Lysefjorden ferry

[LivNorway]

Hi Dave!

-If the snowplower are breaking down, kaputt finito, before it get's to Lysebotn, then you need more then one reindeer...
-But that's no problem for a Brit with some viking blood in his body!

Henning:
-Please tell us what part of the road you was riding!
And the pictures are good; you need to pay the BHT (the boss) so you can show us more of your pictures!

Liv.

 

[LivNorway]

Good news!

From www.vegvesen.no vegmeldinger:
'' VEGRAPPORT - Fjelloverganger i Sør-Norge 16.05.07 kl. 20:00

Ev 16 FILEFJELL
Bart. Klokken 17:50 var det 2 grader, svak vind og oppholdsvær.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 17:42 SOGN OG FJORDANE /
OPPLAND
KJØREFORHOLD

Ev 134 HAUKELIFJELL
Bart. Klokken 13:00 var det 2 grader, lett bris og lettskyet.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 12:50 TELEMARK /
HORDALAND
KJØREFORHOLD

Ev 134 HAUKELIFJELL, Haukelitunnelen
Fri ferdsel fra onsdag klokken 16:00 til fredag klokken 06:00.
Sist endret 15.05.07 kl. 08:39 TELEMARK /
HORDALAND
TRAFIKKFORHOLD

Rv 7 HARDANGERVIDDA
Bart. Klokken 17:30 var det -2 grader, laber bris, delvis skyet og oppholdsvær.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 17:24 HORDALAND /
BUSKERUD
KJØREFORHOLD

Rv 13 VIKAFJELLET
Bart. Fare for glatte partier i tunnelmunningene.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 18:29 SOGN OG FJORDANE /
HORDALAND
KJØREFORHOLD

Rv 13 GAULARFJELL
Bart. Klokken 19:30 var det 2 grader, svak vind og oppholdsvær.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 19:22 SOGN OG FJORDANE
KJØREFORHOLD

Rv 50 HOL - AURLAND
Bart. Klokken 18:40 var det 0 grader, lett bris og oppholdsvær.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 18:34 BUSKERUD /
SOGN OG FJORDANE
KJØREFORHOLD

Rv 51 VALDRESFLYE
Nattestengt mellom klokken 20:00 og 08:00.
Sist endret 15.05.07 kl. 07:38 OPPLAND
NATTESTENGT

Rv 51 VALDRESFLYE
Bart. Klokken 12:30 var det 0 grader og sør-vestlig lett bris. Nattestengt.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 12:22 OPPLAND
KJØREFORHOLD

Rv 52 HEMSEDALSFJELLET
Bart. Klokken 17:00 var det -1 grader, laber bris og oppholdsvær.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 17:00 BUSKERUD /
SOGN OG FJORDANE
KJØREFORHOLD

Rv 53 TYIN - ÅRDAL
Bart. Klokken 17:50 var det 0 grader, lett bris og oppholdsvær.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 17:44 SOGN OG FJORDANE /
OPPLAND
KJØREFORHOLD

Rv 55 SOGNEFJELLET
Nattestengt mellom klokken 20:00 og 08:00.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 12:43 SOGN OG FJORDANE /
OPPLAND
NATTESTENGT

Rv 55 SOGNEFJELLET
Bart og vått. Klokken 12:45 var det -3 grader, lett bris og snø. Nattestengt
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 19:34 SOGN OG FJORDANE /
OPPLAND
KJØREFORHOLD

Rv 60 UTVIKFJELLET
Bart.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 13:21 SOGN OG FJORDANE
KJØREFORHOLD

Rv 63 GEIRANGER - LANGVATN
Vinterstengt. Ventes åpnet fredag 25. mai.
Sist endret 15.05.07 kl. 09:50 OPPLAND /
MØRE OG ROMSDAL
VINTERSTENGT

Rv 63 TROLLSTIGEN
Vinterstengt. Ventes åpnet i slutten av uke 21.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 11:07 MØRE OG ROMSDAL
VINTERSTENGT

Rv 258 GAMLE STRYNEFJELLSVEGEN
Vinterstengt.
Sist endret 15.05.07 kl. 17:25 OPPLAND /
SOGN OG FJORDANE
VINTERSTENGT

Rv 705 STUGUDAL - BREKKEN
Vekslende bart og snødekke. Klokken 12:00 var det 1 grader, vestlig lett bris og stort sett oppholdsvær.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 12:47 SØR TRØNDELAG
KJØREFORHOLD

Fv 204 VÆRSKEI - LENNINGEN
Vinterstengt.
Sist endret 09.11.06 kl. 02:14 OPPLAND
VINTERSTENGT

Fv 243 AURLAND - LÆRDAL
Vinterstengt. Ventes åpnet fredag 1. juni.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 12:53 SOGN OG FJORDANE
VINTERSTENGT

Fv 337 BROKKE - SULESKARD
Vinterstengt. Ventes åpnet mandag 21. mai klokken 12:00.
Sist endret 22.03.07 kl. 11:42 AUST-AGDER /
VEST-AGDER
VINTERSTENGT

Fv 385 FRIISVEGEN
Vinterstengt.
Sist endret 09.11.06 kl. 02:16 OPPLAND /
HEDMARK
VINTERSTENGT

Fv 651 TUDDAL - SVINEROI
Nedsatt aksellast til 6 tonn.
Sist endret 04.05.07 kl. 12:00 TELEMARK
AKSELLAST

Fv 755 IMINGFJELL
Nattestengt mellom klokken 20:00 og 10:00.
Sist endret 30.03.07 kl. 09:46 TELEMARK /
BUSKERUD
NATTESTENGT

Fv 986 SIRDAL - LYSEBOTN
Åpen for fri ferdsel etter vinterstenging.
Sist endret 16.05.07 kl. 12:05 VEST-AGDER /
ROGALAND
FRI FERDSEL''
That means:
The road Lysebotn-Sirdal are open!

Note to all tourists this summer:
Ev.134 Haukelifjell.
They are working on the thunnels, so they are opening the road every other hour at weekdays, and more often in weekends (I believe open all weekend at this stage of the work).

And some key words to undertand the list:
Ventes åpnes = expecting to open that date.
Fri ferdsel = open (no regulations like following a snowplower, closed at night and so on).
Fra onsdag til fredag = from Wednesday to Friday.
Sist endret = last update.
Nattestengt = closed at night.
Bart = bare road (no snow/ice, but might be wet.)
Vått = wet.
Snødekke = snow on the road (often hard surface of snow = normal road in winter up here.)
-1 grader = below 0! -1C.

-Is -1c dangerous for a biker?
In the spring I say yes. Because the road are so cold after the winter so it might be ice if here are mist or wet tarmac.
In October/November/December: The tarmac is not that cold yet, so it is not that dangerous, but keep in mind it's colder/more wet in shadows/on bridges and so on.

-Is the cable ties/strap any good for a motorbike on ice/snow?
I tought so, but I've been told they brake so easy so they are useless.

If you find ice and you do not want to turn around, then make sure the tyres are clean - that help! Some pertol stations are selling a box containing something to spray on the tyre; -I've heard it actually works!
But no guarantee from me!

-Is it cold?
The temperature are lower up in mountains, and it feels colder too if you are close to snow.
In one day you can go from sun and +20c by a fjord, up to wind or mist or just cold +2c in a road between much snow, and then go to +18 and rain down in the next valley - you'll never know! And you might do this four times a day, if you are trying to!
The tempature are more stable in the same hight/type of nature, but here you move easy from a fjord on the sunny side and up to totally different weather in the mountains, and then down again.
The landscape vary much, and so does the weather!

Have fun!
Liv.

 

[Genesis]

Liv and Henning
Many thanks for your information and great photographs. It looks amazing but very scary for someone from the warm western flatlands of the uk. How much of that ice will be left on the corners next week? It looks a bit slippery to try without studded or special tyres. There still seems to be many metres of snow at each side of the road ... eep!
My wife thinks I should return to ride the Lysbotn road next year and spend longer in Norway. That would mean a drive up to Roldal this year without the trip on the Lysfjord. As the bike will be fully laden I think it might be more sensible to ride more directly to Roldal and come back next year to ride the Fjords in July or August.
I'll still get to ride along some of the Fjords and cross some of the hills and ride some of the valleys.
Cheers
Dave

 

[Henning]

If the road is open, and the ferry is going, you will not need any spesial tyres. The road is not open until it stop snowing. Too expensive to "re-open" the road. That is why they wait this long.

But if you go from Stavanger to Røldal, use road nr. 13. Ferry from Stavanger to Tau, and from there you can't go wrong. Very nice and lot of joy.

If you start early in the mornings, be carefull in tunnels. Water dripping from the roof, can become bumps of ice on the road, due to low temperatures during the night.

Henning

 

[Genesis]

Henning, Liv
Sorry but we chickened out of going via Lysbotn. To be honest I think it would have been a very late arrival at Roldal if we had gone via Lysbotn. The day after it was also very cold and snowy stuck on Ev 134 HAUKELIFJELL ... the Haukelitunnelen ... whilst waiting for them to convoy us through the tunnel works. Still the pictures are nice
Thanks for all your help.
Dave

 

[Genesis]

Henning, Liv
your efforts with the Lysefjord were not in vain though ... I saw Rushy and some of the others who were doing a similar ride to us in Poland and they had been that way so even though me and Mark were too soft to ride the hairpins at least some UK gsers were up to it ...
Thanks once again
Dave

 

[LivNorway]

Any info here are not vain as many are reading it!
I guess the only thing that made you not do it was the snow?

A little tip for steep hairpins & a motorbike:
If you are not sure if you dare to do it or; -ride it direction UP the first time!
My first hairpins riding my bike was these hairpins up from Lysebotn - no problem!
But keep in mind there are not much pressure on the front wheel when it is steep; -I noticed that when I met a bus at Stalheimskleivene 3 days later - my bike started to go backwards a little, and I wanted to keep my 'brakefoot' on the ground. But it was not a problem, I just got a little worried for a sec.

I'm glad we helped; -that way we got this great pictures from Henning!

Liv.

 

[Rushy]

Henning, Liv
your efforts with the Lysefjord were not in vain though ... I saw Rushy and some of the others who were doing a similar ride to us in Poland and they had been that way so even though me and Mark were too soft to ride the hairpins at least some UK gsers were up to it ...
Thanks once again
Dave

We certainly did and we have the pictures to prove it, none after Gizycko tho ' , it was a great ride and we have some good snow shots although not quite as good as the ones above.

It rained for an hour whilst we were in the cafe at the top and you could watch the weather move thru the valley , then the sun came out which produced a rainbow right below us. It was amazing to see it from above like that but I wasnt quick enough to get the camera out.

It was a great surprise to bump into you in Poland Dave. I had actually tried to send you a PM of our exact itinerary a couple of days before we left but you cant receive PMs. Sorry but when we did meet I was also too dumb to get your mobile number to meet up for a beer later.

Tell Mark not to feel too bad about the camera, I was more miffed about the fact that I had just bought a 1GB card for it because of all the shots we'd taken in beautiful , wonderful, amazing Norway.

Best,

Ian R

 

[zapada]

I agree

Fantastic part of the trip. Norway is a must for another trip.
Amazed to see the snow still so deep. Saw some lads building a snow ramp so they could snowboard over the road.

Crazy guys!

The hairpins were worth the rdie down, had to come up again, what a shame

 

[Genesis]

Ian
yes ... I'll have to pay up some dosh soon I think!
Aye Norway had, by far, the best scenery on the trip. Shame it was at the beginning as everything else seemed flat by comparison. It's like you read up on some of the places you are going to visit and they say "At 254 m above sea level, the East Bridge's two pylons are the highest points in Denmark." ... eep! I did like Denmark and will probably return to Copenhagen but for variety of scenery it lacked a little.
mmm ... no more shots after Gizycko ... Mark was really upset (not as much as you I guess) by the whole thing and got uppety every time I mentioned how bizzare it was to meet you guys in an obscure town in Poland. I shall have to try and get him to come along with his camera to the next meeting I'll mention your email though.
Hope you all got back ok. We missed each other at Esbjerg. I guess you were on a different sailing to us. Did the rest of your trip through Germany and Denmark go ok? The Oresund bridge was phenomenal but going the way we did cost us quite a lot of toll (£25 each bike for the 2 bridges!) and ferry money.
If I can remember this time I'll try and get down to the next meeting then.
Cheers
Dave

 

[Rushy]

Dave,

That was a coincidence meeting like that, especially as you were on foot not on the bikes. If that small swing bridge had been open then we would have ridden right past you!

We rode on to Calais via Walcz, Berlin, Arnhem ( to see the crappy bridge) and Antwerp. I thought that was the way you were comng back!? Even though we truned up with no booking we got on the very first ferry for just 63Euros each bike and 2 passengers.

I could tell Mark was mortified about breaking my camera which was why I didnt give him a hard time about it. I had an SLR with me too but the compact was perfect for taking quick shots whilst still on the bike and Lou was shooting with it all the time from the rear seat. Like I said , I was more miffed about the extra memory I bought for the trip and the fact that none of the memory I now have is compatible with the latest Sony cameras.

Get that sponsorship sorted and you can post a few piccies here, and you need to send me some shots that you took in Gizycko.

See you at the next meet and tell Mark to come too
best,

Ian