NPL: Stryn to Oslo

Tags: Cycling, Europe, Norway, NPL 2009

The main reason for cycling from Stryn to Oslo was to buy a good bike map of Norway before I started on my long cycling tour from cape to cape in Norway (locally just known as NPL). Oslo was also a far better place than Stryn for getting essential spare parts for this tour. I could have done it more easy by taking a bus, instead I chose the hard way, to cycle the 470 km to Oslo, a good warm up for cape to cape.

Day 01 - Stryn to Furuly (before Bismo)
Distance/accumulated: 99.7 / 99.7
Avg/max speed: 14.5 / 49.6
Elevation gain: 1400 m

The shortage of exercise and cycling during the last 6 months, kept me wondering if the killer hills to Strynefjellet (via the old road) would literally kill me. The nice weather and scenery kept me going though. But I was dead meat arriving Furuly camping almost 100 km later.

Day 02 - Furuly to Randsverk
Distance/accumulated: 72.1 / 171.8
Avg/max speed: 13.7 / -
Elevation gain: 942 m

Endless raining (+ headwind) all day long. Wet and cold to the bones. Bicycle touring can be really awful some days. The steep uphills from Vågå, was steeper than expected (I know this road by car only...)

Day 03 - Randsverk to Fagernes
Distance/accumulated: 97.6 / 269.4
Avg/max speed: 16.3 / 47.2
Elevation gain: 1163 m

A beautiful morning in Randsverk, which gave me the opportunity to sun dry the wet clothes from yesterday. It got more and more cloudy as I crossed the highest road pass in North Europe (Valdresflya at 1400m). After Valdresflya it was exhilarating downhills almost all the way to Fagernes. I camped a few kilometres north of Fagernes, to avoid a rain shower.

Day 04 - Fagernes to Brandbu (15 km before)
Distance/accumulated: 117.0 / 386.4
Avg/max speed: 18.5 / 46.5
Elevation gain: 1013 m

The road was closed south of Bagn, so I had to cross into another valley (to Dokka), which added quite a few meters elevation. After a long day on the bike, I found a perfect camping spot near the water (10-15 km north of Brandbu)

Day 05 - Brandbu to Oslo
Distance/accumulated: 89.1 / 475.5
Avg/max speed: 20.2 / 45.4
Elevation gain: 741 m

Cruising in good speed, partly on a highway forbidden for cyclists. Some drivers were quite upset about this, and used the horn frequently. The most ugly part was the tunnels. Spent the night with my friend Håvar in Oslo, after 4 consecutive nights in a tent.

Next leg: Oslo to Lindesnes

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