Southern Norway Part 3

July 11th: Ogna - Egenes 92 km

I’m writing this with a 1-day delay - but my legs I still remember the trip! We woke up to light clouds and a tent which was very soggy from condensation. It took a bit of time to get on our way due to the extra complication of disconnecting the inner tent, but we eventually set off (the cycling route actually passes through the campsite, so it was reasonably convenient).

The sun came out, and after just a few km in the flat Jæren landscape, we turned north onto “den vestlanske hovedveien” - a gravel road from the 1800s, which was built on the Danish “straight line” principle through very rocky, hilly terrain. The guide in our map described this section as “very demanding” - we agree. With the bags, we weren’t able to make it up of the steep slopes. It was slow and strenuous. To add insult to injury, on one of the downhills before a new uphill, there was a gate placed such that you could not carry any speed up the hill! 

The flat before the hills...

And now for something completely different! The time stamp between the previous photo and this one is half an hour.

Fortunately, the first two kilometers were the hardest, and we made a bit better progress after that. The views were spectacular, too - almost a lunar landscape, and quite a contrast to the rich farmland of the previous day. The road then took us through some farmland and onto a path which followed the old railway line to Egersund. The path was mostly flat and easy - except for when it rather suddenly passed over the new line, etc. 

Egersund is a cute little place, a nice harbor at an amphidromic point, and a good spot to refuel. We continued on the road the rest of the day, but it still was pretty tough after all of the early struggles. There are four climbs up to 200-300m, all of which are followed by a descent right back to the sea.

The road was really neat - passing next to the memorial at Jøssingfjord (4 airmen from New Zealand went down while bombing German ships during WWII), along the steep fjords, over hilly rocky areas around many lakes, and up and down all the way to Flekkefjord. 

It was pretty late by the time we got there, with all the necessary stops along the way, and it was really disappointing to discover that the campsite we found on google was actually only for camper vans. Fortunately, my phone still had a bit of battery, and we found a campsite about 5 km further along. It turned out to be a really beautiful site next to the water. It was a late night, though, with cooking and showers and a tent which required some extra work... 

View from the campsite in the evening

July 12th: Egenes- Lomsesanden 70 km

After falling asleep almost instantly, we woke up and had a slow start in humid, overcast weather. The day started with quite a bit of frustration when the answer to my question “where are your sunglasses?” - a very nice pair that I bought for Dražen in Horten to replace the ones that got carried away by a wave that broke over the kayak - was “ I don’t know”. It seems like he left them in the bathroom when showering and someone took them... I’m trying to let it be water under the bridge, but I’m a bit annoyed. 

View from the campsite in the morning

After checking everywhere we thought we might find them, we headed off toward Kvinesdal. The cycling path takes a few funny detours on the way to the smaller roads - some gravel paths lead you right to E39! Fortunately, the stretch on E39 was brief, and we were soon on a paved but seemingly deserted road (probably the main road before they built the tunnels) through verdant forests. We climbed a bit, then descended to Fede, where we briefly feared the bridge was out, but the pedestrian bridge got us where we wanted to go.

We had one more hill on a quiet road, then back down to Kvinesdal, where there was a lot of activity related to a rock festival. We cycled along one side of the fjord to the small town, then - after groceries and lunch- turned 180 degrees and cycled along the other side. The hill gave us a nice view of the fjord (marred only by the asphalt plant) and a good chance to hear the festival. We aren’t missing much (for our taste). 

Looking down after passing Kvinesdal

A break on the way up

After a long slog uphill, we lost a bit of elevation and then joined the main road briefly. A little detour allowed us to keep elevation and avoid cars. We then turned off onto a dirt road, which took us through farms, next to a wind park, then rolled through a cabin area with beautiful views of fjords and cliffs on either side. It eventually led us to the coast near Lista, a flatter area which has been farmed for an estimated 6000 years. 

Steep cliffs and fjords

Near Lista

From Lista, we skipped the visit to the lighthouse, and headed along the coast - back to flat terrain with sun and wind at our backs. We dipped our toes in at a sandy beach, weaved along a few more dirt roads, and found our way to the campsite. We took a chilly dip in the sea and are enjoying a simple dinner.