Yesterday morning was very wet – I’m glad I made the decision to stay at an official campground.
- The previous day I was having some trouble shifting, but it was pouring and I was almost at the end of my day, so I let it go. When I started inspecting yesterday morning, I noticed that my chainring bolts had become loose. Easy fix! Except one of them must have been cracked because when I went to tighten it, it snapped right off! I’m always finding new ways to break my bike! According to Google, I was days away from the nearest bike shop to get a replacement bolt, with several big climbs between. After kicking myself for forgetting to bring zip ties, I realized I had a shallow-head bolt and nut, and was able to get some washers from the camp host, and was able to jerry-rig a fix to add enough tension that I wouldn’t make things worse, as long as I rode easy on the middle ring, and mostly relied on the granny ring.
- I also somehow managed to crack one of my tent poles but it was a pretty easy fix with some electrical tape and a pole splint
- I had a long slow climb up to about 2,500 ft., and, despite the cold rain, it was really beautiful. More waterfalls and clear lakes.
- Just after the summit there was this cool overlook that looked out onto the valley below and the super windy road I was about to descend. Also there were sheep with bells on them
- The descent down the switchbacks of the Gaularfjellsvegan was pretty awesome, but I was definitely soaking wet and cold by the time I got to the bottom. Here’s a video I made of the descent
- I had a short ride along the fjord and then spent some time warming up and drying off in the waiting area for the ferry that would take me across the fjord. I also managed to book a cheap room while researching camping options. On the ferry I had a tasty pancake with brunøst, a yummy brown, sweet cheese!
- Once I got to the other side of the fjord, things improved: the rain lessened just a slight drizzle and also I had an amazing tailwind rushing me into the next town, as I raced along the fjord
- But I got to the town, Sogndal, I found out that by what Google said there was a bike shop and I had gotten there in time to go get the part I needed, and it was still even early enough that I could still buy beer! (In Norway you can’t buy alcohol after 8:00 p.m. The other Scandinavian countries had similar rules)
- I got into my room, laid out my clothes to dry out, fixed my bike (the chainring bolt install went without a hitch), ate some dinner and had a great night’s sleep. I also did some route research based on some suggestions I had gotten and decided to change my route to add more mountains and fjords, with a ferry bailout option if I get behind
- This morning the weather was much better – warmer, and partly cloudy with only the occasional drizzle
- I started the day off with some more riding along the fjord – the color is unreal! I had a small climb along another gushing river, then a fun descent into a village where I caught another ferry
- On the other side I visited an old stave church from the 1100s – very cool stuff
- After that, more fun riding along the coast, with more stunning waterfalls than I could count, the occasional tunnel, and almost no traffic at all. Oh – and I saw a seal sunning itself on a rock!
- I ended the day by climbing up the steep switchbacks of the Sognefjellsvegen, the highest paved road in northern Europe, topping out at 4705 feet. I got up to about 2500 before finding a spot to camp (I started pretty much at sea level). It’s a bit drizzly, and probably in the upper 40s, but I’m feeling pretty cozy in my tent. I also can’t believe I get a strong cell signal here!
