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Norway 2007: The Fjords - south of Sognefjord |
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Thursday 21st June: Djuvik - Kinsarvik (111 km) |
Norway isn't always what you expect.
The hillsides of the fjords are steeply forested, yet in Sognefjord and Hardangerfjord there are fertile strips of land next to the sea that are intensively farmed.
We didn't have a detailed map of this area and we headed up Vikafjellet expecting a small climb.
We were wrong! The road went up and up to a snow-covered plateau.
Norway is a country that is strongly influenced by the sea, yet the national dish is Fårikål, a mutton and cabbage stew.
It is a modern country. Everyone, everywhere is talking on a mobile phone, yet there is no embarrassment about dressing up in bunad, the national costume.
It is a democratic country yet the people are proud of their royal family.
It's current wealth comes from North Sea oil, yet nearly all of its electricity is generated from water.
The town of Vik with Sognefjorden behind
High on the climb of Vikafjellet
Friendly sheep at the lookout next to the Storehaug tunnel, Vikafjellet
The descent on the south side of Vikafjellet
Huts on the south side of Vikafjellet
A fantastic descent on the south side of Vikafjellet
The ferry from Kvandall to Kinsarvik makes a stop at Utne
Utne, on the south side of Hardangerfjorden, is surrounded by orchards.
Karen's diary:
We did not sleep well! It was very hot last night and the fridge was noisy. There is a red sky this morning, and plenty of cloud blowing up from the southwest - signs of approaching bad weather. It was 16 degrees outside at 7.00am and very sultry as we set off for Vik, the village at the end of the fjord. We were heading for a pass called Vikafjellet, of which we have read mixed accounts, and we didn't (and still don't) know how high it was. It was great - a good, steady climb up through the pretty village, up through lush, green farmland and even higher up through the conifer forest. The views of the village and the fjord below were wonderful. I was expecting a climb of about 500 metres, but it was certainly longer than that.
At last we were above the tree line and the temperature dropped rapidly. There is a small carpark just before the 'summit' tunnel, which is really just the beginning of a long plateau. As we rugged up and organised lights for the tunnel a small flock of inquisitive sheep came nosing into our panniers, looking for food. The tunnel was 1000m long and when we emerged from the other end we were in another world. We were on an undulating plateau of snowy hills and frozen lakes, very wintry and alpine. We spied a herd of large, handsome reindeer above us. Their antlers were so large I couldn't understand how they kept their balance as they galloped across the steep slopes.
At last we crossed the plateau and began to descend. Down, down, down through steep valleys past waterfalls and tumbling rivers. There were hairpin bends and glorious views and the descent seemed to go on forever. Shortly before the town of Voss (famous for adventure sports) a bike lane appeared so we were able to avoid using the increasingly busy road all the way to Granvin. The bike lane has been built on a disused railway line and is a good, easy gradient almost the whole way. At Granvin most of the traffic diverts to a long tunnel (cyclists banned) so the E7 to Kvanndal is not too busy. It is a lovely road - narrow, high and exciting with good views of Hardangerfjord ahead. After a 45 minute wait at Kvanndal we spent 50 minutes on the ferry to Utne and then Kinsarvik. We arrived at 5.40pm and just had time to visit the supermarket.
Kinsarvik has a very nice campground on a big, grassy terrace above the village. Despite the clouds it has been warm and sultry all day. We do not trust the weather and have rented a cabin. It is raining as I write my diary, but we are warm and dry inside.