Gaularfjellet

Perfect touring weather today: a sunny, cloudless sky with little to no wind. It was an absolute treat being out on the road.

Woken up by bright rays of sunlight falling on my tent, I headed north to take on the main climb of the day, Gaularfjellet. The eastern ascent was constructed like a "proper" climb with steep ramps and hairpin turns whereas the west side is a long, gentle slope following the Gaula river. Naturally I had planned to ride up from the east.

The climb itself was quite enjoyable with its small road and little traffic. Didn't see any other cyclists though until I had reached the panorama platform near the summit. Which is baffling as despite only going up to the 700s of meters this is a bona fide climb that deserves to be known better.

Sognefjord, pt. II

After the long downhill to Sande I returned south to the coast of the Sognefjord. The goal was to reach the ferry at Rysjedalsvika and cross the fjord near its mouth. That ride along the north coast of the fjord was simply superb. Two newer tunnels are closed to cyclists but the alternative, the older stretches of the coastal road, had some of the most stunning views of the fjord that I could savor in the absence of traffic.

I made it to the ferry in time for the 21:00 h sailing. Since there aren't any campsites in the area I needed to improvise. The small road leading west looked appealing so I went there to find a pitch. Some of the more obvious spots near the water were already taken by car campers so I ventured ever further until I spotted what looked like a meadow behind some trees. It's most certainly farm land but from the looks of it it hasn't seen any tractor action in days, so I decided to go for it.

I stirred up some deer in the process who didn't expect the company. Just seconds into unpacking the tent stuff I realized this probably isn't an ideal spot for camping as I was attacked by all the midges at once. Bug repellent didn't do much but I stayed anyways. Preparing my fiskekaker with beans turned into an ordeal; note to self: no cooking when wild camping next time; in addition to being rather time consuming it means more time spent outside the tent which is just not advisable in midge country.

Now a stag arrived to make his rounds along the meadow. Is he looking for those deer I scared away earlier? Hope he won't mind me camping in his backyard.

gallery