Hardanger Fjord and Waterfalls

A 420 km loop

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Why this ride

A rider’s loop: clean exit, memorable middle, calm return. A 420 km loop that starts and ends near Sørumsand, about 8 h 44 of riding. On the way it passes near Hønefoss, near Sande, Nesoddtangen and near Askim.

Roadbook

1. Fuel stop near Sørumsand fuel

   Fuel at 0 km.

2. Oslo / Norway Scenic Roads return swim

   It is the Toten plateau, a broad upland of fields, birch woods and low ridges where Norwegians grow much of their grain and potatoes, with the lake glinting below to the east. The small settlements of Reinsvoll and Lena are the nearest, and Gjøvik, the main town of the district, is a short ride north.

   Mjøsa has its own character. A paddle steamer, the Skibladner, has run on the lake since 1856 and is the oldest of its kind still in regular service, calling at the lakeside towns with a plume of smoke and the clack of its engine. The shores are lined with farms and orchards, and in the old days timber was floated down from the mountains to the sawmills along the lake. In summer, the water is surprisingly warm for a Norwegian lake, and swimming from small beaches is a popular pastime.

   The riding on the plateau is relaxed. County roads rise and fall in easy bends over the ridges, with views of the lake and the surrounding hills, and traffic is light. The surface is usually good, though winter frost leaves patches that need watching. Wind across the open fields can be strong, and rain showers pass quickly. For a start, the road down to the lakeshore is a pleasant run, and the early morning light on the water is excellent.

   For practical needs, fuel is easy at Gjøvik and Raufoss, and small shops in the villages sell basic supplies. If you want a swim, look for the public beaches on the lake, which have changing huts in some cases. The water is cold in May and pleasantly mild by August. Carry a towel and a flask of coffee, and watch for farm vehicles on the narrow lanes. A late evening swim, with the sun low over the water, is one of the pleasures of a Norwegian summer.

3. Food stop near Hønefoss food

   A break here at 120 km.

4. Photo stop near Sande swim

   Sande is where the inner Oslofjord pinches into a quiet bay, the Sandebukta, between Drammen and Holmestrand. The E18 thunders past it, and most traffic never slows down, but turn off and you find a gentle green landscape of farmland, low wooded ridges and small boat harbours, far softer than the fjord country further west that the bigger rides are heading for.

   This is a transit area more than a riding playground. The main roads are fast and well surfaced, with speed limits enforced by cameras on long stretches of the E18 and Norwegian fines that are painful by any standard. The minor roads towards the shore and up into the Vestfold hills are narrower and more relaxed, curving between fields and spruce plantations, with occasional glimpses of the fjord. In spring the fields are a vivid green, and on long summer evenings the light lingers until well past ten.

   The bay itself is a decent place to stop. The water is sheltered, often flat as glass, and you can see across to the wooded headlands of the Hurum peninsula. Holmestrand, a few kilometres south, sits under dramatic cliffs and is worth a glance if you have time. Drammen, just to the north, is the bigger town, with a river that has been cleaned up over the past decades and a famous corkscrew road tunnel spiralling up through the hill above the city.

   Sande has fuel and a supermarket, and the larger stations along the E18 are open long hours. Prices in Norway are high, coffee included, so it is not a bad idea to take advantage of a full-service stop here before heading inland on the long run towards Hardanger, where distances between villages stretch out and the ferries set the pace.

5. Near Nesoddtangen finish

   Oslo's suburbs fade quickly here into forest, lakes and fjord. The point lies on the eastern side of the Bunnefjord, the inner arm of the Oslofjord, between Kolbotn and the Nesodden peninsula, an area of wooded hills, granite outcrops, small farms and houses painted in red, white and yellow. Nesoddtangen at the tip of the peninsula is linked to central Oslo by a ferry that crosses the fjord to Aker Brygge, and many locals commute by boat.

   The landscape was shaped by ice. Glaciers scraped the bedrock smooth during the last ice age and left behind lakes, rounded hills and the long, narrow fjord. In summer the light lasts almost all night, the water is warm enough for a swim from the rocks, and the forests are full of blueberries and the smell of pine. In winter the days are short, the roads can be icy and the lakes freeze.

   The Atlantic Road ride is a long journey from here, heading north and west through the valleys and over the mountains to the coast near Molde and Kristiansund, where the road hops between small islands on a series of bridges, the most famous of which curves high above the sea. It is a serious undertaking, with long stretches of road, ferries, tunnels and mountain passes, and it rewards careful planning, especially for fuel and accommodation.

   Riding in Norway has its own rhythm. Speed limits are low, often 80 km/h on main roads, and fines for speeding are among the highest in Europe. Roads are generally well surfaced but narrow, with tunnels, roadworks and frost heave in places. Tolls are collected automatically, so registering your plate with the AutoPASS system can make things easier. Moose and deer are a real danger at dawn and dusk, especially in the forests. The legal alcohol limit for drivers is very low, and enforcement is strict.

   Fuel, food and supplies are easy to find in the suburbs around Kolbotn and Nesodden, and the ferry at Nesoddtangen offers a lovely way to see the fjord and the city from the water. Before setting out, check the weather and road conditions, especially for mountain passes, which may be closed in winter. A coffee and a cinnamon bun at a local bakery is the Norwegian way to begin a long day.

6. High point near Askim swim

   The Glomma, Norway's longest river, swings past Askim on its way to the sea, and the town grew up on the energy it provides. A large hydroelectric plant at Solbergfoss harnesses the river nearby, and in the twentieth century Askim became known for its rubber works, which turned out tyres and boots for half of Norway. Today it is the main town of the inland Østfold district, with a modern centre, schools and shops, surrounded by wide farmland, lakes and forested ridges.

   For riders, Askim is a gateway rather than a destination. The E18 runs straight past on its way towards Sweden, and the county roads around it head off through gentle, open countryside towards the lakes and the river. Much of the landscape here was shaped by the last Ice Age: the great Ra moraines, long ridges of gravel and boulders left by the retreating ice, cross Østfold, and some of the gentle high ground you ride over is exactly that.

   Roads are smooth and quiet outside commuter hours, but the speed limits are low by continental standards and well policed. Moose are a real hazard at dawn and dusk, particularly where forest meets field; the warning signs are not decoration. Spring brings frost heaves on smaller roads, and gravel lingers on bends after winter.

   Askim has several fuel stations, supermarkets and cafés, making it a sensible place to fill up and buy food before the long drive west towards the fjords. Norway is expensive, so a picnic from a supermarket is a common and perfectly respectable lunch for travelling riders. Take a short walk down to the riverbank before setting off; the Glomma is broad and powerful here, a reminder of how much water drains out of the mountains to the north.

7. Scenic stretch near Askim swim
8. Back to Hardanger Fjord finish

   Sørumsand is the home of a small railway that has nothing to do with fjords. The narrow-gauge line Urskog-Hølandsbanen, the only preserved narrow-gauge railway in Norway, runs steam and diesel trains from here on summer Sundays, and the museum in the old station shows the carriages and engines.

   The ride's name speaks of the Hardanger Fjord, far to the west, but the day ends here, in a very different landscape: flat farmland, pine woods and the wide, slow Glomma, Norway's longest river. The roads are straight and quiet, with gentle bends along the river, and a surface that is generally good. Traffic is light, except near Lillestrøm and the main roads towards Oslo. In summer, the fields are full of grain and the air smells of cut hay, and in autumn, the birch woods turn gold.

   The river has a long working history. For centuries, timber from the forests of the interior was floated down the Glomma to the sawmills, and at Fetsund, the Lenser, a series of log-sorting booms, stayed in use until 1985 and is now a museum, with a footbridge over the water. To the west, Øyeren, a large lake at the end of the river, has a vast inland delta, a protected wetland that is one of the most important places for migrating birds in northern Europe.

   Fuel and food are easy enough, with stations and shops in Sørumsand and a wider choice in Lillestrøm, and small cafes open in summer. Norwegian bakeries sell fresh bread, and farm shops offer strawberries and potatoes. The train to Oslo runs from Lillestrøm in about fifteen minutes.

   Walk onto the footbridge at Fetsund if you can. Looking down at the old booms, you can almost hear the logs.

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