Sognefjellet is the highest mountain road in northern Europe, crossing the roof of Norway at 1,434 metres between the fjords of the west and the valley of Lom in the east. In this part of the ride, high on the mountain, the landscape is bare rock, tarns, snow patches and the glaciers of the Jotunheimen range. Trees give out long before the top, replaced by moss, lichen and low willow. The nearest villages, Farnes and Gaupne, are far below on the fjord, which gives you an idea of the isolation.
The road dates from the 1930s, and it is a long, slow ribbon over the plateau with smooth bends and a good surface. At this height there is a lot of sky, and the views are wide, with glaciers hanging from the peaks. Snow poles line the verge, ready for the winter, when the road is closed, and in summer you will sometimes see patches of snow beside the tarmac even in July. The temperature can be ten degrees colder than in the valley, and a fog bank can blow in within minutes, so keep a warm layer to hand.
The mountains here are the Smørstabbtindane and their neighbours, with a number of peaks above two thousand metres, and glaciers feeding the milky green lakes beside the road. Wild reindeer graze on the plateau, and The tundra flowers are small and bright in the short summer. The air is thin and clear, and the silence is broken only by the wind and the occasional whistling of a ptarmigan.
A mountain lodge near the top serves meals and coffee in season. The road is closed from about late October to May, and opens when the snowploughs have cleared it, with the walls of snow beside the road sometimes taller than a bike. Check conditions before you set off, since the weather up here is serious.