Awfull quiet in here?

[Farmer Palmer]

Awfull quiet in here and it's dark and cold aswell!





Still planning a trip to the Nordkapp next may and if that doesn't come off then Icelands always a challenge especially by Mountain bike a tent.

Shetlands good too and more Scandanavian than Scottish and Denmark would be better than nowt I suppose and it's on the way to Sweden!

Just a shame the ferry to get to Scandanavia is such a pain in the ass.........Still by springtime there may be another route from Newcastle but don't hold your breath!

Aw bugger it i'm off to IKEA

 

[bladerunner]

Is May late enough in Spring for Nordkapp?

 

[Farmer Palmer]

Went there on the 1st June 2003 and the 25th May 2007 then over the Norweigian and Swedish Arctic Circle on the same dates in 2008

Depends how lucky you are with the weather..........Both times i was there the weather was good but it was bloody freezing at times below freezing but because it was dry it was ok!

The road over to the Russian border at Kirkenes was bad with sleety snow and not pleasant also the 'Top Gear Snowbine' road near Fagernes wasn't too good with blowing snowdrifts, other than that it was fine!

FP.

 

[Ali-bear]

I was planning on a trip to Norway in May, only I don't think its worth going all the way up to the North Cape? Maybe I'm wrong what will I be missing out on if I only get as far north as Lofoten?

 

[Farmer Palmer]

Nothing!

The Lofoten Islands would win hands down compared to chasing the 'Nordkapp Badge' ask anyone who's been there! I haven't as i went past chasing the 71' 10' 21'' N sticker Everyone i met and have spoken to who's been to the Lofotens rave about the place!

The Nordkapp is a long, long road to nowhere and there's so much you'd miss on the way up there..........Anything below Trondheim and west is good!

Sea road
Troll Ladder
Romsdal Wall
Gerainger
Glaciers
Laerdals Tunnel(was the worlds longest at 24.5km) any other 'Lord Of The Rings' scare you shitless tunnel
Any road that a tunnel has replaced
Lysbotn/Preikestolen rock
Any one of a hundred breath taking fjords
Short ferry rides past solid walls of sky high rock
Rjuken 'Heroes of Telemark' heavy water/hydro plant

Loads of other stuff i've forgotten but other folk will add to the list..........If you go to the Lofotens you'll get to cross the Arctic Circle anyway and if you're short of time on the way home ride back down through Sweden as the speed limit is 110km/h compared to 80km/h in Norway.

Look out for Lynx, Elk, Reindeer, Arctic Hare, Arctic fox, Golden Eagle, Sea Eagle and any other 'Norweigian bird' with big tits and a pretty face...... Which is most of them!

FP.

 

[ThorH]

Farmer Palmer; the Voice of Sanity! Couldn´t agree more.

 

[Ali-bear]

Thanks for that

But only just found out about the Newcastle ferry not running - all my plans were based on taking this route

 

[Farmer Palmer]

Newcastle-Imjuiden or Harwich Esbjerg is the only options now..........Either way it's a pain compared to the closed Newcastle-Stavanger-Haugesund-Bergen route.

If you're in the south of Britain Harwich-Esbjerg would work well with either a nice ride across Denmark to Sweden or another ferry from Denmark to Norway.

FP.

 

[AdamA]

Newcastle-Imjuiden or Harwich Esbjerg is the only options now..........Either way it's a pain compared to the closed Newcastle-Stavanger-Haugesund-Bergen route.

If you're in the south of Britain Harwich-Esbjerg would work well with either a nice ride across Denmark to Sweden or another ferry from Denmark to Norway.

FP.

It's deffo not as simple as sailing direct to Norway, but its not the big issue some make it out to be (not grouping you in that crowd btw).

The sail to Esbjerg is overnight, so you'd only be sleeping anyhow.
Then it's a "pleasant" if not stunning bimble to the top of Denmark to Hirtshals and the late crossing to Kristiansand getting you into Norway 30 chilled out hours after leaving blighty. Then the fun and games can begin!*

Or you could slog up through Sweden on the road...


*= straight away into the night if you are feeling a tad cooped up after about 20 hours of ferries!

 

[Wicker]

Flying with Easyjet from Edinburgh to Iceland in July for a week to see family. I will have a young nephew in tow so no biking for me but at least a chance to see some of what Farmer Palmer has been raving about. Maybe next again trip could involve bike hire.....

 

[Ali-bear]

Iceland definitely worth seeing one day. I read a trip report on here you can circumnavigate the island (in summer) wild camping etc. There is a ferry route that stops off in the Faroes which are also worth seeing.

My Nordkapp trip is all booked - setting off in mid-July picking up some buddies from North Germany and Sweden on the way

 

[bikewise]

Heading to norway in july aswell with two friends, one of whom is brickin himself about th prospect of two weeks biking in the rain. Is it really that bad?

 

[Mjhb]

Iceland is definitely worth seeing in the flesh, as it were. Absolutely stunning, photos don't do it justice.

Went on a geography field trip back in the late 80s and promised myself I'd go back one day.

The latest edition of Bike has an article by a couple using a Triumph Explorer.

Denmark/Norway/Sweden sounds fab and is on my 'bucket list' or whatever they're called - used to be 'places I want to go' when I was a lad, but anyway ...

Not this year for me, sadly, but one day !

 

[Timolgra]

Going back to Iceland in 2015

 

[Bury_Dave]

Heading to norway in july aswell with two friends, one of whom is brickin himself about th prospect of two weeks biking in the rain. Is it really that bad?

If he's Oirish then surely the rain holds no fear for him ?

Heading to Nordkapp myself on June 2nd. Biggest problem my Finnish mates have told me about is the wind - which can blow VERY hard for long periods up north. Rain is no problem but high winds can get tiring and therefore dangerous.

If that happens then I'll head across into Norway from Sweden a little further south than i hope to (and have more time to experience the fjords). Adapt and overcome as they say. 15 days from home to Nordkapp via Copenhagen and up through Sweden and back via Norway (which is what i am doing) requires a little luck.

Ride safe and have a great time

 

[aRTy_Hexhead]

Windy - raathur!

Heading to Nordkapp myself on June 2nd. Biggest problem my Finnish mates have told me about is the wind - which can blow VERY hard for long periods up north. Rain is no problem but high winds can get tiring and therefore dangerous.

Was up there in July of 2011 and the wind on the headland was unbelievably gusty. Nearly lost it a couple of times. Practically crawled up to the Nordkapp.
Was really bricking it for the return journey, never experienced anything like it.

Weather ranged from 25C in the Sognefjordland to 4C up at Kirkenes. The previous week it had been 32C up there. So weather can be pretty variable.

Lofotons are absolutely stunning - first on my list

The road from Namsos (North of Trondheim) to Bodo on the far west coast taking in 7 ferries a close second on the list.

Lots of good, numerous campsites. People very welcoming and speak English superbly. There is so much to commend Norway.

However, the return trip through its next door neighbour (Sweden) was uneventful and sadly lacking of anything noteworthy. Lots of trees and straight roads?

Norway has it all in spades - scenery, space, remoteness, quality roads and great infrastructure, tunnels, bridges, ferries......

 

[Bury_Dave]

There is so much to commend Norway.

However, the return trip through its next door neighbour (Sweden) was uneventful and sadly lacking of anything noteworthy. Lots of trees and straight roads?

Norway has it all in spades - scenery, space, remoteness, quality roads and great infrastructure, tunnels, bridges, ferries......

I hear you but my friend wants to go over the bridges to Sweden so we have no choice but to go up through Sweden to get to Nordkapp in 4 days so we have more time to return via Norway. Even then, with the mileages involved and time contraints we have, the Lofotens and the Bodo road (plus a few others) will have to wait for a Norway tour in a year or two Nordkapp has to be done once

How long did you have for your trip ?

Dave

 

[aRTy_Hexhead]

How long did you have for your trip ?

Dave

About two and half weeks.
You can cover big distances through Sweden, without speeding and using the back road down the spine of Sweden - the E45. Kirkenes to Oslo in three days.

Though the ferry I was booked on was cancelled and had an extra three days......
So popped in on Oslo and did the sights in a day - Munch, Natural History Museum, Fram, Ra, Viking boats etc. This was done one beautiful, quiet, sunny day in a very cosmopolitan and relaxed city. The peace was shattered the next day by that nutter Brevick who let off a few bombs in the city centre and murdered those poor holidaying children to the north of Oslo.

 

[fishburger]

Awfull quiet in here and it's dark and cold aswell!





Still planning a trip to the Nordkapp next may and if that doesn't come off then Icelands always a challenge especially by Mountain bike a tent.

Shetlands good too and more Scandanavian than Scottish and Denmark would be better than nowt I suppose and it's on the way to Sweden!

Just a shame the ferry to get to Scandanavia is such a pain in the ass.........Still by springtime there may be another route from Newcastle but don't hold your breath!

Aw bugger it i'm off to IKEA

When are you going in May?I might take a trip to Bergen,and then continue up to North Cape,coastline all the way to Bodø,ferrry to Moskenes then get the new road to Bjerkvik going north.

Why go to North Cape? Its there.

 

[Bury_Dave]

About two and half weeks.
You can cover big distances through Sweden, without speeding and using the back road down the spine of Sweden - the E45. Kirkenes to Oslo in three days.

Though the ferry I was booked on was cancelled and had an extra three days......
So popped in on Oslo and did the sights in a day - Munch, Natural History Museum, Fram, Ra, Viking boats etc. This was done one beautiful, quiet, sunny day in a very cosmopolitan and relaxed city. The peace was shattered the next day by that nutter Brevick who let off a few bombs in the city centre and murdered those poor holidaying children to the north of Oslo.

Talk about bad timing !

I've got some long days in the saddle as I'm going from Hamberg to Nordkapp in 4 days. A couple of 600 + miles days in there. Hamberg - Copenhagen - Karlsberg - Mora - Kaaresuvanto and then east into Finland on the 92 and up the E6 to Lakselv-Leavdnja and then Nordkapp. No point in going to Alta and up that way as I'll be going back on that road (after a detours to Havoysund).

Return heading south will be on the E6 initially and then quite a few detours and ending up on the Kristiansand-Hirtshals ferry. Got 9 days for that.
No doubt I'll end up doing some boring ride report with maps and piccies once it's over

Like I said earlier - not an adventure but certainly a challenge