Written 9th August published 10th August due to no network on 9th.

Team Basil upped sticks from our tranquil overnight stop in the high fells and headed south. It was after not many miles that we said goodbye to our old friend the E6, who we will not see again, except perhaps for a few miles from Oslo to the Swedish border. Instead we swung a hard right and headed for Anselnes, the start of the Gerainger-Trollstigen Tourist Road.

Our route to the start point was slow. Speed limits in Noway are the slowest we’ve come across in Europe. The normal speed limit on main roads in 80 kph (50 mph), but often, for no apparent reason, the speed is reduced to 60 kph (37 mph), which in the middle of the countryside is agonisingly slow, even in Basil. Most of our route was of this 60 kph variety.

View from Andalsnes

The scenery more than made up for it. The road followed a valley with increasingly high mountains on either side. Initially it was a broad u-shape, with lush pasture in the valley floor, but as we neared Andalsnes the mountains reared up to 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) and the valley narrowed until there was eventually only room for the river, the road and the railway. The valley sides became sheer and we eventually pulled over at the viewing point for the Trollveggan (Troll’s Wall). This is the highest vertical rock face in Europe. Over 1,500 metres (4,900 feet) of cliff face. The absolute scale of it was awe inspiring.

Troll’s Wall

It was first climbed by an Anglo-Norwegian team in 1958, but there have since been many deaths from both attempting the climb and more recently base jumping from the top. There is a small memorial in the parking area with the names of the fatalities.

This was all before we had even started our route proper!

We had lunch at the Trollveggan and then popped into Andalsnes to empty and fill Basil. It is amazing in Norway how many fuel stations have facilities for motorhomes to empty waste and fill up with drinking water. Most are free of charge. We nipped into Shell to use their dump point without buying their expensive petrol. I also had the address for Tourist Information in the town, but when we located the correct place there was nothing there, as far as we could see.

A genuine troll

The decision had been made to undertake the first few miles of the Tourist Road today, because the skies were relatively clear and so we could make the most of the spectacular views at the first stopping point. The initial section is up an almost vertical mountainside via a road known as the Trollstigen (Trolls Stairs).

Troll’s Stairs

We have been on scarier roads on this trip, usually because of the lack of guard rails, but this was as tortuous as anything we’ve been up. Twelve consecutive hairpins, with increasingly vertiginous views down to the valley floor. The road is essentially single track with passing places, which makes matters interesting with Basil. But to make things worse Andalsnes is a stopping place for cruise ships and so coaches go up and down the road, which brings all other traffic to a standstill as everyone scrambles for some nook or cranny to get out of the way of twelve metre monsters. Perhaps these are the trolls in question!

At the top of the Trollstigen the Norwegians have build a typical, for Norway, architecturally modern visitors centre. More excitingly walkways take you to the top of cliffs overlooking Trollstigen and at one point where a walkway, with a perforated floor, has been built out over a several hundred foot drop.

Typical Norwegian Architecture at the Troll’s Stairs

As we walked towards the viewpoints Melek let me down, let Team Basil down and most of all let himself down. He did a poo right in the middle of the architecturally perfect walkway, amongst dozens of tourists. Sarah gave me a bag to clear it up, but then for the next 30 minutes I was conscious, as I mingled with the masses, of being surrounded by a distinct smell of dog crap. Worse still every time I wanted to take a photo I had to use my poo bag holding hand to steady the camera, with the result that the stinky bag dangled just next to my nose!

Basil’s overnight spot

The rest area at the top of the Trollstigen was one possible overnight spot, but just three miles down the road was another possibility, so off we went to investigate. The alternative was perfect (62.41674, 7.638656). We parked next to a fast flowing stream with a view of snow patched mountains all around. After parking up, out came the chairs and we spent the next two hours admiring the view and listening to babbling water. I think this is my favourite overnight stop of the whole trip.

Basil’s overnight stop