|
Norway 2007: The Fjords - north of Sognefjord |
|---|---|
Tuesday 19th June: Geiranger - Fortun (180 km) |
Norway and superlatives go together.
In 2004 National Geographic Traveller Magazine chose the fjords of Norway as the world's best travel destination.
A quick browse through our tourist brochures and books turned up the following claims:
The world's most beautiful voyage (Hurtigruten Coastal Steamer)
Norway's most famous waterfall (Vøringfossen)
The King of our waterfalls (Låtefossen)
The most beautiful place in Norway (Reine)
The most beautiful region in Norway (Sognefjord)
The largest ice sheet on the European continent (Jostedalsbreen)
The world's most beautiful fjord trips (fjord1)
The longest fjord in the world (Sognefjord)
The highest pass in Northern Europe (Sognefjellet)
One of these claims is not correct. Sognefjord (about 200km long) is the second longest fjord in the world; the longest fjord is in Greenland.
And Sognefjellet is the highest 'pass' (as in a road going up one side of a hill and down the other) but both the Dalsnibba road and the Juvasshytta road (not passes, because they stop at the top) are higher. Some other possible claims are usually not mentioned. As tourist destinations go, Norway can be wet and it can be cold.
But this is quibbling. Most of the seemingly extravagant claims are entirely justified: Norway is indeed the land of superlatives.
6:30am on the climb out of Geiranger
Shepherd's huts near Kvandalseter on the climb out of Geiranger
Almost at the top of the climb out of Geiranger
Djupvasshytta at the top of the climb out of Geiranger
Djupvasshytta with a frozen lake on the right (Djupvassnet)
Big mountain scenery at Langevatn, the junction of routes 63 and 15
Beautiful reflections on Breidalsvatn on route 15
Looking up Leirdalen to the Jotunheimen mountains
On the climb of Sognefjellet, looking down Breiseterdalen. There must be some chocolate in here somewhere.
7:30pm at Fantesteinen, the highest point (1434 m) on the Sognefjellet road
Fantesteinen, on top of Sognefjellet. Skiing has finished for the day
8:00pm on Sognefjellet. The hard work is not over yet.
Karen's diary:
The climb out of Geiranger is superb, at least as good as Trollstigen. We started very early - 6.30am - long before the sun hit the valley floor, and had perfect conditions. It was cool, with a clear, blue sky that lasted all day. The road is tortuous as it climbs steeply through the village and each view is better than the last. We climbed up through the village, through some tiny farms and camping grounds and at last into rock, scree and snow, straight up to 1000m altitude without much of a break, and it was all good. As we neared the top we were passed by a number of tour-buses. The drivers all waved at us as they went by.
At the top we passed through a narrow, rocky valley and descended slightly to the Dalsnibba road junction. It is possible to ride up even higher to the Dalsnibba lookout, but we decided not to do it. After the junction we passed two frozen lakes. They were slightly melted and in the puddles we could see amazing mirror-reflections of the peaks and sky above. It was a magical sight but a bit disconcerting - I had the sensation of floating in the sky above the mountains as I rode along. Further down, a long, narrow lake (unfrozen) showed more stunning reflections of snowy mountains, and after that we had a 60km gentle descent to the mountain village of Lom. Some of the way we followed the Otta, a lovely turquoise-blue river, full of big, tumbling rapids.
At Lom we bought some more food and had lunch and as it was too early to stop we decided to continue towards Sognefjellet, the next big pass, and camp somewhere. But something was strange - none of the campgrounds were open and we were getting higher and higher into the mountains. At last we decided to head for Bøvertun, a mountain lodge that we believed to be open all year round. It was up at high altitude and we were getting very tired as we approached it. Higher and higher we climbed; large mountains reared up all around us and the trees shrivelled up and disappeared. We could see Bøvertun at the end of a jade-green lake, looking beautiful with its flags fluttering in the breeze.
Alas. Bøvertun was closed for renovations and as we stood sadly outside the locked gate, we wondered what to do next. How could this have happened? Why didn't we stop at Lom? Now we had only two choices: to camp wild in the mountains, or to keep going. We ate some bananas and chocolate and kept going, up the lovely little valley with its tumbling stream, until at last we were up in the snow. The highest point on the highest pass in Norway is called Fantesteinen and we recognised it instantly. We had been there in 2005, and it was just as stunning now, ringed by snowy mountains but warm in the evening sun. It was 7.30pm. We ate, dressed warmly and descended as quickly as we could. The shady valleys down below seemed terribly cold. It was a very tiring descent and my brakes were making terrible screeching sounds. We arrived at Fortun (on the valley floor) at 9.00pm, very tired and with cramped, aching hands. The camping ground, 2km out of town, was miraculously still open, so we snapped up one of the few remaining cabins. The rest were full of skiers. The cabin is very warm and comfortable, and opposite a spectacular waterfall. It is truly lovely... but what a long day!