Days 11 - 16: Mainland, company, & to Trondheim!
Through the remote forests of the mainland, and ending stage 1 in Trondheim - 1209 miles down! :)
Day 11: 10/6/17 - Å to Krokstranda
Day 9 of riding - 113 miles - 1609m ascent
A long day into remote snowy moorlands, leaving the arctic, & caffeine-overdosing
Up on time at 5am (ouch, this trip isn't all about fun times you know!), I caught the early ferry across to Bodø on the mainland, not getting me there until after 10am.
I stocked up on much water and food for the day, including a vegan dinner that would require zero cooking/effort, expecting to finish the day extremely late.
FYI, this was cartons of lentils and passata, and lots of bread & hummus (love the big supermarkets here - a rare find in smaller places), and many nuts, fruit and bars.
A pleasant surprise was to find the main road through these large towns, was complemented with a cycle path, and views over Skjerstadfjorden and the Klettkovfjellet mountains. 20-30 miles between the towns of Fauske and then Rognan, I ensured I had overdone it on the red bull, water & food, before continuing my journey down the E6 of doom. Ha, basically into the remote forests and eventual climb to 'Saltfjellet'.
Oh, I should mention that I passed a Norwegian sign that looked as though it warned of E6 tunnel closures...yikes, I thought, there is NO other way south from here... & I will have just cycled 60 odd miles for nothing.
Spotting a house, I approached a couple who at first said I would have to go back on myself the whole way (my God.), but then considered that since it was a Saturday, I could probably just sneak through. That, I did (as did all the other road vehicles). How amazingly lucky, that I happened to be riding through here on a weekend!
High on caffeine & music, I was enjoying riding into the evening accompanied by an energetic river of snowmelt, giving me views of aggressive waterfalls and rapids every so often. Nothing but alpine-style trees lined my sight now, and the climbing soon began. Being described as 'not difficult, but very, very long', this hill stayed true to its reputation. Around 15 miles later I was finally up in the bare moorlands, re-acquainted with my cold white buddy from the start of the trip, and reminded that an increased altitude means a massive drop in temperature (wearing only shorts, & leaving your warm gear inaccessibly at the bottom of your panniers is a stupid idea!).
The stubborn mule I am, I continued in my shorts, despite my Garmin displaying a temperature of 3 degrees, and kept expecting to head downhill at any moment...
Now at mile 91, and 9pm at night, I could see no sign of the hamlet and campsite on my Garmin's map. A wooden cabin on the roadside was amazingly unlocked and revealed a cozy carved table & set of benches - amazing! I briefly snacked on hummus & bread, finding that I still had 20 miles to go. Gah!
Rushingly I headed back out, and the moors extended even further ahead of me.
"Alaina, just enjoy and embrace - you will never be here to experience this again!" I told myself, and so I became contented and appreciative for a while longer.
FINALLY downhill, and into an absolutely freezing icy wind, I proceeded. Eventually passing the Arctic Circle visitor centre which marked my official leaving of this part of the world. Slowly feeling stupidly cold, I gave in & found my base layer leggings which I shoved over my shorts - perfect.
Mile 113, longer than planned, and at 22:15 the sign appeared for Krokstranda camping. Awesome!
I wolfed down my foods, and thought I would leave showering and other 'essential' errands until the morning... I need some rest!
Day 12: 11/6/17 - Krokstranda to Mosjøen
Day 10 of riding - 99 miles - 1681m ascent
Pain, one massive hill, & meeting my buddy for the next few days
Woke earlier than I'd hoped, but thought this would be useful time to shower & speak to a friend who wanted some advice. I called him, as he was now inspired to do a short tour around Norway, particularly as his prior tour idea may be a bit too hilly...& surely Norway isn't that hilly, right? Ha...
A home friend had landed in a town approximately 90 miles south, called Mosjoen. I therefore planned to get there by the end of the day, knowing that after yesterday's epically long hill, it would be mainly a sweet descent, except for one apparent climb.
The main issue with today was pain. Saddle sore pain. To be honest, any part of my below area just punished me with sharp stabbing nomatter what I did.
Stopping every hour to lather up with an anti-friction 'chamois cream' had been helping, but new sores had developed, & the tights I was wearing to protect my legs from the forecast rain clearly weren't suiting my derrière.
After swooping into a hamlet with a petrol station - thank God, the only places open on a Sunday - I changed, creamed, & got some supplies.
Not much to see here other than roadworks, trees, & a downhill road, I reached Mo I Rana at lunchtime. Forced to shovel down whatever products available in their petrol station, sadly some non-vegan, I had 56 miles to go before meeting my friend Jin at the campsite.
Korgen village marked the start of the mountain pass...which is annoyingly a 13km diversion around a flat tunnel (illegal for cyclists).
As my heavy beast with its inappropriate range of gears slowed my pace & swayed me like a drunken zombie, I let go & enjoyed the warm sun & appearing views.
Around an hour later, I reached the top, & looked out over the most stunning set of white mountains (Korgfjellet). I took a moment to abosrb & appreciate the hard earned view, oh & to take a few selfies of course, before plummeting myself down probably the best descent yet. 15 minutes of sheer downward acceleration without any touch of the pedals, & the gorgeous Korgfjellet to my left. Bliss!!
20 mainly downhill miles left, I recognised a chap ahead of me - Jin!
My friend had found me, & we glided down the E6 (well, he glided, whilst every slight incline I had a bit of a fight against the road), into Mosjoen & our campsite.
Day 13: 12/6/17 - Mosjoen to Namsskogan
Day 11 of riding - 74 miles - 1060m ascent
Trees, trees, waterfall, more trees.
This part of the ride is apparently relatively dull, in that the scenery doesn't vary much. Thank God I had company, eh! Sorry jin.
After stocking up on 2 days' worth of food & snacks, knowing there would be few amenities coming up, we headed south on the E6.
Jin was new to cycling, & hadn't even owned a bicycle when he asked me in March if he could join me for a few days. Obviously my friends think I'm mental for being such a 'yes' person, & I had had to be quite clear with his training requirements. Jin was extremely confident, yet often very unlucky with some things (you know, the odd mechanical mishap..).
Anyway, all fears were allayed when he raced off ahead of me on any incline. His extra gears /proper touring bike, & much less weight, will have been key - but it was still quite frustrating!
Trialling his bike briefly, I zoomed past - & he very kindly offered to lend me his more appropriate bike for the remainder of my trip. Also, to carry some of my gear. I politely declined, on the principle that this is a self-supported tour, & I want to pull through it by myself, & with the gear I have prepared for it. Plus I've somehow managed the hills thus far, however slow I may have been. Stubborn mule again, I know!
The main scenic highlights were the 20m wide & extremely powerful Laksforsen waerfall, & the paradoxically tranquil Majavatnet lake.
It was nice to do a shorter day, & arrive at camp at a descent time.
Jin had brought some dried vegan dinner options for me - yay - & of course the much required new tube of chamois cream. Thank God!
Day 14: 13/6/17 - Namsskogan to Steinkjer
Day 12 of riding - 102 miles - 1390m ascent
A rainstorm, kind Norwegian, stupidly big lake & a puncture!
Realising it would be quite possible to get to Trondheim in a shorter time & therefore have a day to enjoy it with Jin, before an extra 'errand'/rest day for myself, we planned an extended ride, & Jin's first 100 miler.
Onto the sunny road south, we passed more alpine-esque views, continuously, until thankfully a change of scenery - another lovely waterfall!
After lots of chatting to pass the time, we soon reached the town of Grong (46 mile mark) where we could enjoy a lunch break, & get supplies.
The local river Namsen is famed for its Salmon fishing, which had brought a group of guys sat nearby to the area. One of them looked at me intriguingly, & after asking where i was from, jokingly said "so, have you cycled here all the way from Liverpool?"
Me: "No, Nordkapp." Nearly 1000 miles north from where we currently were. His face dropped slightly. Ha, they were a lovely group, & after a brief chat, we headed off to finish our big day.
Not far from the giant lake Snåsavatnet, which would lead us to our final destination (yet still a whole 40 miles long), the weather rapidly deteriorated.
Soon we were being hammered on by giant bullets of water, so thick that it was difficult to see, or steer the bike on the off-road track we had taken.
Attempting to shelter under tree cover (unsuccessfully), we were ushered over by a man standing in the porch of the nearest house.
He was Bjorn, a kind man, originally from Oslo, who welcomed us into his home for tea, to dry our clothes, & wait out the storm for as long as we desired. How lovely!
He taught us that 1 Norwegian mile = 10 kilometres, so obviously we were super close to our campsite- only 6 Norwegian miles!
He also lived the retired life of luxury, with his wife & little dog, & his multiple boats, trout fishing in the lake when the season arrived.
After an hour or so, we thought we would just layer up appropriately & smash through the miles in spite of the weather.
Another hour of absolutely soaking riding, the sun broke through the heavy sky. Yes!
Unfortunately I risked the smaller road closer to the lake, which slowed us as we bounced over potholes & skidded over dirty gravel.
Only 8 miles away, & now nighttime, my compadre suffered a flat rear tyre, noo!
Likely to be a 'pinch flat' (when your tyre pressure is too low, so the rubber pinches together causing a tear, when going over bumps), he was well rehearsed in resolving the issue, after a recent history of 5 previous punctures!
Finally we got to the town of Steinkjer around 9pm, & set up our tents after rolling into the planned campsite.
Before bed, a man approached me waving, "Alaina, I am Bert!". We hugged! It was the cycle touring legend I had met a week earlier on a long ferry ride to Andenes. Hopefully we would join forces the next day, heading to the same place.
Day 15: 14/6/17 - Steinkjer to Trondheim
Day 13 of riding - 84 miles - 1360m ascent
Great company, busy roads, & end of stage 1!
Bert kindly waited for Jin and I that morning, & without wanting to impose ourselves on him (this was his solo trip, usually traveling with his wife, & afterall, many tourers have their own preferences), we realised we were all going the same route & agreed to travel together.
What a lovely day we had with Bert, who is such a kind and well-traveled, inspiring man.
We all shared stories, passing the time through the rain, stretches of undulating farmland, & the remaining inescapable busy E6 towards Trondheim.
The 1000 year old Stiklestad church was a landmark we visited: a famous site for pilgrims, and where Christianity began in Norway.
Later we treated ourselves to coffees & a takeaway lunch in the large town of Levanger.
Me being difficult & fighting with my 14 year-long abstinence from animal products, I battled with what to order/eat. Jin kindly swapped my meal with his, & kept giving me extra of his vegetables, & cashew nuts he bought - to add to my dish :).
We said our goodbyes to Bert just 20ish miles from Trondheim, and decided one of his town's beer festivals should be on our hit list next summer.
Finding tofu in a supermarket in the sunburbs (hell yes!) we eventually reached our airbnb for the next few nights, in Norway's 3rd largest city.
It happened to be a super cool student house, complete with a self-made spa (yes, very interesting group of guys...ha ha).
15/6/17 was spent exploring Trondheim & picking up items I need to continue on the road.
On 16/6/17 I did further errands, said goodbye to my buddy, fixed my pannier which suddenly decided to break (let's hope I've sorted that one properly!), & updated this blog of course!
1209miles down, 3300 to go!
Here's to the next stunning chapter of Norway...
Thanks for your interest & support :)
Please help support aid in Syria - www.alaina.org.uk - thank you!
 |
Day 11: 10/6/17 - Å to Krokstranda
Day 9 of riding - 113 miles - 1609m ascent
A long day into remote snowy moorlands, leaving the arctic, & caffeine-overdosing
 |
| The quiet & cold Saltfjellet road, 700m high |
Up on time at 5am (ouch, this trip isn't all about fun times you know!), I caught the early ferry across to Bodø on the mainland, not getting me there until after 10am.
I stocked up on much water and food for the day, including a vegan dinner that would require zero cooking/effort, expecting to finish the day extremely late.
FYI, this was cartons of lentils and passata, and lots of bread & hummus (love the big supermarkets here - a rare find in smaller places), and many nuts, fruit and bars.
A pleasant surprise was to find the main road through these large towns, was complemented with a cycle path, and views over Skjerstadfjorden and the Klettkovfjellet mountains. 20-30 miles between the towns of Fauske and then Rognan, I ensured I had overdone it on the red bull, water & food, before continuing my journey down the E6 of doom. Ha, basically into the remote forests and eventual climb to 'Saltfjellet'.
Oh, I should mention that I passed a Norwegian sign that looked as though it warned of E6 tunnel closures...yikes, I thought, there is NO other way south from here... & I will have just cycled 60 odd miles for nothing.
Spotting a house, I approached a couple who at first said I would have to go back on myself the whole way (my God.), but then considered that since it was a Saturday, I could probably just sneak through. That, I did (as did all the other road vehicles). How amazingly lucky, that I happened to be riding through here on a weekend!
High on caffeine & music, I was enjoying riding into the evening accompanied by an energetic river of snowmelt, giving me views of aggressive waterfalls and rapids every so often. Nothing but alpine-style trees lined my sight now, and the climbing soon began. Being described as 'not difficult, but very, very long', this hill stayed true to its reputation. Around 15 miles later I was finally up in the bare moorlands, re-acquainted with my cold white buddy from the start of the trip, and reminded that an increased altitude means a massive drop in temperature (wearing only shorts, & leaving your warm gear inaccessibly at the bottom of your panniers is a stupid idea!).
The stubborn mule I am, I continued in my shorts, despite my Garmin displaying a temperature of 3 degrees, and kept expecting to head downhill at any moment...
 |
| Ahh if I wasn't such a sucker for schedules, I'd have so slept in there! |
Now at mile 91, and 9pm at night, I could see no sign of the hamlet and campsite on my Garmin's map. A wooden cabin on the roadside was amazingly unlocked and revealed a cozy carved table & set of benches - amazing! I briefly snacked on hummus & bread, finding that I still had 20 miles to go. Gah!
Rushingly I headed back out, and the moors extended even further ahead of me.
"Alaina, just enjoy and embrace - you will never be here to experience this again!" I told myself, and so I became contented and appreciative for a while longer.
FINALLY downhill, and into an absolutely freezing icy wind, I proceeded. Eventually passing the Arctic Circle visitor centre which marked my official leaving of this part of the world. Slowly feeling stupidly cold, I gave in & found my base layer leggings which I shoved over my shorts - perfect.
Mile 113, longer than planned, and at 22:15 the sign appeared for Krokstranda camping. Awesome!
I wolfed down my foods, and thought I would leave showering and other 'essential' errands until the morning... I need some rest!
Day 12: 11/6/17 - Krokstranda to Mosjøen
Day 10 of riding - 99 miles - 1681m ascent
Pain, one massive hill, & meeting my buddy for the next few days
Woke earlier than I'd hoped, but thought this would be useful time to shower & speak to a friend who wanted some advice. I called him, as he was now inspired to do a short tour around Norway, particularly as his prior tour idea may be a bit too hilly...& surely Norway isn't that hilly, right? Ha...
 |
| 9%? That the best you got, Norway? |
A home friend had landed in a town approximately 90 miles south, called Mosjoen. I therefore planned to get there by the end of the day, knowing that after yesterday's epically long hill, it would be mainly a sweet descent, except for one apparent climb.
The main issue with today was pain. Saddle sore pain. To be honest, any part of my below area just punished me with sharp stabbing nomatter what I did.
Stopping every hour to lather up with an anti-friction 'chamois cream' had been helping, but new sores had developed, & the tights I was wearing to protect my legs from the forecast rain clearly weren't suiting my derrière.
After swooping into a hamlet with a petrol station - thank God, the only places open on a Sunday - I changed, creamed, & got some supplies.
 |
| Ok, so there was the occasional mediocre view |
Not much to see here other than roadworks, trees, & a downhill road, I reached Mo I Rana at lunchtime. Forced to shovel down whatever products available in their petrol station, sadly some non-vegan, I had 56 miles to go before meeting my friend Jin at the campsite.
Korgen village marked the start of the mountain pass...which is annoyingly a 13km diversion around a flat tunnel (illegal for cyclists).
As my heavy beast with its inappropriate range of gears slowed my pace & swayed me like a drunken zombie, I let go & enjoyed the warm sun & appearing views.
Around an hour later, I reached the top, & looked out over the most stunning set of white mountains (Korgfjellet). I took a moment to abosrb & appreciate the hard earned view, oh & to take a few selfies of course, before plummeting myself down probably the best descent yet. 15 minutes of sheer downward acceleration without any touch of the pedals, & the gorgeous Korgfjellet to my left. Bliss!!
 |
| I've earnt the right to pose here, ok?! |
20 mainly downhill miles left, I recognised a chap ahead of me - Jin!
My friend had found me, & we glided down the E6 (well, he glided, whilst every slight incline I had a bit of a fight against the road), into Mosjoen & our campsite.
 |
| His first taste of Norwegian road - bliss! |
Day 13: 12/6/17 - Mosjoen to Namsskogan
Day 11 of riding - 74 miles - 1060m ascent
Trees, trees, waterfall, more trees.
This part of the ride is apparently relatively dull, in that the scenery doesn't vary much. Thank God I had company, eh! Sorry jin.
 |
| Now that is helmet-hair |
After stocking up on 2 days' worth of food & snacks, knowing there would be few amenities coming up, we headed south on the E6.
Jin was new to cycling, & hadn't even owned a bicycle when he asked me in March if he could join me for a few days. Obviously my friends think I'm mental for being such a 'yes' person, & I had had to be quite clear with his training requirements. Jin was extremely confident, yet often very unlucky with some things (you know, the odd mechanical mishap..).
Anyway, all fears were allayed when he raced off ahead of me on any incline. His extra gears /proper touring bike, & much less weight, will have been key - but it was still quite frustrating!
 |
| Unfortunately my bike would not 'take' gearing suited to touring with weight. Jin's bike & gears are specific to touring |
Trialling his bike briefly, I zoomed past - & he very kindly offered to lend me his more appropriate bike for the remainder of my trip. Also, to carry some of my gear. I politely declined, on the principle that this is a self-supported tour, & I want to pull through it by myself, & with the gear I have prepared for it. Plus I've somehow managed the hills thus far, however slow I may have been. Stubborn mule again, I know!
The main scenic highlights were the 20m wide & extremely powerful Laksforsen waerfall, & the paradoxically tranquil Majavatnet lake.
 |
| Good to finally have a photographer! |
It was nice to do a shorter day, & arrive at camp at a descent time.
Jin had brought some dried vegan dinner options for me - yay - & of course the much required new tube of chamois cream. Thank God!
Day 14: 13/6/17 - Namsskogan to Steinkjer
Day 12 of riding - 102 miles - 1390m ascent
A rainstorm, kind Norwegian, stupidly big lake & a puncture!
 |
| Lovely Bjorn - our saviour from the elements! |
Realising it would be quite possible to get to Trondheim in a shorter time & therefore have a day to enjoy it with Jin, before an extra 'errand'/rest day for myself, we planned an extended ride, & Jin's first 100 miler.
 |
| The morning packing regime |
 |
After lots of chatting to pass the time, we soon reached the town of Grong (46 mile mark) where we could enjoy a lunch break, & get supplies.
The local river Namsen is famed for its Salmon fishing, which had brought a group of guys sat nearby to the area. One of them looked at me intriguingly, & after asking where i was from, jokingly said "so, have you cycled here all the way from Liverpool?"
Me: "No, Nordkapp." Nearly 1000 miles north from where we currently were. His face dropped slightly. Ha, they were a lovely group, & after a brief chat, we headed off to finish our big day.
 |
| Big bootay slowing me down! |
Not far from the giant lake Snåsavatnet, which would lead us to our final destination (yet still a whole 40 miles long), the weather rapidly deteriorated.
Soon we were being hammered on by giant bullets of water, so thick that it was difficult to see, or steer the bike on the off-road track we had taken.
Attempting to shelter under tree cover (unsuccessfully), we were ushered over by a man standing in the porch of the nearest house.
 |
| Help me! |
He also lived the retired life of luxury, with his wife & little dog, & his multiple boats, trout fishing in the lake when the season arrived.
After an hour or so, we thought we would just layer up appropriately & smash through the miles in spite of the weather.
Another hour of absolutely soaking riding, the sun broke through the heavy sky. Yes!
Unfortunately I risked the smaller road closer to the lake, which slowed us as we bounced over potholes & skidded over dirty gravel.
 |
| Muwaha you can't move! |
Only 8 miles away, & now nighttime, my compadre suffered a flat rear tyre, noo!
Likely to be a 'pinch flat' (when your tyre pressure is too low, so the rubber pinches together causing a tear, when going over bumps), he was well rehearsed in resolving the issue, after a recent history of 5 previous punctures!
 |
| Hmm I dislike this road muchly. Tarmac is my true love. |
 |
| Yep, the luxurious life of a doctor |
Finally we got to the town of Steinkjer around 9pm, & set up our tents after rolling into the planned campsite.
Before bed, a man approached me waving, "Alaina, I am Bert!". We hugged! It was the cycle touring legend I had met a week earlier on a long ferry ride to Andenes. Hopefully we would join forces the next day, heading to the same place.
 |
| Yaay! We found Bert! |
Day 15: 14/6/17 - Steinkjer to Trondheim
Day 13 of riding - 84 miles - 1360m ascent
Great company, busy roads, & end of stage 1!
Bert kindly waited for Jin and I that morning, & without wanting to impose ourselves on him (this was his solo trip, usually traveling with his wife, & afterall, many tourers have their own preferences), we realised we were all going the same route & agreed to travel together.
What a lovely day we had with Bert, who is such a kind and well-traveled, inspiring man.
We all shared stories, passing the time through the rain, stretches of undulating farmland, & the remaining inescapable busy E6 towards Trondheim.
 |
| More rain |
The 1000 year old Stiklestad church was a landmark we visited: a famous site for pilgrims, and where Christianity began in Norway.
Later we treated ourselves to coffees & a takeaway lunch in the large town of Levanger.
Me being difficult & fighting with my 14 year-long abstinence from animal products, I battled with what to order/eat. Jin kindly swapped my meal with his, & kept giving me extra of his vegetables, & cashew nuts he bought - to add to my dish :).
 |
| A German, Malaysian & Englishman, eating Chinese takeout, in Norway. |
We said our goodbyes to Bert just 20ish miles from Trondheim, and decided one of his town's beer festivals should be on our hit list next summer.
 |
| "Hell" eh? Not sure this is the right way... |
Finding tofu in a supermarket in the sunburbs (hell yes!) we eventually reached our airbnb for the next few nights, in Norway's 3rd largest city.
It happened to be a super cool student house, complete with a self-made spa (yes, very interesting group of guys...ha ha).
 |
| Colourful houses in Trondheim |
15/6/17 was spent exploring Trondheim & picking up items I need to continue on the road.
 |
| The beautiful & interesting Nidaros Cathedral |
 |
| Hand in Hand for Syria- spreading the message |
On 16/6/17 I did further errands, said goodbye to my buddy, fixed my pannier which suddenly decided to break (let's hope I've sorted that one properly!), & updated this blog of course!
1209miles down, 3300 to go!
Here's to the next stunning chapter of Norway...
Thanks for your interest & support :)
Please help support aid in Syria - www.alaina.org.uk - thank you!
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