As my eyes opened to a beautiful Geiranger morning, the first sounds danced their way into my ear drums. Running water… Birds chirping… Goats… What? Yes, goats. A herd of goats were chomping their way through the long grass on the other side of the river whilst peeking through the fence at any passers by. Ahhhh, life in the country… Far removed from my home on a busy road under the flightpath to Manchester Airport where my first morning sounds are usually cars, planes and buses. Waking up in Western Norway is bliss!
I had loose plans today which involved being outdoors as much as possible. My first port of call was Flydalsjuvet on route to Dalsnibba mountain plateau. The skies were perfectly blue and the odds looked favourable for the views from the top. I decided to take a bus trip up the mountain which is Europe’s highest fjord view by road at 1500m above sea level. Once again the early season advantage came into play – the 55-seater coach had 9 passengers on board. Our Swedish driver advised that the weather can change very quickly at the top and that even if clouds obscure the view this can change in a couple of minutes. The odds were looking promising as we arrived at Flydalsjuvet to take in the views:
An advantage of taking the trip by bus is that you can marvel at the road building prowess of the Norwegians. The road up to the mountain plateau twists and turns through 22km of gorgeous scenery and numerous switchbacks. Once the summit is reached, you can take in the utterly arresting views whilst the cleanest crispest air teases your nostrils. And the weather gods smiled down on us as we broached the well-fenced edge to be greeted by this:
On the road up and back down to Dalsnibba you will pass Knuten, or the knot. This was once the only road out of Geiranger to the south east and its unique design was inspired by the difficult terrain. To navigate it, first you drive through the arch and wind around 270 degrees to drive over the top. And yes, you can still do it today, even though it is now a retired detour off the main Route 63.
A further advantage in leaving the car behind was that I could get off the bus part way down at the Norwegian Fjord Centre (well worth a look in – the coffee is great too). From here you can hike down to the village and fjordside below via the Fossevandring waterfall walk. 300 steps will take you along the route of the waterfall which acts as the water supply for Geiranger. Dress appropriately – it’s not a matter of if, rather when you will get wet. In Spring the waterfall is particularly full and forceful, so take care with your camera when shooting the fall. For me the spray was as welcome as a cool drink with a long straw. The weather just got warmer and warmer!
Geiranger is full of beautiful hikes. You can stick by the side of the fjord, but do bear in mind that you may have to walk on the road in stretches (which gets busy with coaches if there are cruise ships in port). Many trails will take you up into the mountains as far and high as your fitness allows. For a free Geiranger hiking map, check out http://www.geirangerfjord.no/geiranger-today
After a pit stop for ice cream, I took the car up to the Eagles Rd (Ørnevegen) through the sequence of hairpin bends. Don’t let this put you off; you quickly become accustomed to driving on the right and handling the car through the bends and inclines. I say that as somebody who has a fear of heights. This road was absolutely fine to drive, so much so that I did it twice! The Ørnesvingen viewpoint at the top offers a panoramic view over Geiranger village, through the S-bend in the fjord and round as far as the Seven Sisters waterfall (as seen in the photo at the top of this post). If you can, visit first thing in the morning or later in the day. Parking is limited and even the arrival of one or two coaches can fill up the parking spaces pretty quickly.
I spent the evening once again chilling out on the deck in front of the cabin and taking in the beautiful views across the fjord. I would highly recommend Grande Hytteutleige og Camping in Geiranger – there are plenty of cabin types to suit all budgets plus tent pitches right beside the fjord and space for camper vans. You can read my review of the site here: http://tinyurl.com/gt3anwz
My advice: come to Geiranger when the big ships are elsewhere and leave time between hikes and hairpin roads to just sit and take in the spectacular beauty of this magnificent part of Norway.
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