Wildman's Ride the World 2010 - Scandinavia & Baltic States

[ecce]

Given your tight schedule I guess you will take E14 straight to Norway. It is not a very great road compared to the really nice gravel roads.

There are three great things in Sweden.
1. Women
2. Gravel
3. Gravel

Limitless supplies of both

It seems you manage to catch Sweden during a week of cold weather. I was out riding my self, just north of Stockholm and up towards gävle today and found it very cold for the season. Read in the news that there had been 40-50cm of snow in Norway the other day near Jotunheim not at all far from where you plan to ride. Came some more today but nothing more is expected according to the news sources.


Let me know if you need any road or hotel/camping suggestions

[Johnny Dakar]

Nice, Paul. Keep it coming.

[Wildman]

Originally Posted by ecce

Given your tight schedule I guess you will take E14 straight to Norway. It is not a very great road compared to the really nice gravel roads.

There are three great things in Sweden.
1. Women
2. Gravel
3. Gravel

Limitless supplies of both

It seems you manage to catch Sweden during a week of cold weather. I was out riding my self, just north of Stockholm and up towards gävle today and found it very cold for the season. Read in the news that there had been 40-50cm of snow in Norway the other day near Jotunheim not at all far from where you plan to ride. Came some more today but nothing more is expected according to the news sources.


Let me know if you need any road or hotel/camping suggestions

Thanks ecce

I have two options to ride across to Norway. My preferred route is E14 - 83 - 315 - 84 - 31 - 30 - 29 - E136 directly in to the Trollstigen or, if the weather stays poor, just sit on the E14 to Trondheim before heading down the E6 and then the E136 tomorrow. Woken up in Sundsvall to another downpour although the wind seems to have dropped. We'll see what it's like after 80kms or so when I need to make the call which route to take.

[Wildman]

Originally Posted by Johnny Dakar

Nice, Paul. Keep it coming.

This isn't the RR I'd envisioned; too much poor weather. The forecast for midweek is better so I travel in hope and appreciate those hanging in with the report. It will get more interesting. When you're travelling alone, it's always nice to feel like you're bringing others along for the ride.

[white_bear]

Hey Wildman (Paul)-

Enough already of the pictures of gravel. This needs the pictures of the beautiful ladies that you see all over the place! They will give some spice to your RR!

eta moya dva rubles

[Wildman]

Originally Posted by ecce

...There are three great things in Sweden.
1. Women
2. Gravel
3. Gravel

Limitless supplies of both ...

You forgot trees. Millions of them!

[Wildman]

Originally Posted by white_bear

Hey Wildman (Paul)-

Enough already of the pictures of gravel. This needs the pictures of the beautiful ladies that you see all over the place! They will give some spice to your RR!

eta moya dva rubles

Not that sort of Ride Report!

[Wildman]

Sweden is a fantastic country. The wind has dropped, the rain mostly stayed away and although it's still pretty cold, I had a super day.



50 miles of the E14 and then it was 180 miles of this:



Startled a young eagle from it's 'kill' by the side of the road. For two or three seconds it flew along side me at head height at no more than arms reach. Phenomenal creature. I think I scared the shit of of it because, well, the shit came out of it and it flew up and off.

Found a cracking place to eat lunch. I can't explain the silence. It was more than silence. Maybe it was the riding still ringing in my ears but it seemed so quiet I can't explain.











The good news about the wet weather is that the waterfalls are wonderful.



Norway!



I does seem different as soon as you cross the border. I don't know if it's the preconceptions in my mind that I'm in a different country but Norway feels different. It's certainly more expensive than Sweden. Sheesh!

Weather forecast is good for Wednesday. 205 miles to the Trollstigen. I'll see what the weather's like in the morning and decide whether to go for it tomorrow or take a tootle before hitting it on Wednesday. No point in going if you can't see it.

[ecce]

Originally Posted by Wildman

You forgot trees. Millions of them!

I guess I cannot see the forrest for all the trees :P

Looks like you had a nice ride today!

[Wildman]

Originally Posted by ecce

I guess I cannot see the forrest for all the trees :P

Looks like you had a nice ride today!

I love Sweden! When it's not raining.

[Wildman]

Another cold (7°C/45°F) and wet start.

I misread the map in the wet and didn't realise that the road I wanted changed numbers from 30 to 3. I carried on the 30 looking for my turn after 25kms. By 40 kms, I stopped to check. The problem with Norway is that once you're in a valley, it's a damned long way to get out. As the crow flies, I was only about 2kms from where I wanted to be. By the time I found the 3, I was 76kms south of my turn!

Every cloud has a silver lining though and by chance, my plan B, the Friisvegen, took me across the most fantastic plateau. Part way up a steep climb through trees I was flagged down by a guy resembling Santa Claus who indicated I should wait. A brief conversation on a two-way radio and a car appeared with a big sign on the back saying "Follow Me". A personal escort up through a series of road works!

30kms further along, through the tree-line and the most incredible plateau appeared.



Snow-capped mountains off to the right.



More great views to the left.



Lots of good gravel roads up here too but I didn't have the time. It was 205 miles from Roros to the foot of the Trollstigen. I rode 240 today and stopped for the night 35 miles short. Weather forecast is good for tomorrow so the only way is up!

[CBR-ELEVENTY-TEN]

Great. I f***ing love Norway!

I've been twice and I'm looking at making it thrice....

[Wildman]

Originally Posted by CBR-ELEVENTY-TEN

Great. I f***ing love Norway!

I've been twice and I'm looking at making it thrice....

Despite the rain and cold, it's fantastic.

[Wildman]

I hope that the picture I took of the German guy on his R1150GS and his buddy turn out better than the one he took of me. Maybe he's giving me the finger!



At last some decent weather and at last, the Trollstigen or Trolls Path. No words needed!

[Wildman]

You need to take a short ferry ride from the Trollstigen to Geiranger.



The ferry is ready and waiting when I arrive.



Safely aboard next to a good looking Landy with some good looking local occupants.



Geiranger Fjord comes into view.



But there's a cruise-liner in.



I'd heard not to stop in Geiranger if a liner is in so it's straight through and half-way up the other side leaving Geiranger to it's hoards of Italian tourists.





You can see the route down.



The route up after Geiranger is the most challenging of the day but not possible to get a picture. This is the best I could do.



Today was a fantastic day. To keep track of my ambition (see sig line), I keep a short 'log' of my travels. Just a 'from', 'to', 'via' and 'milage'. Today was my 91st day of riding. In defence of my n00bness, I've averaged more than 180 miles on each of those days and have ridden the Pyrenees, the Route des Grandes Alpes and the Swiss Alps but today was the best. There's something about Norway; all the beauty of the Italian or English Lakes with all the majesty of the Alps.

The 15,000 miles that I've ridden have all been alone. As I came off Geiranger, the German guys overtook me so I tagged along with them for the next hour across to Lom and on towards Otta. It did me good to ride behind them. They were experienced riders but I soon realised that my road positioning and anticipation were better. Yes, they went faster than I normally ride and I had to work to keep up but hell, I was taught well. Emmet (and Carly too), if you're out there, I learned good! Thank you.