Day 13 – Surnadal to Eidsvag – Safe Return Doubtful

50 miles (81 km) – Total so far: 812 miles (1,307 km)

Though I awoke and was out of the tent just after 7:30, the rain soon started. I am ahead of my schedule, so I resorted to a quiet morning if reading and coffees. The rain stopped, blue skies in its place. And I was away just after 1 pm. It was up and over a hill to the Kvanne ferry, then up a somewhat bigger hill towards Sunndalasora. Short of the town by 10 kilometres and I cam across at 7 km tunnel that had no cycling allowed in it. Just as I pulled over a 4WD Honda stopped by me and told me he would take me though it. The guy works in the aluminium factory in town and was out with his dog, an English Spaniel, in the hills. He had only las week written to the local newspaper about the problems this tunnel causes for cyclists. There is no realistic way around it. If cyclists go through it, they are usually reported by a motorist, and the tunnel is closed, with a hefty fine for the rider. The only thing to do is to wait and shout down a bus as it infrequently passes (maybe 3 times a day my driver said), of hitchhike. I was lucky.

Sunndalsora is quite an industrial town. 800 people are employed by the factory including many Somali immigrants that have lived here for 25 years now. It also is housing refugees from Syria currently. It is spectacularly set amongst sharp rising mountains, the highest being Skarfjellet, at 1790 metres, and many are destinations for rock climbers.

From here the road travels around the fjord and through 3 tunnels, each about 2-3 km, before climbing the hill inland and descending to Eidsvag. Just as some heavy showers arrived I searched for the camping. Locals pointed me one way then the next, and the GPS appeared wrong. Actually it closed a couple of years ago (Stobo camping). There looked some good places on the river leading to the fjord but a taxi driver told me the police moved people on. As a particularly heavy shower arrived I decided upon the B&B. The price included spicy cod and potatoes dinner which clinched it for me. What I purchased in the supermarket can wait a day. A little bit of luxury every once in a while goes well.

Distance 50.5 miles Time left 1:15 pm Time arrived 7:00 pm Time riding 4 hours 29 minutes Height gained