Trip report by Rick McCharles
Part 3 of 3
+ Kristiansund & Atlantic Road
- Cycling / Hiking Lyngen Alps to Lofoten
- Cycling / Hiking Arctic Norway ➙ Lofoten
- Cycling Bodø to Trondheim + Kristiansund & Atlantic Road
During part 3 of my Norway adventures I did no major hikes. It was all cycling.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
All together over 22 days, I covered the west coast from the Lyngen Alps to the Storseisundet Bridge over 2 summers. Of course not all of that was on bicycle. Some was train and much was on ferries. Perhaps 20 ferries, most of them free for cyclists.
Day 11 — July 11th, 2023
I caught the long, free ferry from Lofoten to Bodø, a town I really like. The jumping off point for Lofoten.
I’d spent quite a few days there over my 3 visits to Lofoten.
I did some short day hikes out of Bodø in 2022.
But in 2023 I cycled directly out to Saltstraumen, a strait with one of the strongest tidal currents in the world.
Vortices known as whirlpools or maelstroms up to 10 m (33 ft) in diameter and 5 m (16 ft) in depth are formed. I saw none while I was there though I camped by the Saltstraumen Bridge.
Golden hour lasted for hours.
Day 12 — July 12th, 2023
Like Canada, Norway is a land of lakes. Hydroelectricity.
Waterfalls are everywhere.
There are even more electric cars. About 80% purchased recently are at least hybrid. But that might drop as subsidies are withdrawn.
Expensive, I avoid restaurants in Norway, instead cooking for myself on a camp stove.
A rare exception was getting this burger with onion rings while waiting for a ferry. I wanted to charge my electronics, not always easy while cycling.
Ferries are excellent in Norway. In a land of fjords and bad weather, they have to be.
You can sleep. Eat. Charge batteries. All while enjoying amazing vistas.
Most often it’s overcast in Norway. But that’s quite comfortable weather for cycling. Not too hot. Not too cold.
Day 13 — July 13th, 2023
This was the only day I could go shirtless.
Here we are crossing the Arctic Circle.
Still north of most of Iceland, Alaska, and Yukon.
We stopped at the Grønsvik coastal fortress, Lurøy. Much like others I had seen around the world — but this one was built by Hitler’s troops.
The Nazis occupied Norway from 9 April 1940 until the end of the war in Europe, 8 May 1945.
You can understand why Norweigans don’t want Putin occupying Ukraine.
Unfortunately, the museum was closed.
I considered camping here — but ultimately moved on.
Day 14 — July 14th, 2023
The day began in lovely weather.
In a few sections, many sheep opted to rest on the pavement. As trucks zoomed by, they were mostly not bothered.
It later turned out to be my rainiest day in 2023.
Actually, over many summer weeks in Norway, I’ve had very little hard rain. Wind is a bigger problem for the cyclist.
The north is relatively dry compared with Bergen, wettest city in Europe. So I’m expecting more rain as I ride south.
I booked a room in Sandnessjoen for about US$85. My favourite site is booking.com (Priceline) as it’s working far better than any other I’ve tried. Even for hostels.
In 22 days I paid for accommodation only 3 nights. And of 19 nights in the tent, almost all were excellent. Free and easy tenting in Norway is what lifts it to the top of my best bikepacking destinations anywhere list. 😀
I got the room mainly to finalize a change in plans. Rather than continue cycling through Norway and on to the Faroe Islands and Iceland, I’d — instead — fly to Munich and house sit for a friend who’d be on holiday in Canada visiting family.
In fact, Germany is my #2 bikepacking destination after Norway.
I had to book a train to Oslo with bike. Accommodation Oslo. Flight Oslo to Munich. Etc.
My favourite street art of this trip I found in Sandnessjoen
Day 15 — July 15th, 2023
In Sandnessjoen is a good Viking longhouse museum. Closed when I cycled past.
Weather much improved, I stopped at several churches.
All of my cycling was through active farm country. To my eyes, it seemed the family farm is still a possibility here.
The sea water in Norway is often very clear.
I again camped on the ocean. It’s not at all smelly.
This was the first time I saw a sunset below the horizon. 10:50pm.
Night was officially 4 hours but it still didn’t get at all dark.
Day 16 — July 16, 2023
I saw many reindeer in 2022. Only a few in 2023.
And one moose.
I did see Orca, as well.
Of the hiking trailheads I cycled past, the one I regret missing is Heilhornet.
Weather wasn’t looking good for a 6 hour hike.
Everyone relies on a local weather app YR.no
Hour-by-hour forecasts. Very accurate.
When I saw hard rain coming, I decided to set up up the tent and have a siesta. Wait it out.
Unfortunately, this wood pile yard was infested with no-see-ems. I couldn’t leave the tent.
Overall, there are very few biting insects on the west coast of Norway.
Happily, a cyclist going the other direction tipped me off to an excellent shelter campsite a short distance from the route. Perfect. And no bugs.
Day 17 — July 17th, 2023
Packing up the tent and bike in the morning typically takes about an hour. Including several cups of coffee. 😀 ☕️
Bike and gear excellent. My load a bit heavier than average for Norway.
Uneventful.
A long cycling day.
Not many photos.
I was beginning to lose motivation.
Day 18 — July 18th, 2023
My least happy day.
Few photos. Again.
The roads are narrow. And local traffic was getting busy as I approached Steinkjer. Trucks, trucks, and more trucks. Many northern roads are not busy — but when they are, you realize you have no shoulder.
Steinkjer was the first rail station since Bodø. I decided to catch the train to Trondheim.
Waiting was a friendly German cyclist who was on a 5 month bikepacking trip, finishing close to the Russian border where he’d start a hotel job in September.
He was backtracking to Trondheim due to a mechanical problem with the bike. Bicycles are still notoriously unreliable. They break down a lot.
Happily, I’ve had no problems with my bike in Europe.
En route we passed … Hell.
The name Hell stems from the Old Norse word hellir, which means “overhang” or “cliff cave”. It has a more common homonym in modern Norwegian that means “luck”.
We arrived Trondheim in the early evening.
Camped in a city park across from the golf course. Totally legal and normal in Norway. 🙏
Day 19 — July 19th, 2023
I caught the private fast ferry Trondheim to Kristiansund, planning to finish my cycling at the famed Atlantic Ocean Road.
Kristiansund is quite charming. A small city with still a fishing village vibe.
This impressive church appealed, so I found my way around the harbour to check it out.
I finally rode up to the start of the 5.7km NO CYCLING undersea tunnel, hoping to find some way to cross to the Atlantic Ocean Road.
No luck. I saw no taxi. No bus. No sign. Nothing.
Defeated, I set up my tent in a nearby city park. After scaring away a deer. 😀
Day 20 — July 20th, 2023
First thing in the morning I cycled BACK to the tunnel and found 2 Norwegian cyclists waiting on a bicycle taxi. Happily, they invited me along.
Fixed price. $11 / person through the tunnel.
Great day. Fun cycling
The Atlantic Ocean Road is 8.3-kilometer (5.2 mi) long built on several small islands and skerries, which are connected by several causeways, viaducts and 8 bridges—the most prominent being Storseisundet Bridge.
You’ve seen photos.
I rode the bridges in both directions. Then headed back to Kristiansund. This would be as far south as I’d go.
To get back through the tunnel, I simply caught the local bus. They’ve been customized to carry 2 bikes inside.
No rush. All my onward travel booked. I wandered around Kristiansund enjoying the coastal scenery.
Day 21 — July 21st, 2023
8am I caught the ferry back to Trondheim.
Toured the sights of Norway’s 3rd largest city. Population 212k.
It feels like a small town, to me. Not much traffic.
Day 22 — July 22nd, 2023
In the morning I cycled trails and quiet roads outside town.
Then made myself lunch in the city centre.
It was Saturday so the streets were packed.
Got on the train to Oslo about 3pm. A 7 hour ride.
Rick McCharles 