. The mines are defunct now but one of them can be visited. Unfortunately, I was late for today’s guided tour, so I only visited the mining museum. Met a French couple on the campsite who’d done a 200km hike from Sweden to here. Also visited another mining village nearby called Jakobsbakken. Cycled 55km today.

Downhill for a change!

Rotting mining equipment, Sulitjelma

Old smelter

Continued on Rv17 to the Saltstraumen, the strongest tidal current in the world. When I arrived it was rising tide and the current was indeed impressive!

From there I turned eastward again on Rv812 and followed it to the E6 near Nesby. Cycled 95 km today.

Saltstraumen

Saltstraumen

Started on the Rv17 but had to leave it soon due to a long tunnel that’s closed for bicycles. The alternate route involves a ferry which I missed by 20 minutes. Had to wait 1.5 hours for the next one. It started to rain while I was waiting at the wharf (which lacked everything from toilet to basic shelter). Met a Norwegian couple there who’s on their way back home from their cycling island hopping vacation.

From Ørnes, where the ferry dropped me off, I cycled to Kjelling in more or less pouring rain, 86km in total. The campsite there was beautifully located next to a fjord on hilly terrain, with old wooden huts, well off the main road.

Waiting for the ferry

Left Mo in the morning and cycled west along the Ranafjorden towards the RV17, also known as Kystriksveien (the coastal highway).

Crossed the Arctic Circle on a ferry. Stopped at a campsite on the island of Forøya. It was more or less overcast and windy all day, but it didn’t rain.

Crossed the 11.000km mark (since Madagascar) somewhere along the 131km ride today.

Crossing the Arctic Circle

Went to the Tourist Information and got more reliable information about places to get a tent from, and eventually bought a Hilleberg Soulo. Also asked about glacier tours to the nearby Svartisen glacier. Unfortunately, there were non scheduled for the next days and hiring a guide just for myself was well outside my budget.

There are a few caves in the area and two of them, Setergrotta and Grønligrotta, are open to the public and close to each other as well as close to the town of Mo i Rana. The last kilometer to Grønligrotta must have been the steepest climb of the journey so far (edit: it was the steepest climb of the entire journey).

Went back to the noisy campsite in the evening and pitched my new tent for the first time.

Setergrotta

Right outside Drevsjø I saw the first reindeer at the road-side. I’d read about a tame herd being husbanded in the area, and I guess they were part of that herd. It was a good 120km ride through a plateau-like landscape, with forest left and right, and some rounded mountain peaks looming over the wood.

Went for a stroll to town. Røros is an old mining town and there are quite some old buildings from the mining era still preserved. There are also large slag heaps right next to the town center.

Near Røros