Bikepacking in Norway?

[Chew]

Its cold, windy and dark so plenty of time to think about next summers adventures.

Norway keeps springing to mind, so trying see what the options are. First trawl through the internet isn't really coming up with anything, although plenty of options for a road tour.

Anyone have any knowledge?
Are there equivalents of bridleways? Is the landscape suitable for riding offroad?

Looking to make up a route of c.800-1000km, so any knowledge greatly recieved

[Taylor]

Get in touch with Toni Lund and try Finland.

[voodoo_simon]

If you PM jblewi of this forum, he'll be able to help you with some general questions about Norway/camping etc. He's made two climbing trips there over the last two summer. Once driving all the way to lofoton and the second, to the Troll Wall area.

Guess you won't need to take bike lights nor a head torch if it's a summer trip

[Yorlin]

I've been on holiday up to Mjollfell Youth Hostel - had to train it up there from Bergen via Voss but it's at the foot of an amazing glacier valley we walked round, and it looked like there were routes off from it...

Voss itself has lots of outdoor stuff going on - when we were there there was a paragliding festival and people were hiking off in all directions, might be worth a look? There was a small road that followed the valley up to mjollfell (as the mjolfell station was just a stretch of gravel and you had to climb down the valley side that might be better).

A lot of roads have the 'old' roads next to them, which are generally flat, if a bit rubbly. The Stretch from Eidfjord to Over Eidfjord is good for biking...

[mcmoonter]

There was a piece on the walking trails and huts on the Adventure Show a month or two back. iPlayer may still have it. They showed a collection of huts, think up market bothies, complete with firewood, beds and food. I'm certain they were near Voss. Usually a days walk between each hut, biking between two should be manageable.

[Gari]

The problem with the routes between huts is that it is very rocky/heathery etc. there is lots of lifted downhill etc in Norway but very little in the way of trails that we have here in the uk, think the NW of Scotland, and then some :D
The huts are part of the DNT network, and cover almost all of the country, a search for DNT.no will get you the site. Great for walking and ski touring, and I have a route planned for fatbike touring in the winter but out with these times you will do a lot of portaging.
I lived and worked there for several years, as a guide and outdoor instructor so have used the huts a lot, including in the Lofotens, Jottenhiem and the Setesdal valley.
Sweden or Finland would indeed be a better option I think.
Shame 'cos it's a lovely country, just very rugged.....

[Jim_T]

hi guys, new around here

I did a great road trip around the Lofoten Islands earlier this year but bikepacking in Jotunheimen range next Summer. Not sorted our route out yet. Figure it could be hike-a-bike quite a bit, but going to take our chances. From doing our research, doesn't sound like it's an area people have bikepacked in very much, which could be because the trails are unrideable and sensible people have avoided it ...

[99percentchimp]

Hi Chew,
This might form the basis of a route?!
I've had my eye on bits of the St. Olav's Pilgrims way for a bit... good long way marked paths with a return rail trip between Oslo and Trondheim.... possible loop into Sweden for part of the return
Good website here http://pilegrimsleden.no/en/map
The main Gudbrandsdalen route would take you north - south and I've read of people cycling on it.
Could form the basis of a route in eastern Norway... less fjords and massive hills but plenty of 'wilderness'
still. Some other views and info http://www.oregonlive.com/outdoors/inde ... an_an.html
Hope that gives you some ideas :)

[thegnarlycenturion]

Very interested in this!! Am planning a trip through Denmark, Sweden and then Norway - from what I've found the national cycle routes are truly excellent, but Bikepacking routes, it seems to lack! There is the Rallarvegen route that seems to feature a fair bit of doubletrack riding, but otherwise it seems like even the cycle routes are paved. & they join the road a fair bit too, which is a shame as gravel roads would be just fine (imo) considering the spectacular country!

Has anyone else found something different?

[Chew]

My research ended with finding not a lot of suitable routes for Bikepacking in Norway. There is the pilgrim route to Trondheim, but thats a fair way inland and the while reason why I want to go to Norway is the ffords and mountains, which is all coast based and more suitable to a road tour (which i'm not against)

Sweden/Finland have more options but be aware theres a lot of forest in that area, so pick your route to give you a different view now and again.

[Chicken Legs]

The Lofoten Islands are fantastic and it is OK to camp anywhere, didn't see many trails to ride though, best suited to a road trip, well worth a visit, a tad expensive

[Mpolo]

The current mountain bike rider mag has an article on Norway worth a read

[ZeroDarkBivi]

Sorry to resurrect this, particularly as the general feeling is that Norway doesn't have much for bikepacking. I am looking at a trip next summer, basing out of Bardufoss (about 80km south of Tromso), so starting within a days drive of there (Nordkap would be great), and either finishing within a days drive in the other direction, or at an international airport. Max duration is 3 weeks, including travel, so probably no more than 2000 km, depending on trail quality. The only thing I can find off-road is the Finnmark 700, but I'd like to go a bit longer. Obviously there are lots of options if we take the road, but I'd much rather use trails if possible.

Any advice is most welcome...

[Mike]

Chew I was intouch with a guy in Norway earlier this yrvabout a trip. I found him on the net as a fellow packer I'll try n find him again he sent me loads of info!

[99percentchimp]

Another good read and a potential trip on the Hardangervidda
https://thunderinthenight.exposure.co/tractor-pull
and
http://mikkelsoya.com/2014/08/31/barely ... kerafting/

[Chew]

Mike, if you have any info it would be great if you could forward it on.

Any advice is most welcome...

From everything that i've been able to find, Norway is split into two. The ffords at sea level, and the mountain plateaus. Nothing inbetween.

The ffords is all road based. Offroad is based up on the plateau. For me i'd want to go to Norway for the ffords, as the plateau seems similar to Scotland and at the moment it seems like a lot of effort to get over there.

If you do plan to go, please keep me in the loop as i could be tempted to join you

[vorlich]

I was just about to mention Joe (thunderinthenight) and Mikkel's trip. He's on twitter @thunder_night - it may be worth asking him on there is you want specifics.

[ZeroDarkBivi]

Many thanks for the advice. I have heard from a local source that there will probably still be snow in the mountains (or just lots of mud) in June, in the far North area I am looking it, so it looks like a coastal ride, hopefully starting in Nordkap and either terminating at the SE end of the Lofoten Islands (about 1000 km) or all the way to Oslo, if time allows.

[99percentchimp]

I'm going to have a bash at cycling into DNT hytte this winter (tagged onto a work trip most likely). Maybe east of Stavanger to hytte I know and tied to a ferry ride back to town or maybe in the Oslomarka area if I'm over that way. Lots of cabins and shelters pretty close if the going is hard on the ski trails or the weather closes in. I'll report back on feasibility/logistics etc. There's a good left luggage at Gaerdermoen (Olso's newer airport) and hytte within striking distance.

[JohnClimber]

Norwegian live weather update......

The hills have snow on them as I fly out of Oslo today (with free wifi onboard)

Photo from 30,000ft

[Alpinum]

I know northern Norway (a bit south of Bodö up to Svalbard) from a couple of trips.
Like some have already stated, not many trails, but those you find are crazy fun.
To really enjoy them you need to have good technical riding skills around Lofoten, along the coast and in some cases in the Scandes too.
Then completely different terrain inland - FInnmarksvidda. Loads of double tracks and stuff.

Reference:
http://www.offroadfinnmark.com/deutsch

An other thing is the Kungsleden. Many good miles by bike but deffo some HAB, no cycling allowed in the Sareks NP.

Even hills like Haldi (Finnmarksvidda) will have snow into mid June/beginning Aug.
Usually no snow issues after mid August except for shady place above 1500 m. Best time in my point of view is September - October. Risky due to autumn storms and larger amounts of snow (it often melt again before winter, but by melting can lead to difficult fords and deep, soft grounds) but the colours are stunning.

Mid October e.g. in Lofoten will mean that some things will have closed already and there will hardly be any tourists. No caravan queues - this is a serious issue June-August in the Lofoten area. For fellwalking and -biking (or they say fjell) it's great.


To put it short:
Techy riding - coast, Lofoten.
Easier but more about the distance - Kungsleden and Finnmarksvidda.

Many ideas surely can be found in hiking guide books as from Cicerone etc.
Just check if biking is allowed too.

If you really have no clue and like some rather serious character building stuff, I know a couple of routes that would live up to equal a HTR without the double tracks and tarmac sections (!)