Tag: Brooks

Norway Day 8: Sandneset Campsite – Kårvåg

Distance: 63.14 miles

Time: 5:58

Elevation Gain: 2660 feet

It was a beautiful morning in the campsite, and Arijit and I had a leisurely breakfast before setting off. Our route carried on for ten miles, across Otrøya, with some long gradual climbs along the coast.

After crossing back onto the mainland, slightly west of Molde, we struggled up another hill in the warm sunshine, before stopping at the large ‘Extra’ supermarket in Hollingen to pick up a few things for lunch.

Soon, we started the long circumnavigation of Frænfjorden, and as it neared 6 o’clock and 30 miles for the day, we stopped again for something to eat at a petrol station cafe. Arijit having fish and chips, and me, an enormous chicken doner platter.

It was all the fuel I needed to sustain me for another few hours, and just as well too. Up ahead there was a fork in the road where Arijit would be turning left and cycling a few more miles to the next campsite, and I’d be turning right, cutting the corner of the route before hoping to press on to Kristiansund that night

The evening was still young, and secretly, I had aspirations to reach the ferry onwards from Kristiansund by half past 11 and carry on pedalling for a few more hours into the night.

But, there was a spanner in the works, and having blasted across the hinterland to Farstad, and admired the stunning views along the Atlantic road, I stopped just outside Kårvåg and checked the time of the next atlantershavstunnelen tunnel bus. It was half past 9 in the evening now, and the next bus wasn’t until 12:41 the next afternoon. It was the end of the road, I wasn’t allowed to cycle through the 6 km underwater tunnel, and there were no other ways across to Kristiansund without going a very long way back the way I’d come.

My grand plans to make up miles had been hijacked. With ferries all along the Atlantic coast route often running until at least midnight I hadn’t even thought to check when the last bus might be.

Deflated, I pedalled back along the Atlantic road looking for a spot to camp amongst the rocky outcrops, before eventually returning to Kårvåg, and finding a small campsite just off the road by a harbour.

Although I’d racked up 63 miles for the day, and cut out a section of the route, with only two weeks remaining of my trip, and a significant distance still to go, I would need to plan my next move.

Norway 2025 Day 7: Mauseid – Sandneset Campsite

Distance: 39.1 miles

Time: 3:43

Elevation Gain: 1394 feet

I packed up on the wall beside a large multi-gym by the side of the lake, keen to make an early start to make for the ten past 11 ferry out of Ålesund.

Setting off along the 61, a short climb led me to a tunnel and from the other side, I could see the whole greater Ålesund area spreading out before me. It looked flat and fast, if I could just stay on this road, I’d be there in no time.

As it was my phone battery was running low, and as I approached the town, I suddenly noticed that highway 61 had become the E39, and the road started to drop towards a tunnel, and the sign was clear, no bikes.

Turning around and exiting at the previous sliproad, I attempted to follow the cycle path route into Ålesund, but trying not to use my phone for navigation, and just using what I thought were the signs denoting the route, I first of all ended up following the route in reverse, and then I followed a purple bike sign that took me off at a complete tangent, and when I tried to realign myself with the route ended up finding I no longer knew which way I was headed at all.

Needless to say, by the time I made it to the Ålesund ferry terminal I was 10 minutes late, it was 20 past 11 and the next ferry wasn’t until 14:35. I’ve probably mentioned this before, but I hate cycle paths…

With significantly more time in Ålesund than I’d expected, it did give me time to appreciate the famed Art Deco harbour, and find an excellent Thai restaurant, Soi One, for a green thai curry.

When I arrived back at the terminal, I found that I wasn’t the only one who’d been waiting a considerable time for the ferry, when I met an Indian cyclist, now based in Hamburg, Arijit. He had started his four month trip from Hamburg before traversing Denmark and taking the ferry to Norway’s southerly port city of Kristiansand. From there he’d been working his way down the Atlantic coast route, and would be continuing north all the way to Nordkapp.

We were each thinking of staying at a campsite just past Midsund, 30 kilometres and another boat ride away, so after leaving the ferry in Hamnsund, we carried on together around two sides of a remote outpost of the mainland, a little sunshine and the hint of a tailwind providing rejuvenating companions. The rest of Arijit’s trip had not been like this.

Another ferry later, and we were sprinting around the mercifully flat island of Midøya, the road leading to the aptly named Midsund bridge, rising – as it did – steeply over the sound below, and onto the next island of Otrøya.

Stopping for supplies in Midsund, we didn’t spot the Thai takeaway truck in the supermarket car park until after we’d been inside, but a few satay skewers were unlikely to put us off our dinner.

From there it was only a short hop to the scenically positioned and very pleasant Sandneset campsite, situated on a small lake, and with a wall of cliffs in behind. It was only a small site, but luckily it was late enough in the day that there were no other demands for the kitchen, and we could make ourselves at home.

Norway 2025 Day 6: Eide – Mauseid

Distance: 55.96 miles

Time: 5:21

Elevation Gain: 3545 feet

Waking at my resting point, on a disused road hairpin, I was put off from going outside by the astonishing number of midges silhouetted against the fabric of the tent.

Finally, braving the potential onslaught, I headed out into the world, surprised to find that the midges had suddenly vanished, probably because the rain was about to start.

After I’d polished off the rest of the climb from Eide, I then dropped down to Vanylsfjorden, before stopping at the Joker shop in Åheim, availing myself of the free coffee. I also picked up a Kanelknute (cinnamon bun), surprisingly the first I’d seen in a supermarket since Oslo.

I carried on around Syltefjorden to Fiskå, where the road turned inland, and started a long drag, not made easier by the hot sun.

Dropping down to Syvdefjorden, the fantastic mountain scenery, and the light tailwind along this stretch, eased my passage to the next ferry over to the island of Gurskøya.

After stocking up on energy – in the shape of a bacon cheeseburger from the petrol station in Larsnes, I kept on until Dragsund, where, even though I’d covered a relatively low number of miles for the day, I was disappointed to find no campsite where I expected one.

Feeling unmotivated in the low evening sun, I had a choice, drop down into Ulsteinvik, and hope there were toilet facilities near the beach, or push across the island to the large port town of Hareid, a definite chance to find some facilities, charge my phone, and if I made it in 45 minutes, the 22:30 ferry to Sulesund.

On exiting the ferry, I was dismayed at just how steeply the tree-covered landscape of Sulesund dropped to the sea, this was not the wild camping Mecca I’d been hoping for, but, 4 miles later, I was confronted by a stunning lake, and on its shore, a flat green haven, just waiting for a tent.

Norway 2025 Day 5: Florø – Eide

Distance: 43.44 miles

Time: 4:18

Elevation Gain: 2,846 feet

I rushed to pack before heading for the ferry to Smørhamn, arriving at a much larger port than I was used to and not quite sure where the boat would appear. Suddenly, I saw a large high-speed catamaran pulling in near the terminal, so rushed to have a look. When I saw that its destination was Frøya, I thought it must be the wrong boat, until I realised that, although the port of Smørhamn was on the island of Bremangerlandet, it was very close to a causeway to Frøya, so I joined the queue.

The ferry had me across the sound in no time, and I took a little time to soak in the surroundings on what was a beautiful day. A fellow cyclist from Austria, Peter, arrived and we tried to figure out when the next boat would be going the other way. Peter had started out from Nordkapp, 2 and a half weeks before, and was really going some, covering 150 km a day.

The road across Bremangerlandet was one of the most stunning I’d ever ridden, and for the most part it tracked the edge of the waterline of lakes and fjords while mountains loomed above. Soon, I realised that the ferry off the other side of the island was a little earlier than I was thinking, but that I might just make it if the road remained flat…

But with 2 miles to go the road turned a corner and started to rise, into a headwind, and I knew the game was up.

Emerging from the tunnel at the top of the climb. I could see the boat had already set off, and a few minutes later I was at the pier, with an hour and three quarters to kill.

Finding a kebab shop in Måløy, I took on a few calories, before heading to the supermarket to stock up for an evening in the saddle. Some granola, yoghurt, cinammon flavoured lefse (Norwegian flatbread) and a Skolebrød (sweet bread roll topped with custard and icing), being some of the items now commonly found in my panniers.

At half past 6 I set off across the sweeping bridge out of Måløy, all set for a night in the fjords. The going was good, with long flat stretches and quiet roads. There was little activity in any of the small settlements that lined the route, the harbour at Flatraket being the exception, with a small motorboat heading out to sea.

For the last hour or two of the day, I was scouring the landscape, looking for anywhere that might give the impression that it would make a suitable camping spot.

With no such luck, I was quickly approaching the hill up and over to Aheim, and it was nearing 10 o’clock. I was concerned that starting up the hill would be a non starter as it would be windier and that would be a problem for my compromised tent.

But, Komoot had a possible solution, a user had marked a point at the top of the switchbacks that was out of sight of the road, so I took the chance, and on arriving there thought it was perfect. It was a flat area on top of an old road that had now been overcome by vegetation, and there was some protection from the wind, so I quickly built up my tent, lashing the broken joint with glue and tape, and hoping it would hold the night.

Just beside the tent, there was a handily placed picnic bench, just waiting for me to set up my stove, but wait, what was that? Oh, the midges…