Beginnings

We have made it to an amazing house in the mountians of Saudal at the end of a long fjord. After biking just over 500km (300 mi) in the past five days, our legs are beginning to understand the undertakings we have planned. There have been lots of detours, some road construction, some chain repair, some feasting on honey-peanut butter chocolate, but most of all there have been amazing memories built into the twists and turns of our rides on bikes, ferries and feets!

Preikestolen (pulpit rock) was a highlight so far (and also the first 'rest day' we had). It was everything the pictures show--the epitome of european scorn for guardrails as we laid down on the edge and looked at the 2000ft drop. The birds flying on the surface of the fjord looked like toys. The mountains lining the fjord and the  sunshine at our backs made it seem like we had found a piece of heaven and the multi-nationalism of the people at the top assured us that we weren't alone in our discovery.

Our hosts so far have been fantastic--it is great to get to know people along the way (and to have a shower or two that isn't freezing!). Tenting spots have also been quite comfortable and nice as well. After riding for most of the day we finally spotted a nice green area underneath a large cable bridge only to find out that it was in someone's backyard. I tried my hand at introducing us in Norwegian and the woman not only let us camp in their yard, but told us we could fill our waterbottles if we needed.

The road ways have given us a few choices, and they have all proved fruitful: apparently in Norway all roads lead to where you want to go - some jut over hill and dale to get there.  One lesson that we have learned is that one should not trust the folks who laid out the bicycle route to have the cyclist best interest in mind.  At first we dogmatically followed the sacred "Sykkle Rte 1" signs and found ourselves riding through golf courses, over mountains, and through random neighborhoods... ways that are nice to see, but not always the best surfaces nor the most compelling justifications for the extra distance.  After the extra miles induced by the sykkle route on the first few days, we wisened up and have been taking a more freelance approach by navigating country roads from one town to another.

The weather has held out for us with temperatures in the 50s (F) and mostly sunny skies.  The coastal wind has been both a bleassing in that is seems to keep the skies clear, but can also be a curse as we climb hills into the wind.  We will climb over our first really high pass tomorrow as we ride from Sauda to Røldal to Odda, and we expect the temperatures to drop as we ride through the snowy mountain pass.

That's the update for now...pictures to come when technology allows.

Takk for turen så langt!
-Caitlin og Tyler

Up, over, around and through

We camped outside of a town called Olden last night, which is apparently the 'fashion capital of Norway'. We also saw a cruise ship this morning come into the tiny finger of the fjord. Just like that there was the equivalent of a 7 story apartment behind us! Today we are headed toward Ålesund and the coast with a peek down Geiranger fjord on the way.

SNACKS!!

The weather has been fantastic and the views indescribable. Our shorts/jersey tans are coming along nicely and the contrast between snow at the tops of hill climbs and salt water at fjords make the trip incredible in terms of contrasts.

Pictures! (finally)

Met in Reykevik!

Built a bike!

On tur with Ferdinand - Day 1

A windy point in Southwest Norway - Day 2

Flekkefjørd with couch surfing host Alexander - Day 3

Make up your mind already!

Old highway through mountain... with windows of course - Day 4

Town near Forsand - Day 5

Preikestolen with Ida - Day 6

What a view!

If only I could be so light on my bicycle...

New pics!

Oh Norway!

Fjords, mountains, sunshine--one can't ask for much more

Great view of the sunset on the coast!

The Atlantic ocean road

We have arrived in Kristiansund after riding across the bridges on the Atlantic ocean road. It has been an amazingly sunny day and we have enjoyed seeing all of the islands and small coastal villages along the way. Tomorrow we set off for Tingvoll and inland again. We saw our first road sign with a distance to Trondheim, so we are getting closer to our homes from last year and to the midpoint in Norway.

Continuing to hope for sunny weather... six weeks left!!

Sulky saga

As you may have noticed, we have some luggage.  The total mass varies quite a bit depending on the amount of food we happen to be carrying at the moment, but generally it tends to run about 30 kilos (66 lbs).  This load rides with us in a series of 6 bags: four panniers, a stuff sack, and a duffel bag.  The duffel carries a majority of the weights, and rides in a steel trailer.

The trailer - picked up at a bicycle swap - has no brand markings, but is similar in design to a BOB trailer.  It has handled the abuse of the trip (not always on paved roads) well, but in Ålesund the pot holes, the 23 kilo load, and the misuse caught up with it and it developed a few catastohpic cracks.

In the words of the great "Motorcycle Diaries" - Problems!

We made some temporary reparis and limped into Molde (another 50 kilometers away) alright.  To our great delight, and good fortune, our friends in Molde have a brilliant neighbor who is developing a protype fabrication business.  He took a look at the trailer and insisted on taking it down to his shop straight away.

Fireworks!

Welder extrordinare busy at work cleaning up the electro welding with his trust grinder.

Within an hour our trailer went from tenuous at best to bobust as ever.  We are trully fortunate to have met such a tallented, and generous man to help us out along out way.  We are grateful to you Einard, thank you for your time and tallent the trailer has performed excellentlly.

Happy trailer!

Time travel or distance travel?

As we rode into the roling hills of Trondelag, the landscape took on a familiar hue, a recongnizable smell, and a discernable feel.  We could tell that we were quickly approaching our host region from last year.

From the coast, we rode inland up the Surnadals valley to Rindal, where we met Bruno, Tyler's roommate from last year.  Together we finished off the day with a 3 hour hike into a back country cabin owned by the sports association at the Norwegian University for Science and Technology.  We took some extra time to find the four person bunk house in the middle of nowhere, as none of us had been there before, but we found it with only marginal damage to our pride and only a few hours of slogging through the saturated moss.

The creatures of the cabin.

We rode on the next day to another cabin, this one in Lundamo.  We met Kathi and Kjetil and enjoied dinner, sauna, "fishing", card playing, swimming, and cake together at the cabin named Flå Koia.

Friends at Flå Koia

Sauna!



Birthday cake and coffee on the lake shore... doesn't get much better than this.

 We rode into Trondheim (the city where Tyler and Bruno lived together last year) on Monday the 18th. The 19th was our first true day of rest - our bikes sat stationary all day as we baked, cleaned, and visited.  We took cake to Tyler's old department where we met many old friends and were wished good fortune many-a-time over.

Friends for the Insititute for Water and Environmental Enineering at NTNU.

We had a dinner at Tyler's old flat where Bruno was still living, and got to visit with more friends and eat even more of Bruno's excellent cooking.

Dinner party at Moholt.

It has been crazy to ride back through a place of such recent yet distant memories.  This is the perfect time to do so, as many friends are still here.  The landscape will always welcome you back, but it has been a real joy to be welcomed back with surprised smiles and flashes of recognition on the faces of friends.

In front of the main building at NTNU

In front of Nidaros Dommen in Trondheim.

Polarsykling goes polar!

We have made it across the 66 and 1/3 parallel.  This line, known as the acrtic circle, demarcates the southern boundary of the polar region and is defined as the latitude where on the summer solstice the sun does not set and on the winter solstice the sun does not rise.  With each degree north that we travel, the season of 24 hour sun increases by a week in duration, until we reach Nord Kapp where there is a month of continuous sunshine.  Here are a few of the pictures we have collected along our way from Steinkjer to Bodø!

here we are with our Norwegian cycling team sponsors!! NTE
is a company that is in charge of energy in Nord-Trøndelag fylke
and we got to ride with some of the 'sprekest' of them all!

We made it up the local mountain for a repeat of last year's photo shoot.

At Caitlin's friend Jenni's farm!! Now on the front page and FAMOUS!! We got a tour of the dairy barn, the school, and celebrated mid-summer at the pier with the neighborhood. The best longest day of the year yet!

Riding through Norway... literally.  Over 20 km clocked under ground so far. Don't worry mom, we have refleks!

Beware, cars diving.

What you don't see from this view from our camp site are all the knott... we couldn't either, but we sure could feel them!

Battling the knotts, ninja style

Riding past the fields of flowers with four of the "Seven Sisters" on the horizon.

Rock climbing, or rather, rope climbing up Sister #1

You know you want some quinoa, scallion, bullion, tea glopp... I can see it in your eyes.

At our seaside campsite at about 11 pm.

Welcome to Bodø, meet the local troll.

 We are headed to the Lofoten islands this afternoon by ferry.  More photos to come!

When you run out of adjectives

Hei!

We have made it to the island chain of Lofoten, and after a full day of brilliant sunshine we have ridden through a large portion of the landscape even Norwegians talk about with wonder.  We arrived with a wave of carravans on the afternoon ferry from Bodø to Moskenes.  A short jaw dropping ride later we arrived at the southern terminous of this stunning island chain, at a town fitting named Å. We easily found a tentsite and got right to work with our "one-time-grill" to fry up an impressive fillet of salmon.

Overview map

 

Closer view of the Lofoten chain.

 

Riding in style from Bodø to Moskenes

Awesome campsite in Å at the southern terminous of Lofoten

The loaves and the fishes... and the beer, don't forget the beer.

Preparing to do battle with the powerful arctic sun.

Reine in Lofoten.  Every view a postcard, every sight a wonder, every corner an RV.

Mountains, snow, sun, no bugs, and stunning views all around!

Instant Floridian beach, just add people.

 We have arrived in Kabelvåg, the next town west of Svolvær, where our hosts have provided us with much needed showers (6 days) and laundry (8 days).  This has been the our longest stretch in the tent so far, and it is great to have hosts lined up for the next several days as we proceed northward.