More short and steep plus some long and steep hillls before the surface becomes gravel, a further 2k and you're at 160mtrs, back to sea level then up to 145mtrs and on a loose gravel surface there was a bit of GOAP'ing going on!
At Kolevall the route joins the 43 the main road to Farsund. This was 10k I didn't enjoy, sharing a fast road with sunday drivers, all in a hurry to be where they were going needs no further description!
Farsund looked expensive! A frankfurter from a filling station was reasonably cheap, and the mustard was free so pile that on! The nearest camping was at Lomsesanden a further 6k and as it turned out almost hill free!
The camp site was busy with folk packing their stuff at the end of a weekend break and I'd been given free reign as to where I could pitch; I was poking around at a spot where I thought the sun would hit in the morning when a lady came over from a caravan and said "You can put your tent over here, this place gets the evening and morning sun and we are just about to go", then the inevitable questions; where have you come from? Where are you going? Would you like a beer? "(That one worked!). Then, "To save you putting your tent up you Ican use the awning, there is a couch, a fmridge/freezer, there are some tomatoes which need using up and in the fridge are two beers and a box of white wine! JLust u se what you want, when you go zip up the awning and hook the rubber loops on to the screws to keep the wind out. A contact phone number, an offer of a spare room (Husband had stayed back in Stavanger this weekend to go to a Kiss gig!). Five minutes later her three boys were strapped in and she was driving away!
Sat in the evening sun outside my new temporary home, fed and nursing an ice cold beer!
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| Jasund Bridge |
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| Strand at Rosfjord |
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| Big boats just left of strand |
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| Well, I think I deserve it! |
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| Farsund from the bridge |
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| Another temporary home, Lomsesandes site, Farsund |
Monday 10th June. Lomsesanden. Woke to bright sunshine! I'd bought some milk at the site reception so museli as a change to bread, cheese and salami for breakfast, along with coffee and bread and honey.
An exploratory wander around the site followed by a daunder along the beach, it was a really nice spot, dunes and scrub at one end and rocks and woods at the other. I discovered that ther area was a nature reserve and all caravans had to be off site by the end of September until the begining of May.
More coffee and a sleep in the sun! Magic!!
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| Lomsesandes Strand, right |
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| Lomsesandes Strand, left |
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| Time to crash! |
Tuesday 11th June. Lomsesanden. Back to weather I know and love. Woke up to an overcast sky along with a cool breeze off the sea. Nothing for it but to put t' kettle on!
By 1130 the caffine twitch had started. Time to do something meaningfull! Clean the bike (properly). A good bougee out around all the bearings, wheels off and pick all the grott from around the rear mech and between the cassette sprockets, clean up the chain rings and give the chain a proper seeing to. A good squirt of lube around all moving parts and done.
No change in the weather, early tea, prep for a 60k run on the next day and early bed.
*No photos of bike cleaning!
Wednesday 12th June. Lomsesanden - Utsikten Hotel/Hostel, Kvinesdal. The way fate plays a hand!
Peering out of my temporary home the sky was grey and looking ominous and even though I had time in hand I felt I should get underway. My initial plan was to ride to Lysta and see if the hostel in that neck of the woods had a bed for the night, but riding into Borhung thought Nah, I'll visit Lysta Fyr then press on. The Fyr staff were preparing for a school visit and pupil drawings of seagulls and lighthouses were being displayed. Again it was one of those times when I stuck my head in the door and asked if it was ok to have a look around. It was no problem and folk were quite happy to chat about their work and what was going to happen that day. Another young girl was pouring orange juice into plastic cups and appeared to be queen of the refreshments, "Any coffee going"? "Yes a fresh pot", this in an American accent, the girl added "You'll see from my accent I improved my English in the States, I was an exchange student for a year in Boston".
The coffee was fresh and hot but small people had started to appear, accompanied by harassed teachers. Downing the coffee as fast as I dared I was off down the road as the first spots of rain began to fall.
Not heavy enough yet to warrant boiling in waterproofs I kept on. 4k of almost flat road, running onto almost flat compacted gravel, then..... It all started rearing up again!! Wet, sweaty (Thankfully no mosquitos), lots of GOAP! The gravel meant wheel spin when you tried to really push it and although I had some 'quick links' I wanted to avoid a snapped chain. Track became road then track again and the ups and downs continued with a vengance. Now on an excellent section of road with wet seeping through where it shouldn't I spied a bus shelter. That's it, fuel stop! A screech of wet disc brakes, the weight of my panniers threatening to swing the tail of the bike off the road I swung into the shelter.
A handful of nuts and raisins and some chocolate washed down with a mouthful of water made a marginal improvement but other than making all the hills a tad flatter and turning off the rain nothing else would make a deal of difference!
Peering disconsolately out of my shelter trying to summon up some enthusiasm to start pedaling again I saw two Lycra clad speed merchants hammering down the hill, the foremost rider, a stocky powerhouse, nodded in response to my half hearted wave, I wasn't sure if his companion had seen me as he was partially hidden by the wall of spray cascading from their tyres into the undergrowth but I saw that the second rider was lean, built like a racing snake (They may get to read this!). Watching them fly by galvanised me into action. Leaping into the saddle I was off in pursuit!
A short distance down the road was a major road junction linking the 465 with the E39 (A motorway, definitely no bikes!). The NSCR sign must have been correct as it was raining and the sign was pointing up a long hill!! Ah well, dig in and pedal. A couple of minutes into the hill and I spy my two Lycra bikers scooting down towards me. Brakes on for them, stop pedaling, feet down for me. A tentative opening from me, "Hi" (A bit international). Them- "You speak English"? "Yes, you"? "American" "Close enough" sez I.
Introductions: Liam,the stocky powerhouse and David, the racing snake. They were meeting friends at a hotel who were doing the full NSCR and they were over to do Norway with them.
Back to navigating! "We're coming back because the road feels wrong (I thought, I know it's going up hill!). We cruised back to the road junction to review things. Liam went back along the 465 a short distance to check the road signs and Yep, our only option was up that hill! Goodbyes and safe journeys said they took off like the road was flat! I must see what gear I can dispose of to shed some weight. Something to occupy the mind helps on hills, before long I'd reached the 230mtr point, surely it must all be down hill now! No, undulations but with steady climbs, all doable. Down to the turn off to Ase then up one last time and a steady downhill into Kvinesdal.
By now I was wet, cold and hungry, a hotel seemed the only safe and sensible way to go, you don't want to fail because you couldn't make a rational decision! Well done brain you've convinced me, a hotel it is.
No B&B's, the Gasthof full up! A recommended spot was a further 4k out of town and, yes,you've guessed, up hill all the way!! When the Gasthof Manager told me this I could feel a quivery bottom lip coming on. I was in the process of giving myself a good talking to when a suit sporting gentleman who had done some interpreting with the manager for me said "I will give you a lift" !!!! "But I have a bike and luggage" "And I have a big car" he said. True enough he opened up the tailgaate of a Toyota Land Cruiser, my company give me a big car so I use it". Gear and bike stowed off we went. 4k uphill flew by! All too soon I was out in the cold and wet unloading his car. "You will definitely get a room here" and with that we shook hands and he was off into the murk.
I was creating puddles all over the plush foyer but the charming young lady booking me in was completely unconcerned aand when asked about storage for my bike just said bring it through here it will go in the basement. Soggy gear carried through, dripping bike wheeled through and not an eyelid batted!!
Showered, warmed up and into dry clothes I wandered through towards the dining room (Service stopped at 2100). I think David spotted me first, "Wow, you made it"!
David and Liam were sat with their friends whom I'd assumed to be Americans as well; it turned out that it was Matt and Francie a NewZealand couple I'd bumped into at Ditzum, they were waiting for the ferry while my bike had been locked up for safe keeping! I was off to a 'celebration'.
It was great to meet up, swop travel tails etc, then join them for dinner, though my 1/5 share of the cost of a bottle of wine would have bought at least two bottles of 'good stuff' from Tesco!!
Francie, Matt, Liam and David had a schedule to keep to and had to be away the following day whereas I had a day to dry off, also the weather was due to improve! At aaround 2230 eyes were drooping, bed time.
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| Mooses!?! |
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| Lyster Fyr |
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| And the road still goes up! |
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| L to R, Liam, Francie, Matt and David |
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