Norway: Lindesnes to North Cape 2009 (Southernmost to northernmost point)

[John Grammaticus]

I've been lurking on advrider for quite some time, reading reports after reports, but this time I just have to comment: your writing is great, simple, humorous yet still informative and easy to read. I've been studying journalism for 6 or 7 years so mark my words Scandinavian culture and landscapes have always been a big part of my life, lived a couple of years in Sweden long time ago. Someday in the future I will ride to Nordkapp or Gamvik or somewhere around there (planning is overrated) as soon as I will finally get a decent bike, since I've got no wheels at the moment, hence poor score on my adv oddometer

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by John Grammaticus

I've been lurking on advrider for quite some time, reading reports after reports, but this time I just have to comment: your writing is great, simple, humorous yet still informative and easy to read. I've been studying journalism for 6 or 7 years so mark my words Scandinavian culture and landscapes have always been a big part of my life, lived a couple of years in Sweden long time ago. Someday in the future I will ride to Nordkapp or Gamvik or somewhere around there (planning is overrated) as soon as I will finally get a decent bike, since I've got no wheels at the moment, hence poor score on my adv oddometer

Thanks

[Oldone]

I could handle that over-look just fine even though it's a loooooong way down! (That would be from about 10 feet back!) Yikes! Too much for me.
Great RR. Thanks for that.

Gary


Grampa’s Lake Superior Ride

Grampa’s National Monument Ride

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by Oldone

I could handle that over-look just fine even though it's a loooooong way down! (That would be from about 10 feet back!) Yikes! Too much for me.
Great RR. Thanks for that.

Gary


Grampa’s Lake Superior Ride

Grampa’s National Monument Ride

It's 1800+ feet of fresh air under your feet if you let your legs dangle off the edge

[AleXtz]

just spent 2 hours of amazing foto-chronicle, thanx for the effort, and my deeply respects for you 2 adventurers

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by AleXtz

just spent 2 hours of amazing foto-chronicle, thanx for the effort, and my deeply respects for you 2 adventurers

No, thank you Hope it didn't keep you from something truly important

[Wal2]

good read and pics......i have a Norwegian friend (Erling) here in Newcastle, he and his wife visit his folks near Drammen.....i hope to join them this year for a look around.......

[Gravel Seeker]

Thanks

If you or anyone else would like a riding buddy a day or two when passing the Oslo region just shoot me a PM and we'll see if our schedules line up.

[siyeh]

So glad this TR was bumped back to the first page. It was a delight to read it again.
Norway is so beautiful, and your words were just right.
Thank you and safe travels mate!

[slowpoke69]

Originally Posted by Gravel Seeker

Thanks guys

Here's to a better summer in '11 than we had in '10


Weather-warnings for the west coast and the Atlantic coast road today and throughout the new years weekend....



P: scanpix

This is an AWESOME shot, winter I'd guess? It looks like mother nature was having a BAD day!

[Gravel Seeker]

Not sure when the pictue was taken as I just linked to it, but we certainly had more luck with the weather when we rode through there

The weather I was referring to in that post also reaked havoc here in the eastern parts where tons of forest got levelled.
Offroading with motorized vehicles is totally forbidden here, but this year it wouldn't have mattered. I tried riding forest trails on my mountinbike a couple of times, but most of the time I was either carrying the bike around or over fallen trees or trying to navigate the 2 feet deep tracks left by the wood cutting/ processing machines.

[Panayos]

Dear friends,

This is the most informative article.
Been dreaming to head for North Cape for some years now.
Finally i got the decision to travel this year, so i will be heading to North Cape all the way from home, Limassol, CYPRUS, on a solo trip in August 2013.
From the southern most point of Europe to the Northest on my BMW R 1200 RT.
Around 14000 kms.
Any tips are very welcome.

Thanks for the nicest article

Panayos

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by Panayos

Dear friends,

This is the most informative article.
Been dreaming to head for North Cape for some years now.
Finally i got the decision to travel this year, so i will be heading to North Cape all the way from home, Limassol, CYPRUS, on a solo trip in August 2013.
From the southern most point of Europe to the Northest on my BMW R 1200 RT.
Around 14000 kms.
Any tips are very welcome.

Thanks for the nicest article

Panayos

Thanks for the nicest comment !

Visit Norway is a good place to start planning your rummage around our parts of the world. There are "where to go" and "what to do" buttons.

Hope you have a nice trip !

Practical tips could be

• In the cities grocery stores are open between 09.00-21.00 and some 07.00-23.00. Closed on sundays.
• "Bush" camping is allowed, meaning as long as the land is not cultivated or there is grazing animals/ pastures, you can camp there.
• Beer is sold in grocery stores most places, but they are not allowed to sell after 20.00 (18.00 on saturdays)
• Some counties only sell beer from special beer outlets, it varies alot from place to place.
• Wine and spirits are only sold at the state run monopoly. It closes at 18.00 on week days and 14.00 on saturdays I think.
• We have pretty low speedlimits, especially in rural areas. One house per km or so and the speedlimut drops to 70km/h, two houses and you're down to 60km/h. Traffic normally flows at a pace 5-10km/h above the speedlimit on the highways and the police only go after people who stand out either by severe speeding or irresponsible driving. Lane splitting is allowed in the sence that there is no law against it. If you ride sensibly the police do not care.
• Speedlimits are enforced by laser traps on 40-80km/h roads. The police also use marked and unmarked cars on all types of roads. The fines are pretty heavy: http://www.roadmc.com/default.asp?pubid=14 at €72 - JAIL
• Public tollroads are usually free for motorcycles. Private roads (often gravelroads in the mountains) are almost never free for anyone, but the price is lower for motorcycles at €1-3
• It is often cold in the mountains in june and snow is not unusual. Most roads open in May though.
• the moose warning singns are there for a reason, so be careful if you ride in dusk or dark conditions.
• Many places have long tunnels which are not nescessarily the most awsome thing when on a bike so check the maps and find alternative routes if you want to see the countryside and not freeze your ass off (the longest tunnell is the Lærdal tunnel at 24,5 kms. At 4-5C inside the mountin it gets cold fast
• Norway is on "top of the food chain". Average annual income for 2011 was €60.000 for males and €40.000 for females, therefore everything is more expensive here than most places in Europe.
• Price examples 2013:
  For your bike
  - 95 octane: €2 per liter
  - Set of road tires: ca €400
  Sleeping
  - Basic hotel room w/ shower and sometimes breakfast: From €110 per night
  - Cabin at caravan park: € 50-60 per night
  - Pitchin tent: €4-9
  Grocery store
  - Loaf bread: €1-5
  - Carton milk 1ltr: € 1,7
  - Can domestic beer 0,5 ltr: €3,3 - 4,7
  Pub
  - 0,5 ltr domestic beer, pub: €7,3 - 12
  - Gin/ tonic, vodka/ coke or similar, pub: €11 - 18
  Gas stations are semi grocey stores, but they are more expensive. They also sell alot of freshly made food
  - Cup of coffe: €2-3
  - Hamburger: € 11 - 16
  - 0,5 ltr softdrink, like cola: € 3,5 - 4,5

[KHVol]

Great RR....don't know how I missed it three years ago

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by KHVol

Great RR....don't know how I missed it three years ago

haha, that's quite understandable - I miss a hell of a lot more than I manage to read