Day 9 – into Namsos – Safe Return Doubtful

73 miles (117 km) – Total so far: 499 miles (803 km)

There were two of us in the Kjelleidet camping last night, I shared it with Arnie from Netherlands, a 62 year old Santa Claus look alike (except for the weight). We had a very good dinner in the cafe and chatted on many important matters. The old guy running the place has a little business I envy. 3 people called all evening, us two and a Norwegian touring cyclist to have dinner before heading on to camp wild. The owner has a small caravan at the back of the building and I guess spends his whole summer there. Alas, on Sunday morning he doesn’t open.

Rain woke me later than usual and it was a breakfast of jam sandwiches as the store may have nappies, fishing equipment and frozen bread, but no milk or yoghurt. It was just a light rain that had stopped by the time Arnie and I headed off, at the same time but in opposite directions.

For cyclists the small 771 road that heads north from here is a must. It certainly is hilly, but the section until it joins the 770 is tremendous. It is away from the sea and passes lots of little lakes, with lots of up and down to 80 metres or so. Sunday morning are very quiet in Norway, and the roads are a pleasure. I joined the 770 for a 130 metre hill into Kolvereid, by this time more cars and cyclists were out. A series of smaller roads through dairy fields head down to the ferry at Hofles, which I reached after 3 and a half hours riding. For once my ferry timing was poor, and I had just over an hour at the port. By now the sun was out and time to get rid of a few layers. From 9C to 24C.

The ferry docks at Lund, and from here on the 769 it is 50 kilometres of the finest riding. To get such quality of course it’s necessary to put in the work, and there were 8-10% gradients, and the road was very rarely flat. Twice it went up above 150 metres (and down to sea level again). The weather helped of course and the scenery was magnificent, mainly inland through rocky hills whose tops varied between a few hundred a thousand metres.

The last 10 kilometres into Namsos is back along the sea, though with that obligatory big hill before the finish. I was finding it tough also. I was out of food with pretty much everywhere closed on Sundays, and the day was the most climbing I have done in a day for a couple of years.

Namsos is a relatively big town and there were a couple of restaurants open, and the Xtra which I used last Sunday in Risoyhamn also. Then out of town to the camping, which when I arrived I was concerned about as it is 4 star. However the price is okay for bike tourists at 150 NKR and it is pretty quiet, though next to the airport. The receptionist spent a while telling me it wasn’t a major airport, as if that wasn’t obvious. All the sites have had wifi, though so incredibly slow it is not usually usable. Here it is quick, so I can catch up on posting photos and the Tour and cricket.

It’s 11:15 pm and I’m off to bed. Incredible, it looks like it may even get dark…

Distance 72.9 miles Left at 10:20 am Arrived at 7:30 pm Time riding 7 hours 24 minutes Height gained 10,859 feet

Up into the hills and lakes on a damp Sunday morning – hardly a car on the road

Looking down into Kolvereid before the descent

Back on to some very quiet roads through dairy farms. Some steep ups and downs.

For once I was unlucky with my ferry timing. An hours wait and a bit of lunch at Hofles, the sun out and a temperature increase of about 10 degrees.