Tour 1989 Norway

Welcome to our detailed report of our 1989 summer tour to Norway. The tour was advertised in the national CTC tours guide and so attracted youngsters from across the UK as well as from our own section.

We've taken a lot of time to scan the photos from the tour using a high quality slide scanner, and to combine them with the reports written at the time.

If you took part in this tour we'd love to hear from you - please take the time to fill out the comments form at the end of this page and we'll add them to our Comments page. We'd also like to add any photos that you might have from the tour, so please get in touch with us if you would like to share them.

We hope you enjoy reading about this exciting and unique adventure.

Wednesday 16 August

Junior Tour Day 1: Devon to ferry

7 Present: Mark Burnard, Michael Jones, Ian Luke, Mark Moxham, Shane Powell, Peter Rushworth, Mark Sloman

Weather: Variable


Cycle route from Newcastle to Tyne Commission Quay	Embarkation at the Tynemouth ferry terminal

	Setting out on the 24-hour crossing to Norway

The overnight train was taken from Newton Abbot on the Tuesday evening, depositing everyone on a cold Carlisle station at about 5am. Three hours later a DMU took us across to Newcastle, where we spent the morning buying breakfasts and browsing through the shops for phrase books and cycle parts. The ferry for Norway left in the early evening from the Tyne Commission Quay at Tynemouth, about ten miles from Newcastle. We managed to avoid the built‑up areas by taking the Tyne Cycleway along the South of the river Tyne, and then crossing by way of the Tyne Tunnel, a pedestrian and cycle tunnel which offered great fun at either end on the escalators.

The ship was enormous. There were numerous restaurants, all offering excellent value. We tried to grab sleep in the reclining chairs, but none of us slept too well.

The detailed report on this tour was published in our 1989 Tours Special newsletter. So far we have been unable to find a copy. If you think you may have a copy, please take the time to look for it and let us know if you find it.

Thursday 17 August

Junior Tour Day 2: Ferry to Bergen YH


Stavanger, Norway	An oil platform en routeto Bergen

	Bomlo bridge, near Bergen

The crossing to Norway took about 25 hours, calling at Stavanger in mid afternoon and dropping us at Bergen at 2130 Norwegian time (one hour ahead of BST). Along the way it passed between the many islands that dominate Norway's western coast. We made our way to the Montana hostel in Bergen and enjoyed our first good night's sleep for three days.

Friday 18 August

Junior Tour Day 3: Bergen to Voss YH


Montana youth hostel, Bergen	Our train arrives at Voss station

View of Voss youth hostel from the cable car to Mount Hangur	View from cafe on Mount Hangur

Next morning, after a little shopping, we took the train to Voss, the location of our next hostel. We had planned to go only as far as Dale and cycle the rest of the way, but plans changed as the rain fell! Norwegian trains are certainly good fun. They are electric, of course, and seem to travel at a respectable speed. Bikes are paid for in advance and loaded on for you by the staff, rather like Red Star parcels in Britain. The route included some rather lengthy tunnels but also gave us our first glimpses of the magnificence of Norway's scenery ‑fast flowing rivers, towering mountains, picturesque fjords ‑ a natural wonderland. With an hour to spare at Voss we took a cable car up the towering Hangur mountain side, giving us fabulous views of Vangs lake from the restaurant at the summit.

The hostel was purpose built in a delightful location on the edge of Voss lake - no wonder Voss is such a popular tourist location!

Saturday 19 August

Junior Tour Day 4: Voss to Vangsnes YH


The common room at Voss YH	Bunk room at Voss YH, overlooking the lake

Shane and Mark ready to leave Voss YH	Voss YH

A very wet Shop Stop	The hairpin bends of today's big climb

Mark Burnard & Shane find the first snow - in August!	Shane Powell admires the scenery

Nearing the top	Grass-roofed house overlooking the lake

Our first tunnel	Mark Moxham admires the view

The long descent to Vik, on the Sognefjord	Shane and the Sognefjord at Vangsnes

There was more rain for our first day of cycling - not at all what we had hoped for. Our route took us north from Voss, flat for most of the way. We stopped at a shop to stock up with Norwegian yoghurts, made by the official Norwegian dairy company and especially delicious with their separate compartment containing the dry ingredients. We pressed on up a steep 1000m climb with many hairpins. On the way we saw several herds of goats and some farms advertising geitost - goat's cheese - very popular in Norway. It's a dark brown in colour, and sweeter than most cheeses - most of us thought it excellent! As we neared the top we found snow next to the road - an amazing sight in mid-August! We passed several houses with grassed rooves before enjoying the exhilarating descent to Vik. This is located on the Sognefjord, the longest fjord in Norway. We rode around the edge for a few more miles to Vangsnes and our youth hostel.

Sunday 20 August

Junior Tour Day 5: Vangsnes to Sogndal YH


Vangsnes YH	Queueing for the ferry across Sognefjord, Vangsnes to Hella

The double decker ferry with movable ramp	A very wet stop near Sogndal

Vangsnes is really only important for its ferry links across the Sognefjord, but the hostel was comfortable enough. Just for a change it was raining as we left. The ferry to Hella was cleverly designed with two decks and a ramp that could be lowered to allow access to the upper deck. Norway has so many ferries that it's not surprising they have some impressive designs.

Next stop was Sogndal, involving a pleasantly flat ride along the north bank of the fjord. Sogndal itself was a busy town nestling in the shelter of the Sogndalsfjord. The warmer climate and fertile soil was the reason for the presence of many fruit trees, particularly apples, perhaps the first real cultivation we had seen in Norway.

Monday 21 August

Junior Tour Day 6: Sogndal to Skjolden YH


Sogndal YH	Ready to leave Sogndal YH annexe

Mark M, Peter R, Mark Burnard, Shane, Mark Sloman and Ian Luke, by the sognefjord at Sogndal	Sognefjord

Shane	The gentle road along the side of the Sognefjord

A cafe and shop stop, probably near Gaupne	One of the many waterfalls emptying into the Sognefjord

The main hostel looked a bit like Voss hostel, purpose built, but we slept in the annexe which seemed to be used as school boarding rooms during termtime. There were some brighter spells in the weather this morning, so everything looked much more attractive than it had last night.

Today's journey was relatively flat, following the banks of Lustrafjorden for much of the way and then taking us deeper into the mountains. We saw numerous enormous waterfalls running off the mountains and plunging into the fjord. The hostel at Skjolden was situated next to the rapids of a huge river ‑some members of the tour revelled in the overpowering noise, but others couldn't sleep even with the window closed!

Tuesday 22 August

Junior Tour Day 7: Skjolden to Boverdalen YH


Skjolden YH	Skjolden YH, right next to a very noisy mountain river

A sheep shelters under a wooden outbuilding	Mark moxham and Mark Burnard admire the view after the first stage of the climb

Shane skims stones on the glacial river that we are following up the mountain	The beginning of the summit climb

Ian Luke as we reach 1200m above sea level	1400m above sea level - higher than Ben Nevis!

Glaciers on the mountain and icebergs in the lake	The summit - 1434m above sea level - the highest road in Norway

	Finally, the long downhill begins

The ride to Boverdalen on Tuesday was the toughest of all. The road climbed to a height of 1434m, higher than Ben Nevis, and we took all morning and half of the afternoon to reach the Sognefjell summit. We stopped frequently to admire the ever-improving views.

When we got to the top we were rewarded with scenes which would not have looked out of place in Greenland ‑ huge glaciers hugging the snow‑covered mountain sides, vast lakes with icebergs floating around in them, and subzero temperatures. It was all very impressive, but once the rain began we decided to get on with the descent towards warmer temperatures and hot showers at the hostel. Boverdalen youth hostel was nothing special, but it was adequate.

Wednesday 23 August

Junior Tour Day 8: Boverdalen to Skjak YH


Boverdalen YH - sunshine at last!	Boverdalen YH

More downhill towards Lom	Shane and Mark Burnard in the cafe above the Lom shopping centre

Lom stave church, made entirely of wood	The fertile agricultural lowlands in the Skjak valley

Finally we had sunshine as we set off from Boverdalen. There was plenty more downhill riding, following the river all the way to the delightful tourist village of Lom. We sampled the modern luxurious cafe above the shopping centre and explored the stave church, made entirely of wood.

This was the most easterly point on our tour, so we headed west along the wide-bottomed river valley, where all the flat ground between the mountains was cultivated by numerous small farms, each with their own tractor. Unfortunately we had a tough headwind all the way, which made the afternoon ride a real battle. Skjak hostel was a mix of 4-bedded chalets that offered a comfortable night.

Thursday 24 August

Junior Tour Day 9: Skjak to Hellesylt YH


Our bunk chalets at Skjak YH	Shane demonstrating the comfortable wooden corner bunks

Shane at the entrance to Skjak YH	Michael in our chalet at Skjak YH

Is this Norway's OK Corale ranch? Near Grotli	This Lap trading post sells furs and many other items made from dead animals

The beginning of the massive downhill to Geirangerfjord	The downhill continues

Shane makes a new friend on the final hairpin descent	Mark Burnard joins in the fun

Shane and the goat	Mark Moxham - getting involved!

The final hairpin descent	Geirangerfjord from the final descent

Our ferry, taking us on a cruise through Norway's most magnificent fjord, Geirangerfjord	View of the beautiful Geirangerfjord from the ferry

	Ian Luke, having toe clip problems!

This was our longest day, covering more than 50 miles to Geiranger, and it started with some bright weather. None of the hills in Norway are ever as steep as they are in Britain, as they have to be navigable in winter when covered with snow. We climbed gradually for 44 miles, passing what looked like a deserted ranch near Grotli and a Lap trading post where the Laplanders were selling anything and everything to do with dead animals. The lakes near the top of the climb were crystal clear with the purest water, and all around were white tufts of cotton grass blowing in the wind.

Showers were coming in again as we reached the top, and there before us was the most amazing downhill we had ever seen. It descended more than 1000m in 6 miles along a road which could be likened to a helter skelter. It twisted and turned its way in seemingly endless hairpin bends right down to Geiranger. The view down to Geirangerfjord opened up as we descended through the stages. This is reputed to be the most scenic fjord in all of Norway, and we couldn't really dispute that. The final descent had more hairpins, and it was here that a number of goats by the roadside left us no choice but to stop and make friends.

We took a boat trip right the way along the fjord, with a guide telling us about all the sights as we looked up at the sheer sides of the narrow fjord. The rain didn't make it quite as enjoyable as it should have been, but we were pleased to have seen it. Shane was fortunate enough to be allowed to steer the huge ferry for a while, with a little supervision from the captain of course.

Our hostel was at Hellesylt, just near the end of our ferry journey.

Friday 25 August

Junior Tour Day 10: Hellesylt to Stryn YH


Hellesylt YH	Shane tries out the luxury seating in this bus shelter

One of many athletic circuits we saw at Norwegian schools	The group on the descent to Nordfjord, near Stryn

More rain greeted us next morning. Back in Devon they were still suffering a three-month drought, but here there was water wherever you looked.

We had now reached the most northerly point on the tour, and it was time to head back towards Bergen. We stopped at a bus shelter that had been equipped with a lounge sofa - for added comfort. We rode past a large lake and yet another athletics track - apparently standard equipment for most Norwegian schools! The day's ride involved a couple of rises and falls but was not too strenuous.

Finally we approached the delightful Nordfjord and continued the short distance around its perimeter to Stryn, located in a high position overlooking the town.

Saturday 26 August

Junior Tour Day 11: Stryn to Byrkjelo YH


The beautiful Nordfjord	Nordfjord - picture perfect

Fine weather at last to enjoy Norway's best scenery	Swimming in Nordfjord

	Peter Rushworth admiring the mountains between Utvik and Byrkjelo

Today, finally, we had good weather for our excursion around the edge of Nordfjord. The fjord looked just like all the picture postcards you have ever seen of Norway, and we just couldn't resist a dip in its cool waters.

Eventually we continued onwards for a mountain climb and descent to Byrkjelo. The hostel here was a bit of a disappointment, being just a guest house for much of the year. The barn behind the hostel had a traditional ramp to the higher level where the usual tractor spent much of its time. Michael, being vegetarian, once again had a hard time getting any food - Norway doesn't seem to cater for vegetarians anywhere!

Sunday 27 August

Junior Tour Day 12: Byrkjelo to Viken guest house


Byrkjelo YH	Shane finds more friendly goats

Our route today was through desolate terrain where the only living creatures we saw were goats! During the only real climb, near the end of the day, Michael managed to break an axle and called in to one of the few houses we saw to arrange a taxi. Outside it was typically Norwegian, with a fairly ordinary wooden exterior, but inside it was totally luxurious, with polished wooden floors and every modern convenience. We stayed the night at the Viken guest house in Viksdalen.

Monday 28 August

Junior Tour Day 13: Viken to Balestrand guest house


Viken guest house, Viksdalen	Viken guest house, Viksdalen

View to Viksdals lake from the guest house	Traditional grass drying techniques

Shane, riding around Nystols lake	Ian Luke, approaching the long awaited downhill

Another incredible downhill, leading to Mel and the Sognefjord	Mean, Moody, Magnificent, Mark Moxham, riding along the Sognefjord!

Monday took us up another gentle climb with another incredible hairpin descent at the end to Balestrand. Mark Sloman had asked to go with the bike on the bus in Michael's place, as he didn't fancy another long cycle ride.

We had hoped to stay at Balestrand youth hostel, but it turned out to be full so we switched to a nearby guest house that was quaint and very comfortable. We loaded our bikes onto the evening cargo boat for Bergen and enjoyed the luxury of our second guest house.

Tuesday 29 August

Junior Tour Day 14: Balestrand to ferry


Our guest house at Balestrand	Mark Burnard contemplates the tranqulity of the Sognefjord at Balestrand

Our fast boat to Bergen	View of the Sognefjord from the boat

	The sun sets on Norway as we set sail for home

Our most exciting boat journey of all awaited us next morning, with a hydrofoil passenger boat speeding its way along Sognefjord and around the coast to Bergen at 37 knots. It was raining as usual, but today we didn't really mind.

After spending the afternoon shopping in Bergen we boarded our NorwayLine ferry at 6pm, finding ourselves looking forward to its comforts - and the discounted Norwegian chocolate from the duty free shop! Typically, the sun came out as we set sail, leaving us with the most beautiful sunset for our final memory of Norway.

Wednesday 30 August

Junior Tour Day 15: ferry and train to Devon

Michael was able to use the crossing time wisely by rebuilding his rear wheel with new hub and spokes purchased in Bergen (at great expense), so when we arrived back in Newcastle at 4pm Michael was able to cycle along the path back to Newcastle with the rest of the group. A long overnight train journey via Carlisle brought us back to Newton Abbot by 0815 next morning.

So what were our impressions of Norway? First, the hostels. Like everything in Norway they are expensive, about £6 per night, £5 per evening meal and £3‑50 per breakfast. But the standard of accommodation is always greater than in Britain. There are never more than 4 beds to a room. Each bed usually has a reading lamp and duvet, and each room often has en suite toilet, wash basin and shower. When you arrive you are given a key to your room, so that you can lock up your belongings while you are eating. Perhaps one of the nicest differences is that in Norway you never have any jobs to do!

The communal areas are often luxurious. Some of the hostels even had electronically controlled doors and separate common rooms for nonsmokers.

Guest houses were even more luxurious. They were twice the price of hostels, but everything was always clean and modern. It was nice not to have to use our own towels and sheet bags for the last two nights of the tour.

Food in Norway seemed similar to British food in some ways. Every breakfast consisted of a large table piled with foods ‑ large bowls of cereals, milk, boiled eggs, bread, cold meats, a selection of cheeses, marmalades and jams. Once you have paid for breakfast you can help yourself to as much as you like. Evening meals were usually of the meat and two veg type followed by a dessert. A special feature of Norway is the brown cheese, much sweeter than ordinary cheese and often made from goats milk or a mixture of goat and cow's milk.

There are many brands of chocolate in Norway, the majority made by Freia of Oslo. Some are similar to brands in England, but most were completely new to us. The high prices of 55p for a Kit‑Kat equivalent called Kvikk Lunsj or £1‑65 for 200g of Milk Chocolate can be avoided by purchasing on the ferry from the tax‑free shop, where prices were reduced by 35%.

Hot takeaway food was very expensive, a cheeseburger costing anything from £1‑80 to £3. We kept lunch costs low by buying bread, cheese, tomatoes and milk. Yoghurts made a pleasant desert, particularly as they were much larger than our yoghurts and always came in a special carton which made drinking quite straightforward. There was even a plastic spoon attached to the rear of the carton!

Norway has about the same land area as the UK, but has only 4 million people instead of our 56 million. Space is never at a premium. Almost every house is detached and luxurious ‑ some even have their own boat moored at the water's edge. Nearly all the houses are made principally out of wood (Norway's plentiful resource). One house we went into looked like a palace, with polished pine floors, walls, ceiling and furniture.

Norwegians have a very high standard of living. A 19‑year‑old at Viken told us that he was just starting his first job and would be earning £14000. He also said that every Norwegian has at least one car.

Cycling in Norway is great fun once you have got used to riding on the right: there is very little traffic even on the larger roads. Roads are skilfully engineered to keep gradients to a minimum, sometimes by using many hairpins but often by just putting a tunnel through the mountain. Tunnels are everywhere in Norway. All the tunnels we rode through were lit, but we saw a long one of several miles which was totally black. This could have been dangerous without good cycle lights. Junctions were a bit hairy at first, as there are no road markings indicating the right of way. Instead there are signs on the approach to the junction indicating whether or not the road you are on has right of way. Since most of our riding was on long, country roads, we did not have many problems.

Once we had left Bergen, Norway's second city, all the towns and villages we saw were small. They usually had a shop of some kind, the larger ones having a supermarket and a post office. Ancient Stave churches, made entirely of wood, could be seen in many villages. The atmosphere in all the villages was rural, quiet and relaxed. There were a few cycle shops scattered around the villages, but the one in Bergen had to be the biggest and best we had ever seen in our lives.

Most of the people we met in Norway spoke reasonable English, as all Norwegian children learn English from the age of ten. Only at Vangsnes hostel did the warden speak virtually no English. We had to simplify our phrase, look it up in the dictionary and write it down in Norwegian before he could understand us. We were always warmly received wherever we went.

Small farms are an important part of the Norwegian landscape. Cows are few and far between, but sheep and goats are evident in many areas. It is not at all unusual to round a hairpin corner on a mountainside and find yourself face to face with a billy goat! And if you ever go to the mountains you are certain to hear the clanking of the bells, tied to the necks of the sheep.

Children in Norway seem particularly well cared for. Because of the distributed population, schools are usually quite small but very modern and with the best possible facilities. Many schools that we saw had their own athletics circuit. Class sizes range from 15 to 30. Children may leave school at the age of 16, but 90% chooses to stay on in colleges of further education, to increase their chances of finding employment.

Of all that we saw in Norway, the majestic scenery must have made the greatest impression on us. Everything was on a much larger scale than we had seen before. Waterfalls seemed to cascade from every ridge and mountain, each one emptying unimaginable volumes of water per second into the rivers and lakes below. Snowcapped mountains surrounded us everywhere, making the largest mountains in Britain look tame by comparison. Vast freshwater lakes high in the mountains contained water that was crystal clear as far as the eye could see. And covering every hill and mountain were the forests, broadleaved and coniferous, spreading out in all directions. In Britain we have limited areas of natural beauty, but in Norway, the whole country seems unspoiled. It is a paradise for lovers of nature.

This tour of Norway must have been one of the greatest experiences of our cycling careers. The country appealed to each of us in a special way, and I am certain that many of us will return again someday. In the meantime, local CTC members may share some of the delights of the tour by attending the special Slide Show on Friday 20 October at 10 Treesdale Close, Paignton, starting at 7pm.

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Copyright © 2002 South Dartmoor CTC
Last modified: 15 February 2008

Your comments

Send mail to click here with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2002 South Dartmoor CTC Last modified: 15 February 2008

Send mail to click here with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2002 South Dartmoor CTC
Last modified: 15 February 2008