Touring in Norway

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
jakobpoffley
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Joined: 19 Jan 2015, 8:13pm

Re: Touring in Norway

Post by jakobpoffley »

I'll cycle to Drammen and Konsberg and then follow the nummedal route.

Just today i realised that if i get to trondheim early enough (which i'm thinking i probably will do because the route isn't as long as i first thought at the moment) then i could get the train up to Bodo and then cycle up to the top of the loffoten islands and then down them. I'd then get the ferry back to bodo and get the train back to trondheim for my flight home. Looking at mileage i think that doing that would take about 6 days which would still leave me 20 days for the rest of the trip.
andrew549
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Joined: 26 Jul 2014, 6:26pm

Re: Touring in Norway

Post by andrew549 »

Another option might be train from trondheim to fauske then bus to either Narvik or harstad then ride down to the ferry and continue onto the fv17 to Mo i Rana or Mosjoen would stop you repeating the same route.

I've just got onto the Lofoten Islands after getting the train and bus to narvik and from Narvik over isn't much fun as it was quite busy and quite a lot of road works currently going on.
jakobpoffley
Posts: 39
Joined: 19 Jan 2015, 8:13pm

Re: Touring in Norway

Post by jakobpoffley »

andrew549 wrote:Another option might be train from trondheim to fauske then bus to either Narvik or harstad then ride down to the ferry and continue onto the fv17 to Mo i Rana or Mosjoen would stop you repeating the same route.

I've just got onto the Lofoten Islands after getting the train and bus to narvik and from Narvik over isn't much fun as it was quite busy and quite a lot of road works currently going on.

I don't think I'd have time to go all the way from harstad/Narvik to mo I rana but I'll keep that in mind if I do have longer. I was however thinking of doing as you said and getting a bus from fauske to Narvik if I don't have enough time to cycle that section.
Oh wow how exciting for you! Where wasn't it much fun and busy?
andrew549
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Joined: 26 Jul 2014, 6:26pm

Re: Touring in Norway

Post by andrew549 »

I found the section from Narvik to where the E6 splits off quite busy with quite a lot of trucks, I think I would get the bus to Harstad or possibly get off after the ferry which would probably cut a couple days riding out and may allow you to go a bit further down the coast or just take it more easily.
Vorpal
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by Vorpal »

jakobpoffley wrote:I'll cycle to Drammen and Konsberg and then follow the nummedal route.

A stop at http://www.drammen-skisenter.no/ to take the ski lift up to the forest is worth while, if only for the view. But if you are camping, you can camp up there, too.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
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jakobpoffley
Posts: 39
Joined: 19 Jan 2015, 8:13pm

Re: Touring in Norway

Post by jakobpoffley »

Vorpal wrote:
jakobpoffley wrote:I'll cycle to Drammen and Konsberg and then follow the nummedal route.

A stop at http://www.drammen-skisenter.no/ to take the ski lift up to the forest is worth while, if only for the view. But if you are camping, you can camp up there, too.

Is it possible to take a bike up then? What's at the top?
Vorpal
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by Vorpal »

jakobpoffley wrote:
Vorpal wrote:
jakobpoffley wrote:I'll cycle to Drammen and Konsberg and then follow the nummedal route.

A stop at http://www.drammen-skisenter.no/ to take the ski lift up to the forest is worth while, if only for the view. But if you are camping, you can camp up there, too.

Is it possible to take a bike up then? What's at the top?

You can take a bike up. The ski lift is used by cyclists in the summer to take mountain bikes up, so they can ride down the ski run. The view is good from the ski lift, back down the river valley. The top is only interesting for the view over http://www.visitnorway.com/uk/product/?pid=76907 Their description is a bit over the top, but it is cool. Also, there a nice lake and reasonable camping spots up there. But there can be quite few people up there on weekends, so if that's when you go, you may need to go into the forest a bit to find camping away from people.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
jakobpoffley
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Joined: 19 Jan 2015, 8:13pm

Re: Touring in Norway

Post by jakobpoffley »

That ski lift idea sounds really fun.

According to this website http://rallarvegen.com/index.php?m=abou ... en&lang=en it looks like the rallarvegen is still closed due to snow. I'll be leaving on the 6th of July so it might not be clear in time so i might have to go the other route that i suggested and go further south although it would be a shame.
Vorpal
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by Vorpal »

I doubt that it will be closed much longer. We had a cold spring, and even a couple of weeks ago, there were still day time temperatures barely above freezing, but it has been relatively warm for several days, now, and Rallarvegen is open at least far as Hallingsheid (according to Finse 1222). I would expect it to be fully open by the time you are here. They're taking bike hire booking from Finse for the 5th July, so they are expecting it to be fully open, as well.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
jakobpoffley
Posts: 39
Joined: 19 Jan 2015, 8:13pm

Re: Touring in Norway

Post by jakobpoffley »

Vorpal wrote:I doubt that it will be closed much longer. We had a cold spring, and even a couple of weeks ago, there were still day time temperatures barely above freezing, but it has been relatively warm for several days, now, and Rallarvegen is open at least far as Hallingsheid (according to Finse 1222). I would expect it to be fully open by the time you are here. They're taking bike hire booking from Finse for the 5th July, so they are expecting it to be fully open, as well.


That is good to know. I can't believe it is under a week until i'm leaving now!

Thank you everyone for all the help! :)
Vorpal
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by Vorpal »

Have a lovely trip!
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
jakobpoffley
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Joined: 19 Jan 2015, 8:13pm

Re: Touring in Norway

Post by jakobpoffley »

I've just arrived in Haugestøl and apparently I'll have to get a train from finse to myrdal due to the snow. Otherwise everything is going very well!
Vorpal
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by Vorpal »

jakobpoffley wrote:I've just arrived in Haugestøl and apparently I'll have to get a train from finse to myrdal due to the snow.

That's a shame. There's been rain elsewhere the last few days; maybe they got fresh snow up there? When you are at the station at Finse, look out for the planet Hoth ;)

The glacier above Finse was used to film the setting of Hoth in Star Wars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardangerj%C3%B8kulen
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
jakobpoffley
Posts: 39
Joined: 19 Jan 2015, 8:13pm

Re: Touring in Norway

Post by jakobpoffley »

Hello, I'm now in Trondheim and am getting the train to fauske on Saturday morning with my dad. The trip has been fantastic so far. I was trying to look up buses from fauske but the website won't work on my phone annoyingly. Id be very grateful if someone could find out our options to get to Narvik or if possible harstad or andenes. Our train arrives in fauske at 16:37 on Saturday the 25th.
Thanks a lot
Vorpal
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Re: Touring in Norway

Post by Vorpal »

The bus timetable is at http://www.rutebok.no/nriiisstatictable ... 23-720.htm

However.... If you can, I suggest ringing them on 177 because during the summer holiday season, the buses don't always run to the timetable, despite the dates on the timetable linked above.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
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