Perfectly Norway

PERFECTLY

NORWAY FROM STAVANGER TO TRONDHEIM, THE SCENIC WAY story and photos by Janick Lemieux and Pierre Bouchard

“You know America was not discovered

by Christopher Columbus, but by the Vikings, right?” We are talking to Bjørn by the fire-brick barn where he invited us to pitch our tent last night. He is renovating the century-old family house and has stopped at building a new balcony because he would need to excavate, and the probability of encountering an arrowhead or other Viking artifacts is high and unwelcome.

“The paperwork needed to dig is a pain, and if something turns up, it would become a nightmare!”

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Waiting for ferry to cross Hardanger Fjord at tiny Utne Harbour in Hordaland County. www.pedalmag.com

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The Norwegian Sea has shrouded the coast in fog and Erik the Red might make a landing at any time. Starting in prehistory, Norway’s lifeline is long and fascinating, yet no period has captured people’s imagination more than the time when Norsemen navigators explored seas and rivers for trade and conquest: the Viking Age (year 793 to 1066), a time of expeditions and adventures, the mark of which has been left on Normandy, England, Scotland and Ireland, Russia and Ukraine, Turkey, Iceland and, of course, Greenland and Newfoundland.

For the best part of a month now, we have been on a journey of our own, cycling north from Stavanger through Norway’s Fjordland. The idea to cycle between Nordkapp, in Norway, and Cape Agulhas, in South Africa, was born during our previous trip around the Pacific Ocean following the active volcanoes of the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire.

After a reflection on our inescapable nomadism, we turned our attention to the nomadic groups on the march between the northernmost point of Europe and the southern extremity of Africa. Then we got inspired to ride toward them. We titled this expedition “Nomads: Nomads by Nomads from Cape to Cape - a Cycling Odyssey,” packed our purple Surly Trolls and flew to Stavanger in southwest Norway. Why Stavanger? Well, we needed a training camp, and riding north toward Sápmi and Nordkapp through Norway’s fjords and highest mountains during the nightless summer months sounded perfect!

Stavanger is known as Norway’s oil capital since drilling started in the North Sea in the late 1960s, simultaneously making Norway one of the richest countries on the planet. The geography of the city is all about water, sea, fjords and lakes, and we leave on a ferry. Via RV13, we reach the famous Preikestolen, the steep cliff with an almost flat top 600 metres above Lysefjord. A free Norway Road Map picked up at the information desk points out designated scenic roads and National Tourist Routes (NTR) — 18 routes carefully selected by the

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Public Roads Administration, where spectacular natural beauty is infused with bold architecture — and apparently we are already on NTR Ryfylke and heading to a plethora of others.

Trying out the Outdoor Recreation Act — freedom-to-roam legislature that allows access to uncultivated land — we are camping on the Suldalslågen, a salmon river running through Sand. A municipal employee on a lawn tractor finds us having coffee in the morning. He does not care that we have slept here, but he wants to know “Do you like it?” He is pointing at Høsebrua, the cube-like pedestrian bridge newly installed across the river, a striking example of NTR’s innovative designs. We are satisfied with our polite impartial answer, when the young man throws in, “Well, everybody in town hates it.” So much for Norwegian restraint!

From the Sauda Fjord and up into the mountains via Road #520, we are making every pedal stroke count at 4 kph. The strip of narrow pavement snakes through the towering mountain landscapes to the 965-metre pass, a poetic ride into Valhalla. The road was freed of snow and opened just a week ago on the summer solstice. The descent is steep into Røldal Valley, where we reconnect with RV13, and it is an arduous climb out to Røldal Skisenter and Tunnelen.

Fortunately, the old road is maintained, the one going over the pass and used before the 4,657-metre-long tunnel was dug in 1964.

Norway has more than 900 tunnels, some of them cross entire mountain chains, some are underwater, some are closed to cyclists, one is the world’s longest road tunnel (Lærdal 24.51 kilometres), none is enjoyable. In short, if you come to bike tour in Norway, the existence of tunnels will be your main hurdle — probably the only one! — and you will need riding lights even though the sun will never set!

Between Hardanger and Sogne fjords, the summer holidays begin to be evident as we ride beside small motorhomes sporting various European license plates — although Germany is overwhelmingly represented — and countless motorbikes with neon riders. Norway has a www.pedalmag.com

reputation for being prohibitively expensive so most vis- (above) A feat of engineer- Sognefjell, its more accessible 137km-long little sister. itors carry goods from their home country to survive, ing, the Atlanterhavsvegen The smell of freshly cooked dough in the icy air excites in Møre og Romsdal counleaving fuel and toll roads as the main expenses. On the ty is one of the 18 National us, but security is tight at the waffle station!

Up the wild and lush valley west of Lom, we reach bikes, we cautiously navigate the supermarkets along the Tourist Routes of Norway.

NTR Geiranger-Trollstigen. Since tourism was in its way in search of deals — and expired goods — and come (opposite top) Roadside to rely on oatmeal, pasta, canned corn, fish cakes, cod attractions in Skotheimsvik infancy, tourists from all over the world have visited Geiranger and Trollstigen . . . and they still do! From the roe, bread, cheese (including the traditional Norwegian (opposite bottom) Camping under the viewpoint at Flydalsjuvet, we can gaze at five cruise brown cheese) and tyttebær jam for our survival.

Midnight Sun on the way In Vikøyri, the Hopperstad Stave Church is standing through the 183km Ryfilke ships floating on the narrow Geiranger Fjord, buses straight as a rocket though built in medieval times. Its National Tourist Route that buzzing on the tight switchbacks leading down to the included three ferry rides. fjord and up the northern route out of it. By now, we wooden structure is believed to have been erected grasp that Norway is a spectacular place throughout and around 1140, just at the close of the Viking Age. Few there is no point in lingering in the overcrowded fjord, will argue that the arrival of Christianity in Norway, by UNESCO World Heritage Site or not! way of England-raised King Haakon the Good in the mid-10th centuThe sun is scorching as we slowly climb up Road #63 at the bottom ry and, much more efficiently, by King Olaf I in 995 and Saint Olaf II of the Valldal Valley, our noses tickled by the smell of fresh strawberHaraldsson in 1015, is what stamped out the pagan Viking culture. ries sold at roadside kiosks. At the top of the verdant pass, amongst the Norwegians are still serious ocean champions, such as the old man in jagged Romsdal mountains, are a few sheep and some keen mountain Leikanger who gets excited about our bikes parked in front of the Kiwi bikers enjoying the alpine. We postpone our descent of Trollstigen for MiniPris supermarket. “I know about Quebec, the French colonies; I the next morning and join them for the night. navigated on the St. Lawrence. We would go to Duluth, Minnesota We’ve been warned about trolls — the small shaggy creatures with and get rice to bring back to Germany,” he says. supernatural powers inhabiting Scandinavian forests and mountainLeikanger is on the Sogne Fjord, the largest fjord in Norway, sides — but have yet to meet one. The Trolls’ Ladder, Trollstigen is a stretching 205 kilometres inland from the ocean to the small village road built on a rockface, an engineering masterpiece with 11 sharp of Skolden, where the road starts to ascend on Sognefjellet. The hairpin bends. It is a hair-raising slide down to the Isterdalen Valley.

National Tourist Road leads steeply to Northern Europe’s highest pass Upon reaching the waters of Romsdal Fjord in Åndalsnes, the high (1,434 metres) and a surreal view of Jostedalsbreen Glacier, mainland mountain section of our tour over, we’ll be closer to sea level on our Norway’s largest glacier, and Galdhøpiggen, at 2,469 metres, the way to Trondheim. For a while, we are on the sea. National Tourist country’s highest mountain. Its notoriety as one of the world’s best Road Atlanterhavsvegen contains seven bridges linking islets and skerbike routes is richly deserved and we see a good dozen loaded bikes ries on the ocean’s edge. on the way up. At the top, overweight bikes are replaced by bony road The day after staying at Bjørn’s house, we are eating by the Fastad bikes and their neon-green riders: we have come face to face with the Coop when an excited road cyclist interrupts our tranquil breakfast, Tour de Jotunheimen, a 430km two-day road race, and the Tour de www.pedalmag.com

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saying “Canadians? You have to meet my friend Suzy from Toronto; she lives close by.”

Dressed in cycling gear, she intercepts people she knows walking in and out of the shop to borrow a cellphone to call Suzy and organize a blind date. She adds, “The Atlantic Road is great, but Road #680 along the coast of Nordmøre, via Kyrksæterøra and Aure, is just as good and less busy, in my opinion.” We can expect two great coastal roads to Trondheim. Norway does not disappoint!

Suzy, and her husband, Ulav, are waiting for us with a large French press full of hot coffee and homemade rhubarb cake topped with Valdall strawberry jam and whipped cream.

She and Ulav met at St. Andrews, N.B. approximately 20 years ago. She was a marine biologist studying clams, he, the Norwegian trying to start a halibut farm: a match made by the sea. Now they raise their three children in the saline air of Møre og Romsdal.

We have noticed the outstanding infrastructures of Norway, the luxury cars, the affluent houses and the relaxed demeanour of people confident in the future — since 1990, the government has been depositing surplus produced by the petroleum income into the Government Pension Fund, the biggest fund in the world, thus five-million Norwegians are sitting on $900 billion . . . and counting!

And Suzy says it best: “Norwegians are loaded! They have nothing to worry about!”

Upon hearing about the scarcity of beer during our North Scandinavian segment — it’s $5 for a 500ml can — she offers a tall microbrew for later and two cans of ice-cold Tuborg that we’ll drink at the other end of the Atlantic Road, sitting on a dock with our feet dangling over Lauvøysundet.

The bustling city of Trondheim was founded by the Viking king Olav Tryggvason in 997, and remained the capital of Norway from 1030 to 1217. Coronations have been held at its gothic Nidaros Cathedral since 1164, the last time in 1991 when Harald V climbed on the throne — although since 1906, the democratic country refers to the ceremony as a “consecration.” It is a lot of history to wrap our heads around as we are ready to push farther north. Our training camp is over. We feel strong and excited about what’s lying ahead as we ride into the never-setting sun!

JUST THE FACTS Norway’s official tourism...a good place to start, www.visitnorway.com/us/ National Tourist Routes in Norway, www.nasjonaleturistveger.no/en Norway National Railway System is the most affordable non-pedal transportation from the southernmost parts of the country to the city of Mo I Rana on the Arctic Circle, www.nsb.no/en/

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