Norway's Secret Abandoned Road You Can Cycle | The Finale to Fjord Norway | Ep.6
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- Опубліковано 17 чер 2024
- Over two weeks of editing. The concluding episode has it all and I'm pretty proud of this series. It took longer in the edit room than on the bike but I hope these videos will last for years to come. Goodbye Fjord Norway, thanks for the memories.
THE FULL ROUTE and details about this journey will be available at www.cyclenorway.com in the coming weeks. Subscribe to the newsletter on the site to receive updates.
Note: In this video, Måbødalen gamleveien (old road) is closed due to rock slides. If you decide to cycle it you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK. The other option is to take a bus at Fossatromma through the car tunnels down to Hardanger Fjord.
00:00 - Intro
00:46 - Day 7 Flåmdalen Gravel Road / Rainy Rallarvegen
02:56 - Heading back to Oslo / Change Bike and Setup
03:28 - Northern Europe's biggest Mountain Plateau - Hardangervidda
04:09 - The Secret Abandoned Road - Måbødalen
06:26 - Hardanger Fjord - 3rd Longest in the World 185km
08:56 - Oddadalen & its Waterfalls
11:55 - Røldalsfjellet Climb with Glacier Views
12:46 - Ryrylke Road 520 - A.K.A The Norwegian Desert!
14:32 - Ferry to Stavanger
15:18 - The Holy Flat Land
16:13 - The Devils Teeth
17:31 - Final Remarks of this Extraordinary Ride - Fjord Norway
PLANNING ON CYCLING IN NORWAY THIS SUMMER?
Join me for a LIVE Q&A about Cycling in Norway - Monday 25th April 8pm-9pm (Central European Summer Time/GMT+2)
Facebook page: / cyclenorwaycom
FOLLOW ME on Instagram for the latest updates: / cyclenorway
#bikepackingnorway #cyclenorway #Hardanger #cycletouring #ride #fjordnorway #Rallarvegen
This is what UA-cam is made for. Amazing footage, story telling and video editing. Thanks Matthew, for sharing with us.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Amen.
"So its like nearly 20 degrees!" You gotta be from Norway for that to be a hot day.
Mathew, you donated us the most spectacular and best filmed and commented (and skilled of course) travel report we ever experienced on UA-cam! Thanks a lot ❤️👍 Regards from Cologne
Moni & Karl
This would have to be the most spectacular and well narrated bike documentary I have ever seen, wow wow wow. Thank-you
Big thanks to you Sir, for this tribute of yours to my beloved fatherland. I have been traveling along many of these roads countless times, on my way to friends and family, and it touches my heart to see others fall in love with the patch that I call home. Greetings from the holy land 😀 (Nærbø). Magne.
It's one of the most beautiful places on the planet - that is a fact not a statement!
Another one; old serpentine down to Frafjord. The village got their new tunnel some 20+ years ago.
Oh my god, this is the road through my great grandfather's farming land and home outside Eidfjord. I have always wanted to visit and this video of the ride through Voringfossen and along the Eidfjord and Hardangerfjord secured it. Thank you. I can't wait to ride that road.
Life and health situations result in my (and many others) not being able to even consider biking through lands like this ... we just wouldnt make it, and we know that. Watching this series still allows us to kind of experience, a trip that we wish we could do ourselves ... and thats the value of a video series like this, we all get to at least dip into the wonderousness of what it could be like, from a distance.
To live vicariously through you ... isnt such a bad thing to do.
I rarely leave a comment anywhere but this was an inspirational film! Great camera work and commentary. Just really good.
I’ve cycled Rallarvegen from Finse to Flåm. Spectacular. But I’ve also been driving these roads for almost 40 years. So to all cyclists: You are all very welcome to Norway - but do as most MC riders and PLEASE use hi-vis vis clothes. And maybe even a flashing light at day-time. Many roads are narrow, curved and hilly, still with a LOT of traffic. The weather can be awful, and if sunny, the sun is low in the morning and evening, even at summer. So stay safe and enjoy our country!
I've only just stumbled across your channel Matthew. What an absolute joy it is.
We just moved to Sweden from England 2 months ago. It's been a real treat getting my teeth into the cycling here in Småland, but the scenery in Norway is on another level.
If you ever need some company for a tour, let me know!
Great to hear Kevin, Norway looks forward to welcoming you 👍
I have driven down Måbødalen (new road) many times. The road you cycled down used to be the main (and only) road until 1984. Back then, the road didn't have proper road barriers, as well as the cars having bad brakes and no seatbelts. One of the crazier roads in Norway. Loved the video though! :)
Hi. Måbødalen was the site of a tragic bus accident in 1988. A bus with kids and parents from Sweden lost the brakes going down as the driver was probably unfamiliar with driving at 8% decline. 16 were killed and 18 wounded.
Excellent job! I’m an American that’s been living in Northern Norway for 20 years. I’ve biked from North Cape to Stavanger and know the joys and pains of cycling Norway. If you haven’t done so already (I’ll check!), you should do a video series on the Helgeland coast from Bodø to Brønnøysund. The “kystriksveien”, or coastal route, is spectacular while avoiding the accents of the inland routes. Look me up in Nesna and I’ll grill you a burger and fill up your tires!
North Cape to Stavanger is cheating as it's only downhill. The difficult route is Stavanger to North Cape which is only uphill.
@@drSvensen Ha! That’s what I always say when I relate the story. “Uh.. It wasn’t hard ‘cause it was all downhill.”
😂
I've been completely blown away by this series. Awesome doesn't even begin to cover it. Is it the most beautiful ride on the planet? From what you've filmed and shown us it could very well be. I really appreciate all the hard work you've put in to bring this series of rides to me in the comfort of my living room. It's a ride I have to do one day before I lose the strength. Thank you so much. You should be hugely proud of the ride and videos. It will be something amazing to look back on at some point. Take care and ride safe. Jay
Amazing job, the whole series is a masterpiece and extremely enjoyable to watch, thanks!
You have done it again - inspiring - I will skip lunch, and get out training for this summers trip to fjord Norway!
Awesome Mark!
Just discovered your site today and have to say a huge thank you for taking the time and making the effort ! Greetings from S.W. Ontario, Canada.
There are quite as lot of roads like this in Norway. They are the original routes before the modern tunnels were built. In 1981 we cycled from Bergen to Oslo and climbed three passes up to 1,000 metres above sea level. On one of them we could have been on the moon, it was so empty and remote and had probably not seen a vehicle for years. We had to use them, the tunnels are closed to cyclists, The snaking climbs at times were totally knee-cracking, but the views and the silence and peace! I wouldn't have missed it for anything. It took us a week and we returned on the train and it took seven hours! The train journey is something special, too. Norway is a wonderful country in so many ways.
Thanks for sharing your adventures - I couldn't agree more 😊
You are very justified in taking pride in this series of videos you have created. The ride itself was magnificent and the record astonishing to see. The landscapes of Norway are truly incredible and are so wonderfully exciting to see. I will have to sit down again and watch these as there is just so much to take in. I have watched so many travel videos and believe this to be perhaps the best. Thanks for creating this record and showing this amazing country so brilliantly.
Appreciate it Ivor!
Beautiful places in Norway just beautiful....landscape, waterfall, scenary, water,........love your videos 👌👌👌😍😍😍😍😍😍
Awesome job man, thanks for sharing!
i just got back from a motorcycle trip through Norway, what a country! I did some of the same roads as you did, also went through Odda, stayed at Stavanger etc. I have never been to a country where the nature is so diverse. 1 moment i was kneedeep in snow in June, the next i was standing in a beautiful lush forest. I rode past the Hardanger Plate, did Lysebotn and part of the Atlantic road and on my way back to the ferry in Kristiansand, when i thought i've seen almost all of it, Norway surprised me once more with the beautiful Telemarken area.
That’s EXACTLY how I felt! And Telemark is the icing on a cake that you weren’t expecting!
It would have been perfectly safe to take and drink water from those reservoirs. Thanks for uploading this
I live in the Pacific Northwest of the USA and it is stunningly beautiful, but it pales in comparison to Fjord Norway. Thank you for making to effort to film this for use.
Great storytelling and great cinematography. It is an amazing documentary and I hope UA-cam will make sure that more people would see it. Amazing journey.
I don´t know how or why your channel popped up in my YT feed, but I´m glad it did. An excellent presentation of cycling in the Fjords, very well filmed and presented. I´m based in Oslo myself and have done a lot of cycling in the UK (also my home country) in the past as well as cycling across Europe, but never really done that much here. Although I used to work at one of the bike shops when I first moved here some 15 years ago. This has got me suitably inspired to get the bike back out of the attic and on the road again :) thanks for creating these videos :)
What a way to finish!! A truly epic journey.
Just watched it twice to make sure I was not watching a dream. I can't begin to imagine what it was like in real life.
Thank you for filming & sharing.... bl00dy awesome.
Glad you enjoyed it Christopher!
Matthew, why you don't have more subscribers I don't know. These are without doubt some of, if not the best cycling videos out there. It is hard to imagine that you do these on your own. The films are outstanding. The scripts informative and inspiring, the music fitting. Thank you once again. When I meet cyclist I always tell them to watch your videos.
Thanks Martin, appreciate it! Unfortunately, UA-cam prioritise quantity over quality. If you pump out 2 videos a week YT rewards you. Once every few weeks is not how you succeed unless you make viral videos. But slowly I'm building a strong base of subscribers.
@@matthewnorway These videos are really well done. So much work you put into them.
@@matthewnorway amayzing , love every minutt
Epic-awesome story telling. This video does Norway’s beauty justice!
"Happiness = enthusiasm - pain" (Philosopher Arne Naess). The truth of this quote is so much shining through when sharing with us your emotions when cycling in Norway. Thank you!
What a great journey! I loved every part of it, well done Matthew! I did part of the NC500 in Scotland this year, which was phenomenal, but beatiful Norway will be my next goal!
Fabulous video! I visited Norway twice as a child, in 1970 and 1972, and I'm sure that abandoned road was one we drove on. Do you know what year it was bypassed? I visited Norway twice more, as an adult, on walking tours. I was a keen cyclist when younger, but never fulfilled my dream of cycling in Norway. Now, at 64, I have health issues, which mean I can no longer cycle, which makes me very sad . But watching your videos is a sheer delight. Thank you so much for what you do to promote cycling. I went on a cycle campaign ride in Bristol in about 1980. It doesn't feel as though much has really changed since then with regard to support for people who want to find better ways of travelling rather than driving a car. Nowadays I walk, bus, and train. I hope to visit Norway again, but by train! Once again, thank you. This is the first video of yours that I've stumbled across, so now I look forward to some more of them! Tak!
I think mid 80s the tunnels opened. Thanks for your kind words. I agree very little has changed in the UK everyone is so reliant on cars and the system ensures that. Real shame.
@@matthewnorway mid-80es sound right, I went to Norway with my parents in 81 or 82 I think, and I think we stopped to see that foss. (Of course it could have been a different one, but something felt "familiar".)
I must add that, as a Dane, I felt touched to the heart when you went to the "holy land" with the words "a slice of Denmark in Norway". And laughed out loud on the follow-up "it's a glitch in the matrix."
Wonderful video, I grew up near a fjord (Flensburg fjord, just north of Flensburg), which is of course a vrry different landscape. Although I don't know where the expression comes from, I certainly know how it _feels_ to be "pining for the fjords".
Oh Great! Another of Matthew's vids. Excellent advice at the end too. I live up in the hills of the North Pennines, amongst 5 of the 6 highest cols in England, (plus two higher still in Scotland) and although I often climb only up to 627m therefore, those days when the prevailing SW wind is in my face on the outward journey, and at my back on the return, are the good days. When the wind shifts round to the E or N, those days are killers. I hope to do your Fjord route summer of 2023, and will ride it S to N.
Yes, S to N is perhaps better for wind 👍.
Just writing a comment to help with the engagement for the algoritm. So more people can have a change to watch this amazing journey.
Appreciate it!
I did the Rallarvegen from Haugastøl to Flåm and it was the most amazing bike ride that I did. It was in the middle of Jully and it was like 30 places that it was impossible to ride because of the snow. Thaks for sharing this beatifull images.
UA-cam suggested your channel to me after watching some bike touring videos. Just binged this entire series and will be exploring the rest of your videos.
Have to say, these are some of the best cycling videos I’ve ever watched. As a novice bike tourer and 58 years old, I’m now looking at Norway as a possible future tour but blimey I’m going to have to train harder for those hills 😂
Great to hear! Norway has everything when it comes to bike touring. The coastal routes are a lot flatter and just as beautiful in places. Find out more at www.cyclenorway.com
will definitely be spending some time on your website :) @@matthewnorway
Hi Mathew! Been inspired by some of your videos and me and a friend are heading on our first bikepacking trip to Hardangarfjord in a couple of weeks! Was wondering if you could give us some direction as to how to get onto the abandoned road from Eidfjord to Vorringfossen? Would love to do it!
"i'm a goner here" and "the holy flat land" haha, very good ,D ,D that trip must have been testing, and those are some beautifuly filmed awesome landscapes too - well done!
My wife and I just came back from vacation in Norway where we were mainly hiking/tenting in the mountains but also saw some of the popular sights afterwards. That ment a lot of driving. Around 2000 km in Norway. Honestly we did feel a bit frustrated having to go around by car because you can't really take in all the beauty through a glass window in "high" speed. However driving on some of the roads you showed in the video was with very mixed emotions for us as we come from Denmark (super flat country with straight forward wide roads). The nature is so gorgeous in Norway but driving on these super narrow (1-1,5 car wide) roads where traffic is going in both directions, while going up and down mountain sides with constant turns where you can't see incoming cars... some of them coming in high speed... it's super stressful and exhausting (at least to us). From a car you focus a lot more on the road than the view.
I use my bike everyday and come from a country where getting around on bike is a huge part of the culture and infrastructure. Would I have preferred to get around in Norway on a bike instead of car like you did? NO! Like with the people we met on the trails in the mountains that were running back to back marathons for multiple days, when I saw people on a bike on these roads I thought to myself "people doing this have got to be the most sadistic out there. Who can find joy through this physical pain?". I've never tried cycling in Norway and I don't think I ever will. It looks too tough to be enjoyable to me but big respect to the ones doing it!
All in all your videos are really great and it's super interesting to see Norway from another perspective.
Thank you for showing this amazing trip in my home country. I myself have been living in a couple of these areas (Hardanger and Ryfylke) and I loved the scenery. And I have travelled by car many times along these roads from west to east. Great to watch it and to hear it from you who are visting from abroad 🤩 Thank you for sharing! 😀
Glad you enjoyed it!
The Fjord Norway series has been really great. This final one is fhe ‘icing on the cake’. Well done and many thanks (brought back a ton of memories)
Good to hear Phill, thanks!
I drove from Stavanger to Odda with my father in September, 2016. It was amazing how stunning the fjords are. The 'secret' roads you highlight here have me planning another trip - by bike this time. Takk skal du ha!
Great to hear Nathan!
Amazing as always matthew, breathtaking 👍
Astonishing and inspirational. Thank you!!!
Amazing scenery, really enjoyed watching!
I live close to the 520 route where you went out of water. You could safely drink directly from the dam without any risk. But you would have found a stream maximum 10 minutes ahead from where you were. And all downhill. Nice video. Call me next time, and I will provide you with a bed for the night..
Appreciate your hospitality, and good to know about the lake!
@@matthewnorway In fact small stream are a lot more unsafe then lakes. They can be contaminated by animals living in the area.
Especially lakes at higher altitude have water of better quality then you what you normally expect from drinking water at home.
seams like a great route for those whom like climbing and epic scenery. amazing
Extraordinary cycling adventure of Norway's fjord route, wow. Beautiful landscapes along the way. Your stamina is amazing. You are the only one I see on youtube who did this. Thank you for sharing.
"Obviously you don't drink from lakes" - Of course you can drink from those lakes, it doesn't get purer than that! 😂
Thank you again Matthew! You certainly are living an epic journey in Norway. Your poetic description along with such breathtaking video is food for the soul. My wife Jan and I can't wait to cycle part of Norway in July. Thank you once again for the beautiful inspiration. All the best, Steve and Jan
Steve, so happy you're heading to Norway this July! Safe travels and thanks for the kind feedback!
Incredible footage, great story. Thank you !
what an incredible video, enjoyed every part of that, whats more mind bloggling is you managed do all the riding and filming at the same time
I appreciate your comment alot. I always see the riding as the easy part. The filming is the hard part especially when you're tired or the weather is against you.
What an achievement. Thanks for sharing these heavenly views.
super stuff indeed..thanks from Ireland !
Wow!
I'm speechless this is incredible!
Thanks a lot Matthew! Yet another mesmerizing and truly inspiring masterpiece 🤪
Thanks Ole 🙂
Thank you for sharing your journey! So well done. Kudos to you, Matthew!
Thanks Bill!
What a splendid series Matthew. Thanks so much for sharing it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
That was beautiful, thanks for that.
Looked absolutely stunning and amazing on video which is only 1/4 of the beauty and feel of what it looks like when you see it in person.
amazing man! the landscape is just beyond words! hope someday I can cycle there!
I hope so too! 👊
Amazing effort and an amazing series. Simply brilliant.
Appreciate it Einar :)
Matthew - goodonya - let the sufferfest begin. You have to earn that experience. Great sport and artwork.
Thanks Alan!
Another stunning spectacle of nature's beauty. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Glad you enjoyed it
Just stunning mate!! Really enjoy the views and your narrative. Can't wait to make this journey myself.
🙏 You Should!
awesome video and great content Matthew. You really have given me loads to consider for my trip next year. May even just extend it a little more now. Thanks for all your hard work in pulling these vids together and sharing.
Glad I can be of some help Andy!
So beautiful and so inspiring. Excellent videos. Thank you Matthew, I have been cycling around Norway since beginning of the 90-ties and seen almost all the beautiful places you have captured, but the films you makes inspires me to go back and see them again and I will. Again, thanks, you are very good:-)
Thanks Johnny, I have cycled Hardanger Fjord three times now but could quite easily go back many times more. You never get bored of outstanding beauty which is different depending on the weather and time of year.
WOW, spectacular documentary. Thanks for sharing. Watched it with joy and amazement. Greetings from Holland.
Hi Matthew, well presented and excellent content of fabulous journeys! I've subscribed and will start digging through your archives.🙂 I've travelled and explored extensively in Canada and the US for 8 years and also keep off the beaten tracks wherever possible. Stay safe. 🇬🇧
Thanks, will do!
Excellent! Narrative, music and, of course, breathtaking views. Well worth watching over and over again. Congratulations Matthew!
Awesome! Thank you Jaque!
What a ride, absolutely awesome!!
Thanks Gary 👍
Incredible! 🔝💚🙌🏻
Awesome...just awesome
Fantastic, just fantastic!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
A sense of awe watching this.
Thank you for the time to make it. See you in Norway on a bike some day..
You will!
Simply superb. You're quite the film maker and accomplished cyclist. Thought provoking narration and beautiful photography, also very funny. Loved every minute. Thank you
Great to hear Richard, thanks 🙏
I've watched this so many times ...you video blows my mind ...I live in paradise ...Bottom of the world New Zealand ....but this amazing video is next level for where dreams are made .....yes not all year round but WOW ...thank you for all your hard work in sharing with us Roger NZ
Magical! Well done Sir!
Thanks Richard!
Awesome. Love this country.
Fantastic film footage and a great ride
Many thanks!
Amazing.. Thank you very much Matthew! I am in the area of the Hardangerfjord every year and most certainly I am going to explore the hidden road by MTB you are mentioning!
Unfortunately it's closed and they're not planning on fixing it. I've been advised not to ride it again due to more rockslides :(.
Stumbled onto this series by way of some algorithmic dark voodoo - and I'm glad I did! It's always refreshing to se our beloved land in they eyes out someone from the outside! I, myself, am very guilty of roaming the coast from Odda southwards, and you must have passed thru my home town when hanging a right for Lindesnes. Riding Route 44 on a bike? I hope you learn to walk again!😅 The southwestern part is very craggy, and the old road goes places that seem less than ideal, to be diplomatic...
Road 44 is certainly one of Norway's toughest roads to cycle!
@@matthewnorway Might I propose a lactic acid score for the routes you've done? Presented with humor, it could be entertaining 😅
Absolutely beautiful 🇳🇴❤️😍
Love the vids keep it up! back up again and down :)
Many thanks 👍
Nice footage!
Wow, awesome ride.....
Amazing video - thank you for making and sharing it. Absolutely stunning. Norway is high on my list of places to go, and eventually sail - but I hadn't considered cycling. It's now on the list. (& as I'm getting old...maybe I'll have enough Kroners to have a chase (cheat) car... however, I'm always looking for any excuse to sleep in my bivy.)
I've run low on water cycling in Japan. There are vending machines. There are always vending machines in Japan. (The ones on the far side of Sakajima were surrounded by a bunch of young cyclists on terrific racing bikes, full lycra - ALL vaping. ??? ) And everything in those vending machines was cranked with sugar. Should be okay- right? After a few bouts of glycemic shock, my legs just started cramping. And nothing like empty carbs to make you 'hit the wall' two hours before the end.
One thing I don't want to do in Norway is rent a car and stare at tarmac with occasional glimpses of Norway.
Making me jealous. Beautiful
Amazing story..
Thank you, Thank you
Thanks for a lot of very beautiful videos. We love Norge, and have been there maybe 40 times and we want to go back. Not on bike but in our Fiat Ducato camper van.Im sorry ;-) . But we are around 70, so we need a bit of luxury, so we can walk the country every day, on our tour. Hope to see som more of your inspiring, funny and very well shot films.
Awesome!
Thanks!
This is really good, professional quality. I think it could have been on a regular tv channel. It must be a lot of work that go into this, I guess you do this for a living or what? As a Norwegian I like it when foreigners visit us and share with us how they experience our country. You know you get so used to living here and videos like this in a way re open my eyes on Norwegian nature and all the possibilities that I myself haven't explored yet.
5000 subscribers on this channel it way to little with so high quality, should find a way to spread this content to more people!
Btw, it's usually safe to drink from big mountain lakes directly, theres very little that pollutes them.
Thanks Billy 🙂
Great video
super nice !
Another great video! :-)
Thanks again Kenneth!
15:48 did you know you are standing a few feet away from an old viking grave? next time you are in flat-Jæren, keep an eye out for small "humps" in the fields where the farmers are not allowed to grow
very interesting!!!...Beneath some unsuspecting Norwegian farmland, a 1,000-year-old Viking site consisting of several burial mounds, the remnants of a ship, a large feasting hall and a cult house have been discovered by archaeologists in Ostfold County, Norway....
A Norwegian couple got quite the shock when renovating their old family house near Bodø in northern Norway this month...Experts from Tromsø museum visited the house the following day....
By Norwegian law, any cultural monuments that show traces of human activity prior to 1537 are automatically preserved.
Awesome
Wonderful video.
Glad you enjoyed it
Fantastic effort and commentary. A cut above the others on You Tube.
Many Thanks! 👍