The country around Askim is low, green and farmed, a good deal more peaceful than the high mountain roads far to the west.
Askim, with around twelve thousand people, grew along the Glomma, Norway's longest river, which here flows broad and slow towards the Oslofjord. For much of the twentieth century the town was famous for its rubber factory, and Viking boots made in Askim were on the feet of fishermen, farmers and soldiers around the country. Mysen, a little smaller, is the centre of the inner Østfold area, with a railway line and a typical Norwegian mix of timber houses and modern shopping. Around both, the land is a patchwork of grain fields, woodland and small lakes.
The roads are quiet and easy. You can ride long, gentle straights between farms, with rolling hills and the occasional blind crest where a tractor may be waiting. The surface is generally good, and the E18 passes close by if you need to make time. In spring there is often gravel from winter treatments on the edges, and in autumn wet leaves can make shaded bends slippery. Elk are a real hazard at dawn and dusk, so keep your eyes on the verges.
Fuel is no trouble, as Askim has several stations and supermarkets, and Mysen has more. It is the sort of place where you can buy a pastry and a coffee without a fuss and sit on a bench by the river. Prices are Norwegian, so expect everything to cost more than at home.
If you have time, find a spot beside the Glomma and watch it pass. In late summer the water is warm, the fields are golden and the light is long, and you realise the south of Norway has an agricultural side that most visitors never see. It is a gentle contrast to the dramatic passes the ride is named after.