It was fortunate that we decided to climb the Trolls Stairs yesterday because when we woke up this morning the cloud base had reduced, it was drizzling and visibility was poor.
We continued on the Tourist Road along which we could see enough to know that on a clear day the mountains would be spectacular, without getting the kind of views we had enjoyed yesterday.
Approximately half way along the route we slowly descended through a pine forest, to a narrow fertile valley. This small valley is famous for it’s fruit growing and we saw dozens of strawberry fields and orchards. There were small booths where fruit is presumably sold, but with the rain and the end of the main Norwegian tourist season, they were all unoccupied.
The valley led us to the shores of Storfjorden. Here we needed to catch a ten minute ferry across the fjord. With their usual efficiency the Norwegians had two ferries plying the route and we had barely parked up before we were on our way. On the opposite bank there was another short valley packed with small fruit farms before we started another long climb into the mountains.
Our ferry crossing at Storfjorden
Then came the bizarre village of Geiranger. Our first hint that we were to experience something unusual came when we reached the first viewpoint over Geirangerfjorden and found that the parking area was packed with vehicles, including coaches, an there was nowhere to park. This was the first time we had found such a full parking area in our five weeks in Norway. We parked on the road as unobtrusively as Basil’s size would allow.
Geirangerfjorden
Geirangerfjorden has been declared a World Heritage Sight due to great beauty of the fjord. It is particularly steep sided, very narrow and the water is a deep turquoise hue. As I walked to the viewpoint I could the source of the crowds: three thousand feet (1000 m) below in the village of Geiranger stood a huge cruise liner.
We recommenced our journey down the numerous hairpin bends, back down to sea level and the village. The small settlement of Geiranger was absolutely packed. In this village with a population of 250, there were thousands of people and dozens of coaches parked in every available nook and cranny. Everywhere we have visited in Norway, including Trondheim its third largest city, has been notable for being quiet and almost empty, Geiranger was the antidote to this.
It is a paradox that a place known for its incredible beauty is then overrun by tourists, including ourselves, as a result and as a consequence the very thing for which people visit it, is tarnished. Incredibly I have just read that Geiranger (population 250) receives 600,000 visitors a year!! With or without the crowds it is still a spectacular sight, although todays weather did not show it at its very best.
Geirangerfjorden – with cruise ship centre right
We continued with a dizzying 1000 metre climb up numerous hairpin bends, out of the fjord’s valley, with coaches making life difficult for poor old Basil and me. As soon as we had passed the last viewing point the crowds disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.
We ascended into even higher snow clad mountains, with the tops obscured by cloud and then before we knew it the Tourist Route came to an end. Our intention was to tackle a second short Tourist Road after lunch, but as we parked up for sustenance visibility, due to low cloud, was down to about 100 metres. Over lunch we decide to skip the afternoon route, which was through equally high mountains and instead to descend and find somewhere for the night.
Our view of some picturesque huts at lunchtime!
As we drove down from the mountains into the pine forests, with numerous moose warnings, the visibility improved.
Our overnight stop is again ideal: in amongst the trees and next to a large lake. The only fly in the ointment is a sign saying overnight stays should be in a campsite. This is the second time in Norway we have come across such a notice and since it is accompanied by a map showing nearby campsites we assume it has been erected to appease local businesses. The parking area is clearly heavily used for camping, with numerous fire pits, so we will quietly pretend we have never read the warning!
View from our sleeping spot
As evening has arrived we have had a few glimpses of sunshine and so we hope visibility will be better for the Tourist Road we shall tackle tomorrow. If the weather turns out to be wet and with low visibility, we have discussed cutting our losses and heading, a few days early, for Oslo.