It was 7.30 on Friday 4 July 2003, the first day of South Dartmoor's adventurous tour to a new area of Norway. This year we were travelling by plane from Stansted, so it was critical that everyone met at Exeter St Davids in time to catch the 0812 train to London. Tao, however, was still at his home in Kingsteignton. And he was getting very worried.

His stepdad had agreed to drive him to Exeter St Davids as he didn’t want to pay a huge bill for parking his car there for two weeks. Everything was ready to go, but his stepdad, who seemed unaware of the urgency, had left a few minutes earlier to perform his usual morning routine of taking the dog for a walk – using the car! The seconds ticked by and still he didn’t return. Tao couldn’t even pack his bike and luggage into the car to speed things up when he got back. His mind worked through all the options: should he drive his own car and hope he could find somewhere cheap to park?

Just when he thought he would have to drive himself, his stepdad returned. Everything was thrown into the car as quickly as possible and they set off at 7.42, leaving just 30 minutes to get to the station. Somehow, however, his stepdad still didn’t seem to grasp the urgency of the situation, driving at an unhurried pace and seemingly unconcerned that every traffic light seemed to be turning red for them. Tao’s patience was running out and panic was beginning to set in – he genuinely believed he might miss the train, and consequently the entire holiday!

They pulled up at the station at around 8.08. Tao dragged everything out of the boot as quickly as he could, slung the panniers quickly on the rack and then ran through the station, up the stairs, over the bridge and down to the platform with his heavy bike. He arrived at 8.10, mere seconds before the train pulled into the station. He’d never been in such a panic, and he spent the first hour of the train journey recovering, cringing at how close that had been. As for why Oliver was fixing a puncture at the station before he'd ridden anywhere at all, that remains a mystery.

All the trains were on time and we reached Liverpool Street station with enough time in hand to dismantle the bikes on the station concourse and pack them into the bike bags that we had brought with us. With a huge effort we dragged everything onto the Stansted Express for the final journey to the airport, arriving well over an hour before the scheduled departure time.

On our two previous tours to Norway we travelled by ferry from Newcastle, but with the advent of Ryanair we could now fly to Norway in just 2 hours for a ticket price that was a fraction of the ferry fare. Perhaps the government should tax flights to more accurately reflect the damage to the environment, but for this tour it made no sense to even consider the ferry. The necessity for bike bags was a distinct downside to the arrangement, but all in all the experience was highly enjoyable - and we got an extra two days in Norway as a result.

Michael was perhaps a little apprehensive about his first ever flight, but as the cloud in London gave way to bright sunshine over the North Sea he settled down to enjoy the ride along with the rest of the group. The mountains of Norway came into view remarkably quickly and it wasn't long before we were touching down on the relatively short runway at Haugesund - we all felt sure the plane would overshoot the end of the runway, but the brakes cut in just in time!

We reassembled our bikes outside the quiet airport in brilliant sunshine. Gavin, as usual, took ages and needed everyone else to lend a hand. We only had a few miles to cover to the self-catering flat we had booked for the night, and the first part of the journey involved following the North Sea cycle route that passed close to the airport. We quickly found the route and followed it northwards across the island of Karmøy, stopping at a local store to buy our first Norwegian food. Continuing onwards along the well-signed network of paths and rural roads we soon reached the 60m high bridge across the Karmsund sound at Norheim. We'd noticed the breeze when we arrived, but as we climbed the bridge it got so strong that we had to dismount our bikes and almost cling to the railing for safety! We were all relieved when we finally reached the shelter of the mainland.

A little more navigation took us through the village of Vormedal to Røyksund guest house, where our welcome was as warm as we could possibly have hoped. We each received a handshake from the kind lady and were shown to our ground floor apartment with amazing views across the Karmsund sound. This was the cheapest accommodation of the tour at around £9 per person, so we didn't complain about two of us sleeping on settees with no duvets. Nevertheless it was very private and comfortable. As we settled down for our first night in Norway we were startled by the effect of our northern latitude: there was no real night until well after midnight, and even then it was quite light compared with the UK.

It was so warm that we didn't really need duvets anyway!

(Previous recorded mileage for today's ride was 13 miles, taken from a speedo that was reading slightly too high)

On Saturday morning we really knew we were in Norway. Sunshine flooded into our lounge as we ate a hearty breakfast against a backdrop of Norwegian children's television and tranquil sea views. We had to retrace our steps to the big bridge where the wind made the crossing just as treacherous. It was during the descent that Michael realised he had left his expensive grapes and Norwegian goats cheese in the fridge at the guest house. There was no way he was going back for it now, so he hoped the owner might find it in time to enjoy it.

We were following the North Sea cycle route southwards for the next few days guided by a 1:100 000 map book with English descriptions. Our 33 mile route across the long island of Karmøy was quiet, interesting and well-signed on the whole, taking us along interesting cycle paths and unspoilt scenery. There were only two suitable ferries from the southern tip of the island, leaving Skudeneshavn at either 1350 or 1820, and a good few miles to do at the other end of the ferry, so we had to make good speed in order to catch the lunchtime departure. This meant we had to bypass Kopervik, although we did detour briefly to visit Ferkingstad harbour. As it turned out we would have done better to spend the extra time at Skudeneshavn which was alive and bustling with a busy market and live Norwegian music in the square. We ended up with 20 seconds to take it all in before we had to scoot off to the ferry terminal, arriving with just a minute to spare. Was the whole of the tour going to be characterised by such fine timing?

The crossing to the mainland at Mekjarvik took an hour and 20 minutes, calling briefly at the island of Kvitsøy on the way. Tao has never been excited about ferries but he found this one pleasantly stable and enjoyable. From Mekjarvik the cycle route took us along rough tracks and paths along the coast. On the coastland near Kvernevik we investigated a huge sculpture of a chain link that was big enough to climb, a memorial to the oil platform Alexander Kielland which capsized in 1980 drowning 123 people.

As we entered Stavanger our route took us past enormous lakes complete with wild birds, making it hard to believe we were in one of Norway's large settlements. The youth hostel was situated near one of the lakes in a quiet woodland setting. We had a dormitory to ourselves, and after visiting the nearby shop and cooking a good meal we rode down to the quayside to see the finish of the World Beach Volleyball championship finals. The entire length of one side of the quay had been converted to accommodate a large stadium and numerous smaller beach volleyball courts complete with sand. There were cheer leaders in the main stadium and the whole area was bustling with life. It really was a fun atmosphere that we were loath to leave.

(Previous recorded mileages was 49 miles, and previous recorded climb was 422m)

After a rather leisurely start we detoured back to the centre of Stavanger to look again at Stavanger cathedral. Nearby was the delightful main lake, Breiavatnet, complete with fountain and wild birds.

The North Sea cycle route continued southwards for 15 miles along the edge of the Gands fjord, passing through quiet residential areas and frequently crossing the railway line that it followed. By late morning we had arrived at Sandnes and were enjoying lunch in the sun on the upmarket wooden-planked harbour area. Nearby was the concert hall and library, designed in tasteful modern style. Sandnes has been promoting itself as Norway's cycling town since 1990 so we were not surprised to see cycle routes marked everywhere and bicycles available for hire complete with keys. But today was Sunday, and not even the tourist information office was open.

Forced to leave the North Sea cycle route we turned inland with nothing more to guide us than a 1:335000 Cappelens map. It was not easy to find route 13 that avoided the motorway, but once we were on the right road the traffic gradually became lighter. We were crossing a land mass from one fjord to another, and halfway across we found the most perfect bathing beach by the side of Lake Lutsi, washed with sunshine and immersed in tranquillity. There were several Norwegian families there making the most of their short summer season so we pressed on to a quieter spot overlooking another lake, Eikelivatnet, for our refreshment stop. Even here we were not totally alone, discovering a father and son enjoying some idyllic fishing beyond a high bank.

Continuing to Lauvik we arrived just in time to catch the earlier ferry across the beautiful Høgs fjord, bringing us to Oanes by late afternoon. We were in no particular hurry to start the big climb so we bought ice creams and looked in the Lysefjord centre, Norway's one and only fjord centre. The restaurant looked very inviting and the art gallery was fascinating, but we really needed to get on with the climb.

We were now climbing the side of the Lysefjord, probably one of the most beautiful fjords in Norway. After a short climb we reached the recently completed Lysefjord suspension bridge, a masterpiece of Norwegian design providing a span of 446m and a lengthy tunnel through solid rock on the far side. After an enjoyable descent to Idsefjord we started on the final, hard climb of the day, to Preikestolen youth hostel. Michael ran out of energy in the excessive heat so we stopped for refreshments at the camp site half way up, making our final arrival at the hostel somewhat later than we had planned.

And we really should have arrived earlier. This was a magnificent building with a grass-covered roof set in idyllic surroundings overlooking a mountain lake. There was even a cafe on the ground floor. After a good shower and meal we explored the path down to the lake, but every paradise has its flaws and here the midges were so aggressive that we were forced to run for the hostel after just five minutes on the lakeside.

(Previous recorded mileage was 43 miles)

The main reason for visiting the Lysefjord area was to walk to the pulpit rock known as Preikestolen, one of the most famous places in all of Norway. The sun was bright as we parked our bikes near the hostel and set off through the woods on a walk that took around 1½ hours. The final approach to the rock took us along the edge of terrifying drops, but this was nothing to the danger of the rock itself. It was a flat table of rock around 25m square that dropped almost vertically for 604m to the Lysefjord far below. The views up and down the fjord were breath-taking, large boats appearing as tiny dots on the water. And of course there were some people sitting on the edge of the rock, dangling their feet over the edge and apparently quite relaxed. The problem was, could they really trust that none of the other hikers would get too close and accidentally nudge them off?

The descent took nearly as long as the climb so it was well past 1pm when we began our 40 mile ride to the next guest house. A flat coastal road brought us quickly to the town of Tau, where Tao felt very much at home. The supermarket provided food for lunch but we had to ride several more miles along the lakeside before we finally settled by a river beyond Tysdal to eat it.

Another couple of climbs and descents brought us eventually to Hjelmeland, a quiet ferry village situated on the Garsundfjord. Our accommodation for the night was in a small hotel where we had a choice of a room in the main house or a chalet in the grounds. We chose the inside room, mainly for the luxury of soft beds and fresh sheets (Oliver had substantial input here) but used one of the chalets to prepare our meal. Light drizzle fell as we walked to the edge of the silent fjord, but this turned to heavy rain overnight.

Oliver was despatched to purchase additional milk for breakfast as continuing heavy rain dampened our spirits at the beginning of our longest cycling day. Racing for the early ferry to Nesvik we were pleasantly surprised to find that the rain had stopped. We set a good pace along the Jøsenfjord then followed the road up and down a couple of climbs and through a tunnel to the long descent to the ferry town of Sand. A particularly heavy and prolonged shower on the final descent made British showers look like a sunny day - these Norwegians certainly know a thing or two about rain! A restaurant in the town centre provided shelter and food, although there was nothing vegetarian for Michael - even the pizza was meat!

Things were brighter when we left the restaurant. We spent a little time buying provisions in the supermarket and buying delicious fresh strawberries from the traders market by the quay, then boarded the early afternoon ferry to Ropeid across the majestic Sandsfjord. One tends to get used to fjords when in Norway, but in reality every fjord is a unique and beautiful creation.

For the next hour or two we followed another fjord - the Saudafjord - to the town of Sauda. We arrived just too late to find anything open except the supermarket, as most traders in Norway close mid-afternoon, so we made the best of chocolate milkshakes and then set off for the final big climb into the mountains.

In winter this road leads to skiing and snowboarding locations, but today there was no snow to be seen. The verge, however, was home to thousands of wild strawberry plants that were laden with fruit fatter and juicier than we had ever seen, so our climb was punctuated with frequent stops. Halfway through a gorge we were amazed to see a huge pipe crossing the road over our heads, coming out of one rock face and going into the other side. We discovered later that it was a gas pipeline, but it seemed large enough to take a car!

Hellandsbygd is a small hamlet high in the mountains, covered with snow for many months of the year but today open wide to anyone curious enough to venture so far from civilisation. Our cottage was easy to find, situated a short distance down the rough driveway of the main farmhouse. The owners, like many in Norway, are subsidised by the government to farm the land in the traditional manner, but many in the village need employment from Sauda to supplement their earnings.

Our room was cosily situated in the attic, with access only by a steep ladder - it really was quite a task to lug our panniers up the steps. We had a kitchen with large dining table and a shower with underfloor heating - in fact, we had the whole cottage to ourselves. We concluded one of our most enjoyable evenings of the tour with a short adventure game.

(Previous recorded mileage for today's ride was 56 miles)

We had a long climb ahead of us today, but we were in no particular hurry to get up from our extremely cosy beds in the loft room. We had a leisurely breakfast, and then took the opportunity to have a chat with our landlady. They run a small farm there in Hellandsbygd, but they do go travelling and recently visited Plymouth! The road that we are planning to traverse today rises to a height of 1200m, and for nine months of the year there is so much snow up there that the road has to be closed to all traffic. It really was very interesting, but it did mean it was gone 10.30 when we finally set off.

Some hairpin climbs within a mile of the Guest House gave us some good views back to the Hellandsbygd valley, and a little further up the road we came across a huge flock of goats that spilled out on the road to greet us, watched by a goat woman. This was an unusual sight and made for some good video footage and photos.

When we reached Svartevasselva the scenery was just magnificent – totally unspoiled and naturally beautiful, with snow now visible on the surrounding mountains. It seemed like the perfect place for some photos, and some conveniently-placed rocks helped us take the first timed photos of the tour that included all of us. Olly’s camera didn’t go off the first two times, but it did the third time, although perhaps his choice of camera rock was a little too distant, being on the other side of the road. Michael underestimated how long it would take him to run from his chosen camera rock to the group, but once again he got that right at the third attempt.

We soon reached the plateau of the mountain around Svartavatnet, a large lake formed by a dam that is used to supply water to Bergen. Soon after that we found the first snow near the road, which was Oliver’s cue to make a snowball, but it wasn’t long before we found a lot more snow, several banks of it in fact, which provided much entertainment as we took it in turns to slide down on our rear ends.

A little further up again and we found an icy pool near the road that actually had a mini-iceberg floating in the middle of it. Olly and Tao worked hard with various long sticks to coax the iceberg to the banks of the pool, and when they finally succeeded, Olly jumped on and manoeuvred himself to the middle with his long stick! Michael was surprised it took his weight, but as Olly said, he’s not as heavy as Gavin! Tao got a bit jealous, so when the iceberg returned to the short, he jumped on as well. Their combined weight, however, was just too much for the iceberg, which promptly began to submerge. It was quite amusing to see the two of them leap for dry land with a high sense of urgency!

We found two more banks of snow for sliding fun, then a huge descent opened out in front of us, with Røldal visible in the distance at the far end of Røldal Lake. The downhill was a lot of fun, but a small climb then brought us back to reality when we came across the first of two very long tunnels – Røldal tunnel, 4.7km long. Cyclists were not barred from using this tunnel, as there was a good wide cycling path on the side, but the air inside became a little stale to say the least, which was not particularly pleasant for the first half which was slightly uphill. We were very grateful when it started to descend after the first 2km, and coming out into the fresh air at the and was quite a relief. We had a short respite, but the second tunnel started almost immediately. This was not as long – 2.5km – and it was all downhill, so we really enjoyed it.

When we came out of the second tunnel the road just kept on going downhill for miles and miles. After checking out a huge waterfall at Lontjørn we stopped at the village of Skare for refreshments in bright sunshine, then pressed onwards. We stopped to look at three more impressive waterfalls, including a longer refreshment stop at Låtefossen, where there was a café. There was a huge volume of water in the waterfall, so it was a spectacular sight.

We finally reached Odda with the sun still shining brightly for us. Our Guest house was a red wooden building behind the Hardanger Hotel, so it wasn’t too difficult to find. We had a comfortable ground floor apartment with two bedrooms and a kitchen, although the bathroom was somewhat cramped. The host family lived on the floor above, as it was a large house. Tao and Oliver set about preparing their meal in the kitchen, but Gavin and Michael fancied a meal out tonight, so they went down to the harbour on a beautiful sunny evening and had a superb pizza at Peppe’s Pizza restaurant.

We had hoped to be able to arrange a glacier walk for tomorrow, but the timing and duration didn’t fit well with our plans so we had to abandon the idea.

(Previous recorded mileage was 39 miles. Total climbs and descents cannot be calculated from Google until summer 2022)


The following notes for the ride have been retained for a short time before deletion.

Long climb ahead, but still time for leisurely chat with the landlady. They run a small farm, and they recently visited Plymouth! For nine months of the year there is snow all around and the high road is closed. That was our route today, climbing to 1200m. Passed woman watching her goats. Snow more visible as we climbed. Group photo near the top. Soon reached the plateau, where generally up and down. First snow near the road was Oliver's cue to make a snowball, but we soon found more and more snow. Several banks of snow provided much entertainment as we took it in turns to slide down on our rear ends. Then there was the mini iceberg in a small pool - just right for Oliver and Tao to take a ride to the centre.

Then a huge descent opened out in front of us, with Roldal in the distance. Great fun, but another small climb to the entrance to the first of two long tunnels brought us back to reality. Cyclists were not barred from these tunnels as there was a good path on the side, but the air inside became a little stale to say the least and we were grateful when it started to descend after about 2km. Short break, then the next tunnel was all downhill, and the road after that was downhill for miles and miles. Stopped at Skare for refreshments as the sun shone, then again at Latefossen waterfall - highly spectacular. Soon reached Odda in bright sunshine.

Guest house was near the edge of the fjord - comfortable apartment with two bedrooms and a kitchen, although bathroom was somewhat cramped. Gavin and Michael enjoyed a meal at the Peppe's pizza restaurant while Tao and Oliver prepared their own meal. Beautiful sunny evening. Tried to arrange glacier walking for the next day, but the timing and duration didn't fit well with our plans.

We had planned today to be a short ride to allow time for a glacier walk, but since that proved impossible to fit in to our schedule, we had a really leisurely day ahead of us. And the weather was just perfect.

After a late start we spent an hour or so looking around the shops in Odda. Only Michael ended up buying anything – a Norwegian T-shirt. We popped into the Tourist Information Centre to find some information (possibly about whether the upcoming tunnels were OK for cycling), then enjoyed a coffee stop at the café in the Sørfjord Centre overlooking the fjord.

Our journey today would take us 20 miles along the Eastern bank of the Sørfjord. There were a few tunnels along the way, but most had cycle paths around the outside that offered superior views and quiet cycling. We could see the glaciers spilling over the tops of the mountains on the opposite side, part of the Folgefonna National Park, and these were in fact the glaciers we had originally hoped to walk on today. The views were outstanding, so we stopped for lunch at the Brakavik Services, Fresvik, which boasted a series of picnic tables right in the edge of the fjord.

By the time we had finished lunch it was really very hot, so for the afternoon ride we were very grateful for the unique features of the Hardanger area, famous all over Norway for its fruit. We knew it as soon as we left Odda: you couldn't fail to notice the acres of cherry trees all heavily laden with delicious-looking fruit. And every few kilometres there was a stall, or sometimes a group of stalls, all selling fruit direct from the farm. We stopped at Kvalnes for black cherries and again at Espenes for strawberries – the flavours were truly awesome!

We arrived early at Lofthus in brilliant sunshine and made our way to the youth hostel, which is actually in Ullensvang. The building is a school for most of the year, but it is used as a hostel during the summer holidays. We were very impressed with the location, offering superb views across the Sør Fjord.

We had read in the hostel information that they have a boat for hire, so we immediately made enquiries about hiring it as soon as we had checked in. They went to check and could only find two lifejackets, and since we all wanted to go out together (as we did in Switzerland last year) they suggested we could try the Lofthus Campsite as they had a boat and would probably have four lifejackets. Well we spent an hour riding up to the campsite boats, checking them out and deciding that they didn’t look as good as the hostel boat. A decision was made that we would use the hostel boat in two separate trips, which of course solved the problem of only having two lifejackets.

Gavin and Michael were first out for an hour and a half. They seemed to be the only boat on the entire fjord for as far as the eye could see, apart from the ferry at the far end that popped up from time to time. It was a very enjoyable trip, most of it captured on our video. When Oliver and Tao went out they seemed to spend most of their time going round in circles, just for the fun of it – Gavin and Michael got a good view of them from the hostel dorm.

We had a very comfortable night at the hostel.


The above report was based on the the following notes made at the time, which will be deleted soon.

Late start, looking around the shops of Odda - Michael bought a T-shirt, the others just looked. Obtained info at tourist centre, then enjoyed a coffee stop at a cafe overlooking the fjord.

There were a few tunnels on this route but most had cycle paths around the outside that offered superior views and quiet cycling. Could see the glaciers on the top of the nearby mountain ranges. Views were outstanding, so we stopped at a layby to enjoy lunch at a picnic table - really very hot by now. This was the Hardanger area of Norway, famous for its fruit. We knew it as soon as we left Odda: you couldn't fail to notice the acres of cherry trees all heavily laden with delicious-looking fruit. And every few km there was a stall (or sometimes groups of stalls) all selling fruit direct from the farm. We stopped for black cherries and strawberries on various occasions and were stunned by the taste.

Arrived early at Lofthus in brilliant sunshine to stay at the youth hostel, a sports school for most of the year. Immediately made enquiries about hiring the hostel's boat, and after an hour delay trying the campsite's boat because they couldn't find 4 lifejackets we eventually decided to take the boat out on two trips. Gavin and Michael went first and enjoyed more than an hour where they were virtually the only boat on the huge fjord - apart from the ferry at the far end that showed itself from time to time. Oliver and Tao went round in circles for their fun! Comfortable night.

We awoke this morning in our school dorm beds to the sound of heavy rain outside, but as we enjoyed our provide Norwegian-style breakfast things began to look brighter. By the time Tao had finished videoing all around the hostel, bright sunshine returned once again. We were sad to leave this excellent hostel.

This was supposed to be the longest cycling day of the tour, but the weather forecast had predicted rain this afternoon so we had decided to consider the option of taking the bus for the final section. This allowed us time to enjoy the morning ride. Our first stop was the SPAR at Kinsarvik where Olly had managed to find an unusual can of drink that looked rather like a battery. It was an energy drink of course, but he wasn’t overly impressed with the taste. He at least hoped it would re-energise him for the rest of the ride.

As we approached Eidfjord we came across another of those local fruit stalls in a layby, this time selling the rosiest-looking cherries we had ever seen. The fruit-grower’s son was selling them, but Michael found it tricky to communicate with him as he only seemed to know a couple of words of English – “yes” and “try”. Most Norwegians know English very well by the time they leave school, but it was evidently a bit early for this lad. The transaction was eventually completed (all caught on video by Tao) and the cherries tasted as exceptional as they looked.

We bought lunch in Eidfjord and enjoyed it in the Eidfjord Sculpture Park, which boasted a number of interesting pieces of modern art formed from stone. While the rest of us finished our lunch, Gavin walked to the village conveniences and paid good money to use the lavatory. When he had left and closed the door, however, he realised his wallet was still inside! He had no more money to re-enter and he was a good walk away from the rest of us, so he had no choice but to wait outside for a man to come along, which of course all looked very dodgy!

We continued the ride to Upper Eidfjord where we found the brand new Norwegian Nature Centre. The cafe not only had grass growing on its roof but also had several goats grazing it, which made for some good video shots. The luxurious café had been created in a Castle style, making it a very pleasant stop.

Now the rain was coming in as forecast, so we made our way to the Upper Eidfjord bus stop and took the bus for the 39-mile mountain climb. The driver was very accommodating, stowing our bikes in the luggage area and even stopping near Norway's best waterfall, Vøring Falls, so we could go and take a look! Three long tunnels brought us up to the falls, two of which did 360 degree circuits underground before emerging, and we also passed the Sysen Dam, which looked rather scary because of its size, and got a glimpse of the Hardanger Glacier at one point.

The driver made a second stop at Dyranut, allowing us time to go in for refreshments: Gavin and Michael took up the offer, but Oliver and Tao were so tired they just dozed on the bus. The scenery up here was desolate, with scattered lakes and pools interrupting the rocky terrain at regular intervals.

We finally arrived at the remote Haugastøl Tourist Centre at around 5.15 - early enough to browse the single shop and enjoy our very comfortable (and expensive) apartment to the full. It included en-suite kitchen and bathroom and offered excellent views over the Slødd Fjord. While Michael had his shower, Olly kindly made hot drinks for everyone using the excellent kitchen facilities.

Later in the evening, when Tao had washed most of his clothes, Olly insisted on leaving the window open in our room so that it could dry. We were at a height of 991m above sea level, however, so it was actually quite cold outside, and Michael made his point by getting into his bed to keep warm. It wasn't long before Olly closed the window.

We slept well again as usual.

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The above report was based on the following notes made at the time, which will be deleted shortly.

Awoke to sound of heavy rain, but it had stopped by the time we left with bright sunshine once again. Breakfast provided, Norwegian style. Sad to leave this excellent hostel.

This was supposed to be the longest ride of the tour, but in view of the possibility of rain we had decided to consider the option of taking the bus for the final section. There was more fruit to be purchased along the fjord.

We rode all the way to Eidfjord where we bought lunch and enjoyed it in the village park complete with sculptures. Gavin paid money to use the lavatory, then realised he had left with his wallet still inside: as he had no more money to re-enter and he was a good walk away from the rest of us, he waited outside for a man to come along, looking very dodgy!

Proceeded to Upper Eidfjord where we found the brand new Nature Centre. The cafe not only had grass growing on its roof, but there were several goats grazing it as well! Cafe was in castle style, very pleasant stop, but with rain on the way we took the bus for the long mountain climb.

The driver was very accommodating, stowing our bikes in the luggage area and even stopping near Norway's best waterfall so we could go and have a look! There was time for refreshments at Dyranut, although Oliver and Tao were so tired they just dozed on the bus. Scenery up here was desolate, with scattered lakes and pools interrupting the rocky terrain at regular intervals.

Arrived at Haugastol early enough to browse the single shop and enjoy our very comfortable (and expensive) apartment to the full – en-suite kitchen and bathroom, excellent view over the lake. Slept well as usual.

Today’s ride was going to be off-road nearly all day, following the Rallarvegen cycle path through the mountains. The path was originally built as the service road for the construction of the railway line between Oslo and Bergen. This section of the line, from Haugastøl to Myrdal, passes through the high mountain ranges and so required some very clever engineering.

We had a sunny start at the Haugastøl Tourist Centre while we prepared breakfast in our cosy self-catering room, one of twenty three in the building. By the time we were ready to leave, things had turned cold and cloudy, but at least it wasn’t raining.

The Rallarvegen path, which started right next to the Tourist Centre, was slightly uphill for the first fifteen miles, but it was quite rideable and cut through remote and desolate mountain scenery. The snow cover increased gradually as we proceeded. We would have enjoyed it more if the wind had not been so bitingly cold – at one point Olly had his boxers over his ears to try to stop the pain. Trains passed from time to time on the railway line that we were following.

As we approached Finse, with the Hardanger glacier visible on the nearby mountains and the snow even more prominent in every direction, we came across the Finse Alpine Research Centre, a pair of buildings that were the largest we had seen so far. A shower came along as we rode into Finse itself, so we took welcome refuge in the Hotel Finse 1222, next to the station, which had a reasonable café overlooking Finse lake. The only access is by train of course. They told us that during winter the temperature dropped last year to 37 degrees Celsius below zero, so they don't see many tourists in the winter.

We continued on again for the last part of the climb, and now there were snow drifts across the path at regular intervals that required some care to negotiate. The icebergs drifting around in the large lakes were much larger than we had seen before, making the whole scene look like arctic winter rather than mid-summer. After passing the highest point on the Rallarvegen we stopped at one particularly icy-looking lake just beyond Fagernut for some iceberg stone-skimming.

Then came the long descent that seemed to go on for miles. There were more enormous lakes, more incredible scenery, huge and impressive waterfalls and fast-flowing icy rivers. When we came across an isolated house that was offering refreshments we stopped there for a few moments before continuing to Myrdal.

Just below Myrdal, our branch of the Rallarvegen met the other branch from the west in preparation for the hair-raising descent to Flåm with its numerous hairpin bends. Oliver and Tao, who planned to ride it quite quickly in spite of Michael's warnings, ended up with three punctures to fix and kept Michael and Gavin waiting at the bottom for more than 20 minutes! It had been a fun descent however, with great views and spectacular waterfalls.

The final run down to Flåm was all downhill on tarmac, with more spectacular views. The hostel was on a campsite, comfortable and very scenic, so after cooking our food in the self-catering kitchen we went for a late evening walk down to the Aurlands Fjord, which was just as beautiful as we had been led to believe.

(Previous recorded mileage for today's ride was 51 miles)

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The above report was based on the following notes made at the time, which will be deleted soon.

Today was going to be off-road nearly all day. Weather was not the best, but at least it wasn't raining. The Rallarvegan cycle path was originally built as the service road for the construction of the railway line between Oslo and Bergen. This section of the line passes through the high mountain ranges, and so required some very clever engineering.

The path was slightly uphill for the first 15 miles, but it was quite rideable. The snow cover increased gradually as we proceeded, and the whole area was remote and desolate. We would have enjoyed it more if the wind had not been so bitingly cold. Trains passed from time to time. As we approached Finse, with its glacier nearby, the snow was obvious, but a shower forced us to take welcome refuge in the cafe by the station. They told us that during winter the temperature dropped last year to 53 degrees Celsius below zero! They don't see many tourists in the winter.

On again for the last part of the climb, and now there were snow drifts across the path at regular intervals that required some care to negotiate. The icebergs in the large lakes were much larger than we had seen before - the whole scene looked like arctic winter rather than mid-summer. Then came the long descent that seemed to go on for miles. More lakes, more incredible scenery, waterfalls, enormous rivers.

An isolated house was offering refreshments so we stopped there for a few moments before proceeding to Myrdal and the hair-raising descent to Flam with its numerous hairpins. Oliver and Tao, who planned to ride it quite quickly in spite of Michael's warnings, ended up with three punctures to fix and kept Michael and Gavin waiting at the bottom for more than 20 minutes!

Final run down to Flam was all downhill on tarmac, with more spectacular views. Hostel was on a campsite, comfortable and very scenic.

We had to get up for an early breakfast this morning in order to catch the 08:35 train from Flåm to Myrdal. It’s a famous tourist train, created with some very clever engineering and offering some spectacular views of the Flåm valley and the Rallarvegen track that we cycled down yesterday. The weather was sunny and warm so we got the best possible experience. The train stopped at a viewing point for the impressive Kjosfossen Waterfall, so Gavin and Michael got out for some photos.

After a short café stop in the Myrdal station café, where Gavin and Michael got Norwegian pancakes, we caught a second train from Myrdal to Upsete, not because we particularly wanted another train journey, but because there is no way to cycle from Myrdal to Upsete – the train goes through a long tunnel. Because we were on a second train we had to pay another bike fee, even though the journey was only around four miles.

The sun was still shining as we disembarked at Upsete at 10:06, and as we looked around we appeared to be literally in the middle of nowhere. Now at last we could start cycling, and the prospect of riding downhill for the whole morning was quite encouraging. The Rallarvegen track took us as far as Mjølfjell Youth Hostel, where a ropey footbridge provided some entertainment for Gavin who attempted to test its resilience to destruction. From Mjølfjell we were on a narrow tarmac road all the way down the mountain to Voss, with weather conditions getting hotter and sunnier as we proceeded.

We arrived at Voss by around 13:10, bought lunch at Vossevangen Services at 13:19 and ate it near Voss youth hostel, a purpose-built hostel that ideally we would have liked to use for the tour. The warden let us take a video inside and outside, just so we could see what we had missed, then we rode over to a park area by Vangs Lake where a Paraglider were coming in for a landing after a long flight from the surrounding mountains. The atmosphere was so happy and lazy that we could easily have stayed there for the rest of the day.

We had to catch yet another train to get to Bergen, as once again there is no easy cycling route from Voss to Bergen, so we caught the 14:35 train and used the opportunity to get some more Krispy Kip as the mountain scenery passed by outside. We arrived at Bergen station at 15:52 as planned.

This was our opportunity to look around Norway’s second city. We cycled past Lille Lungegårds Lake with its impressive fountain, past the fairground and down to the very busy harbour area, which looked fabulous in the bright sunshine. Some large ferries were docked on the far side, the busy Torget fish market was just behind us, people were driving around in boats and generally the atmosphere was just extremely relaxed and happy. We bought some very expensive refreshments, took a look around the fish market and then decided to ride to the Ulriksbanen Aerial Tramway. It was a two-mile climb to get there, so we were quite hot when we arrived at 17:35, but when we discovered it was just below Montana Youth Hostel we decided it had been a good choice.

After some deliberation, and Olly checking out the cable car equipment through the glass window, we all decided to go up, and that definitely turned out to be a good decision. Views from the top were magnificent – we could see all of Bergen and much of the Norwegian countryside and mountains beyond, with islands, sea and mountains fading into the distance. We had refreshments in the café at 18:30, which offered more great views.

Returning to the lower cable car station we rode the short distance to Montana Youth Hostel, which turned out to be comfortable on the whole. There were a few annoyances however: we had to pay for tokens to use the kitchen, and then had to borrow crockery and cutlery from the warden as the usual utensils had been removed by the public health authority!

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The above report was based on the following notes made at the time, which will be deleted soon.

Very early start to catch the 8.35 train back up to Myrdal. Famous tourist train, very clever engineering, spectacular views - stopped near the top to view a waterfall. Paid another bike fee to pass through the tunnel to Upsette, then took to the bikes for a very long descent, track first, then tarmac. Stopped to look at a very rickety rope bridge.

Superb weather and getting hotter as we pressed on. Eventually arrived at Voss. Bought lunch and ate it near the youth hostel. Looked at the park by the lake, where paragliders were landing after long flights from the nearby mountain - very happy and lazy atmosphere, could have stayed there for the rest of the day.

Train to Bergen for mid-afternoon. Looked around the very busy harbour area, bought some expensive refreshments, looked at the fish market, and the expensive boats, then decided to take the cable car to Mount Ulrika. Hot climb, but it turned out it was right next to the youth hostel! Magnificent views from the top, could see all of Bergen and much of Norway beyond, with islands and sea and mountains fading into the distance.

Youth hostel comfortable, although had to pay for tokens to use the kitchen, and had to borrow crockery and cutlery from the warden as usual fare had been removed by the public health authority!