Norway Cycling - Part 1

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I arrived in Norway by flying from Canada via Amsterdam to Stavanger, one of the larger cities in the south-west corner of Norway. Since most of the group was arriving by ferry the following day, I had the afternoon and evening to myself to explore Stavanger.

Stavanger harbour
Old town


Haugesund to Stavanger

The next morning, I took an express bus north for a couple of hours to the town of Haugesund where the ferry landed. On the way I met some others who had also arrived the day before in Stavanger. At the ferry terminal, the group met for the first time and got outfitted with our bicycles provided by KeyMove, the tour company. The German members of the group had taken a train from Germany to Denmark where they had caught the overnight ferry to Norway.

The ferry from Denmark
Getting the bicycles


From Haugesund, we had a relatively short cycling route south to a ferry. Marcel, the guide provided a late lunch and we all managed to catch the 6:20pm ferry. After the ferry, it was a short ride into Stavanger.

Islands from the ferry
Disembarking from the ferry


Lysefjord

From Stavanger, we caught a ferry which took us (and our bikes) for three hours up the Lysefjord. It was a first real fjord with spectacular cliffs dropping into the water.

Farm and bridge
Lysefjord

From where we got off the ferry, it was a 20km climb to a 600m pass and picnic. From the top it was a big downhill and then a series of headlands and passes to Hjelmeland for the night.

Start of the hill
Climbing to the pass


Climbing to the pass
Marcel's picnic


The descent
Navigational difficulties


Evening in Hjelmeland


Hjelmeland to Haugesund

We left Hjelmeland early the next morning by ferry to the start of a 50km dash to the next ferry which left roughly 3 hours later. The cycle started with a long ride along the side of a fjord, then over a series of passes to the second ferry. Some of us didn't make it to the second ferry and required a lift part of the way from the support vehicle. From the the ferry, it was a very wet ride along bike paths and highways into Haugesund.

Ferry warning signs
Along the fjord


Tunnels
Cycling through the hills


Small lakes
Sheep near Haugesund


Haugesund to Leirvik

From Haugesund we cycled north to another ferry for the short ride to the island of Bømlo. In sunshine and rolling hills we cycled up the island to the picnic and then to a series of sea bridges to the island of Stord, and our stop for the night in Leirvik.

Ferry riding
Church


Village on Bømlo Island
Picnic in the harbour


Hardangerfjord
Specific danger


Sea bridge
Leirvik harbour


Leirvik to Os

We began with a short ride in light rain to a ferry which took us to another island. We cycled along the Hardangerfjord before cutting overland into sunshine and Bjørnafjord. We crossed over another sea bridge to the mainland and stopped for lunch. After lunch, the route was through a series of passes then along another fjord to a short ferry ride into Os. Fortunately, this ferry was frequent so there was less pressure to cycle quickly.

Sheltering at the ferry terminal
Ferry


Hardangerfjord
Rolling hills


Longest tunnel - 1.2km
Rural bus stop


Spots of sun
Storm clouds


Continue to Part 2.

or return to the main Norway Cycling page.