13.05.12 Breakfast followed by much needed shower and general body repair. I was steaming. 10:00 am Ferry to mainland and checked out the planned walk for the day, Looks good but so cold, windy and raining like hell postponed until next trip.
Made a detour into Rørvik along the way. Nothing to write home about! Only exciting thing about the detour was that on the way in, just after an Elk warning sign, three of them trotted out onto the road about ten metres in front of the van and nonchalantly crossed over. Left an awful lot of rubber on the road. No contact, which was just as well, they were three full grown cows. They took their time and were prime beasts. Not long after spotted another in a field followed by a deer shortly after that. After such magnificent Elk though it looked about as big as a Hare in comparison.
Moved on to Namsos and through to Aglen where we had stayed on the 2008 trip, but after all our experiences too date did not find it as good as before. Undeterred, turned around as Aglen is a dead end and headed back towards Namsos. Found a tremendous place to camp wild at N 64°36'38" E 11°13'44" with a tremendous view.
After figure a dawdling route out on the way to the Klein’s as it is only about 120 kilometres and we have arranged to see them on Saturday.
14.05.12 Easy run into Namsos, shopping, finally found out the way the Road Tolls work here so that might save us some aggro in the future. Just trundling down the 715 with no specific plans.
Found another wild camp at the top of a pass on the side of a small lake just off the road and looking back up into the hills. N 64°12'43" E 10°25'34"
Great excitement, think I saw a pair of Red-throated Diver just land on the lake. Have to try to get closer to confirm this.
Yup! That is definitely wot they is. Gives me quite a thrill.
Given our coordinates and the fact that the trees are only just starting to show the green tips of their leaves, I was quite surprised to keep on hearing a Cuckoo.
Spent a long time photographing the Red-throated Diver, hope they turn out.
15.05.12 Brassed off with myself with the Red-throated Diver photographs, not a single decent on!
Managed all of 59 kms., today. Dived off the 715 into the Ronan Kommune, (something for the Lord of the Rings fans amongst us). Whoever created all this got everything, but absolutely everything right on this piece of Earthly real estate.
Another wild camp at N 64°06.402’ E 10°09.663’. Looks across the Skjørafjorden between Joskjrøn and Nordskjørin.
Was sitting on a rock early afternoon with the binoculars checking out the other side of the Fjord and turned round to look behind me for some reason or other and fell off my perch. The biggest adult White-tailed Eagle I have ever seen flew (glided) around the corner of the mountain into view and sailed majestically past. Tremendous views of him/her. Camera of course safely well out of reach. I’m starting too sound rather like an ornithological Angler with his tall tails, even to myself. I see’d him, I did, I really did.
My day today, went on a hike along the coast road late afternoon and spotted some Black-throated Diver. To top off my perfect day, I was unable too resist lighting a baby camp fire so that my Boy Scout heart could sleep in peace.
Think I shall pump up the front suspension tomorrow before setting off, the front end seems a wee bit too low for my taste. Which of course is the main problem, there is no science in it, just my eyeballs.
16.05.12 A Bullfinch made my breakfast and day, by coming and sitting immediately over my head where I was having my outdoor early morning cuppa. Serenaded me for quite awhile and I could almost touch him he was that close.
Drove a bit further than planned today as tomorrow is the Norwegian National Day and all is closed. Sooo! You’ve got it. We had to make sure we had two days worth of coffee break pastries. Have to get your priorities right up here in the wilderness. Also took the chance to fill up with fuel and get all of our water canisters filled up as well as we were down to 15 litres and our consumption is about 8 litres a day.
This all cost an unnecessary 60 kilometres before everything was located, (the pastries of course), but better safe than sorry as tomorrows planned stage is through about 100 kilometres of fairly uninhabited countryside on dirt roads.
Caught sight of Black-throated Diver again.
Another wild camp at N 64°00'09" E 10°29'17" just outside of Åfjord, again at the side of a river. Not brilliant but suitable for a nights kip. Plenty of Greenshank about, making quite a racket.
17.05.12 Good sleep but not much of a place. The Greenshank made up for that.
The route over the Fjel was not as I had hoped it to be but going over the top a pair of Goldeneye presented a great close up view and scared up a couple of Hare in winter camouflage.
Highlight of the day was just after we hit the 17 at the side of the road on the water that forms the top end of the Trondheimsfjorden. Goes by the name of Hjelbotn and turned out to be an ornithological feast. The reason for stopping at this particular place was it was time for a break and a whole bunch of Geese were to be seen. Thought I. Within five minutes was able to ID:
Bean Goose,
Wigeon,
Teal,
Greenshank,
Redshank,
and of course must not forget to give the ever present Oyster Catcher a mention.
After a tremendous blow up with “B” just parked up on a camp site in Steinkjer. This turned out to be the same one we had used the year before. N 64°01'23" E 11°30'21"
It was raining in bucket full’s so just sat around in the van. During this time finally managed to get an ID on a bird that has been bugging me since Forøya. “Fieldfare”, they were out in force on the field we were camped on getting fat on all of the worms which were coming up for air. Much to the bird’s delight.
Have also managed to locate the LPG filling station for tomorrow as we are getting pretty low, another reason for being in Steinkjer.
18.05.12 Went back to the same site as yesterday to try for photographs, N 64°06'32" E 11°21'56". Took plenty and back at the same camp site as yesterday downloaded them and a first pass shows some good ones.
Unfortunately of all those seen yesterday the Widgeon only showed up on the horizon, the buggers, and could not get close enough to photograph them. Managed a couple the day before but not quality ones. Never seen them before and it is a very beautiful creature. Subtle pink coloured chest feathers.
19.05.12 Another lazy start after showering and topping up water supplies. Again nobody showed up and wanted to be paid so that is two free nights we have had.
An equally lazy drive across to the Klein’s and with them spent a pleasant five hours chin wagging. They have found a rented house high up in the hills on the North side of the Trondheim Fjord looking down and across to it. It is a very old wooden building like nearly all buildings here. Real cool set up.
Decided not to catch the Ferry across to Flakkt and wild camped in a wharf with a small adjacent Marina. N 63°29'1" E 09°59'48"
20.05.12 Woke to find a couple of deer next to the van viewing the boats in the Marina and a Heron looking for breakfast. Turned out to be a great place. The WC for the Marina Boat House was open so we had hot water and all the necessary.
The Swallows have arrived so guess it is officially summer.
Went down through to Kvanne and did the detour into the Stangvikfjord towards Todalen for a coffee break and afterwards Ferry from Kvanne to pick up with the 70 as far as Meisingset to dive off up into the hills and camped wild at at N 62°49'03" E 08°14'23". Silence and beauty and hopefully a couple of good photographs, couple of which should make for good B&W’s.
Plenty of bird life, and they were all that broke the silence. Saw a few Siskin which is a first for me again.
21.05.12 Spotted a Redpoll way up at the tip of a dead pine tree singing his heart out at the early morning sun. Also a first.
Ran up to have a look at Bud again and saw some Eider. Heron were all over as well.
Camped wild again at at N 62°34'07" E 07°43'20" at the side of the Issfjorden just short of Åndalsnes.
Over the Trollsteigen tomorrow to Geiranger. Looking forward to this and will probably camp twice up there if it is not all under snow. It as over 1500 meters.
22.05.12 Up early and watched the Dolphins cruising around in the fjord over breakfast. Then into Åndalsnes to use the Railway Stations facilities for a wash and brush up. Had a look around, it is a neat little town with a splendid view up to the end of the fjord and into the mountains.
Finally got on our way only to find that on turning into the road to the Trollsteigen it is closed. Still completely snowed in from the winter. So bang went plan “A” again.
Back into town to have a coffee and peruse the maps. Does not take long in Norway to come up with a plan “B” and set off.
Had picked out a shortcut through the hills again on what I suspected was a dirt road. Guess what? It was and very bumpy and narrow as well but so grand we soon stopped at N 62°28'59" E 07°02'53" and camped there.
We are sandwiched between a raging thaw filled stream and the mountains an both side which are feeding it.
The range on one side seems to be shedding its load of snow at regular intervals by the look of its flanks.. No action while we have been here and guess that it will be quiet now that the sun has disappeared behind the opposite ridge.
23.05.12 Some Dipper this morning feeding in the stream.
I braved the stream and did a skinny dipper for a bath before breakfast. Quick lick and a spit it was by George. Woke me up I must say and felt great once the pain let up.
Long drive and we are back in Hov again as it belongs to one of our unbeatable set.
N 61°19'26" E 06°16'02".
Plan on three nights to chill out and walk some of the rapids again.
24.05.12 Doing just that today. Chilling, walking and hoping the snow is going to come down off the mountain.
25.05.12 Finally ID’d the Common Sandpiper which has been an effort. The book I was given at Christmas has taken a bashing this trip, the print is fading. Starting to get the hang of it though.
Siskin all over but merge so well into the surroundings that they are extremely difficult to spot. At least for an amateur like myself.
After three successive fine sunny days, which in comparison to what has been on offer for the earlier part of this trip, are almost tropical to us, the sky has clouded up and looks like a storm bank rolling in from the West.
Made a detour into Rørvik along the way. Nothing to write home about! Only exciting thing about the detour was that on the way in, just after an Elk warning sign, three of them trotted out onto the road about ten metres in front of the van and nonchalantly crossed over. Left an awful lot of rubber on the road. No contact, which was just as well, they were three full grown cows. They took their time and were prime beasts. Not long after spotted another in a field followed by a deer shortly after that. After such magnificent Elk though it looked about as big as a Hare in comparison.
Moved on to Namsos and through to Aglen where we had stayed on the 2008 trip, but after all our experiences too date did not find it as good as before. Undeterred, turned around as Aglen is a dead end and headed back towards Namsos. Found a tremendous place to camp wild at N 64°36'38" E 11°13'44" with a tremendous view.
After figure a dawdling route out on the way to the Klein’s as it is only about 120 kilometres and we have arranged to see them on Saturday.
14.05.12 Easy run into Namsos, shopping, finally found out the way the Road Tolls work here so that might save us some aggro in the future. Just trundling down the 715 with no specific plans.
Found another wild camp at the top of a pass on the side of a small lake just off the road and looking back up into the hills. N 64°12'43" E 10°25'34"
Great excitement, think I saw a pair of Red-throated Diver just land on the lake. Have to try to get closer to confirm this.
Yup! That is definitely wot they is. Gives me quite a thrill.
Given our coordinates and the fact that the trees are only just starting to show the green tips of their leaves, I was quite surprised to keep on hearing a Cuckoo.
Spent a long time photographing the Red-throated Diver, hope they turn out.
15.05.12 Brassed off with myself with the Red-throated Diver photographs, not a single decent on!
Managed all of 59 kms., today. Dived off the 715 into the Ronan Kommune, (something for the Lord of the Rings fans amongst us). Whoever created all this got everything, but absolutely everything right on this piece of Earthly real estate.
Another wild camp at N 64°06.402’ E 10°09.663’. Looks across the Skjørafjorden between Joskjrøn and Nordskjørin.
Was sitting on a rock early afternoon with the binoculars checking out the other side of the Fjord and turned round to look behind me for some reason or other and fell off my perch. The biggest adult White-tailed Eagle I have ever seen flew (glided) around the corner of the mountain into view and sailed majestically past. Tremendous views of him/her. Camera of course safely well out of reach. I’m starting too sound rather like an ornithological Angler with his tall tails, even to myself. I see’d him, I did, I really did.
My day today, went on a hike along the coast road late afternoon and spotted some Black-throated Diver. To top off my perfect day, I was unable too resist lighting a baby camp fire so that my Boy Scout heart could sleep in peace.
Think I shall pump up the front suspension tomorrow before setting off, the front end seems a wee bit too low for my taste. Which of course is the main problem, there is no science in it, just my eyeballs.
16.05.12 A Bullfinch made my breakfast and day, by coming and sitting immediately over my head where I was having my outdoor early morning cuppa. Serenaded me for quite awhile and I could almost touch him he was that close.
Drove a bit further than planned today as tomorrow is the Norwegian National Day and all is closed. Sooo! You’ve got it. We had to make sure we had two days worth of coffee break pastries. Have to get your priorities right up here in the wilderness. Also took the chance to fill up with fuel and get all of our water canisters filled up as well as we were down to 15 litres and our consumption is about 8 litres a day.
This all cost an unnecessary 60 kilometres before everything was located, (the pastries of course), but better safe than sorry as tomorrows planned stage is through about 100 kilometres of fairly uninhabited countryside on dirt roads.
Caught sight of Black-throated Diver again.
Another wild camp at N 64°00'09" E 10°29'17" just outside of Åfjord, again at the side of a river. Not brilliant but suitable for a nights kip. Plenty of Greenshank about, making quite a racket.
17.05.12 Good sleep but not much of a place. The Greenshank made up for that.
The route over the Fjel was not as I had hoped it to be but going over the top a pair of Goldeneye presented a great close up view and scared up a couple of Hare in winter camouflage.
Highlight of the day was just after we hit the 17 at the side of the road on the water that forms the top end of the Trondheimsfjorden. Goes by the name of Hjelbotn and turned out to be an ornithological feast. The reason for stopping at this particular place was it was time for a break and a whole bunch of Geese were to be seen. Thought I. Within five minutes was able to ID:
Bean Goose,
Wigeon,
Teal,
Greenshank,
Redshank,
and of course must not forget to give the ever present Oyster Catcher a mention.
After a tremendous blow up with “B” just parked up on a camp site in Steinkjer. This turned out to be the same one we had used the year before. N 64°01'23" E 11°30'21"
It was raining in bucket full’s so just sat around in the van. During this time finally managed to get an ID on a bird that has been bugging me since Forøya. “Fieldfare”, they were out in force on the field we were camped on getting fat on all of the worms which were coming up for air. Much to the bird’s delight.
Have also managed to locate the LPG filling station for tomorrow as we are getting pretty low, another reason for being in Steinkjer.
18.05.12 Went back to the same site as yesterday to try for photographs, N 64°06'32" E 11°21'56". Took plenty and back at the same camp site as yesterday downloaded them and a first pass shows some good ones.
Unfortunately of all those seen yesterday the Widgeon only showed up on the horizon, the buggers, and could not get close enough to photograph them. Managed a couple the day before but not quality ones. Never seen them before and it is a very beautiful creature. Subtle pink coloured chest feathers.
19.05.12 Another lazy start after showering and topping up water supplies. Again nobody showed up and wanted to be paid so that is two free nights we have had.
An equally lazy drive across to the Klein’s and with them spent a pleasant five hours chin wagging. They have found a rented house high up in the hills on the North side of the Trondheim Fjord looking down and across to it. It is a very old wooden building like nearly all buildings here. Real cool set up.
Decided not to catch the Ferry across to Flakkt and wild camped in a wharf with a small adjacent Marina. N 63°29'1" E 09°59'48"
20.05.12 Woke to find a couple of deer next to the van viewing the boats in the Marina and a Heron looking for breakfast. Turned out to be a great place. The WC for the Marina Boat House was open so we had hot water and all the necessary.
The Swallows have arrived so guess it is officially summer.
Went down through to Kvanne and did the detour into the Stangvikfjord towards Todalen for a coffee break and afterwards Ferry from Kvanne to pick up with the 70 as far as Meisingset to dive off up into the hills and camped wild at at N 62°49'03" E 08°14'23". Silence and beauty and hopefully a couple of good photographs, couple of which should make for good B&W’s.
Plenty of bird life, and they were all that broke the silence. Saw a few Siskin which is a first for me again.
21.05.12 Spotted a Redpoll way up at the tip of a dead pine tree singing his heart out at the early morning sun. Also a first.
Ran up to have a look at Bud again and saw some Eider. Heron were all over as well.
Camped wild again at at N 62°34'07" E 07°43'20" at the side of the Issfjorden just short of Åndalsnes.
Over the Trollsteigen tomorrow to Geiranger. Looking forward to this and will probably camp twice up there if it is not all under snow. It as over 1500 meters.
22.05.12 Up early and watched the Dolphins cruising around in the fjord over breakfast. Then into Åndalsnes to use the Railway Stations facilities for a wash and brush up. Had a look around, it is a neat little town with a splendid view up to the end of the fjord and into the mountains.
Finally got on our way only to find that on turning into the road to the Trollsteigen it is closed. Still completely snowed in from the winter. So bang went plan “A” again.
Back into town to have a coffee and peruse the maps. Does not take long in Norway to come up with a plan “B” and set off.
Had picked out a shortcut through the hills again on what I suspected was a dirt road. Guess what? It was and very bumpy and narrow as well but so grand we soon stopped at N 62°28'59" E 07°02'53" and camped there.
We are sandwiched between a raging thaw filled stream and the mountains an both side which are feeding it.
The range on one side seems to be shedding its load of snow at regular intervals by the look of its flanks.. No action while we have been here and guess that it will be quiet now that the sun has disappeared behind the opposite ridge.
23.05.12 Some Dipper this morning feeding in the stream.
I braved the stream and did a skinny dipper for a bath before breakfast. Quick lick and a spit it was by George. Woke me up I must say and felt great once the pain let up.
Long drive and we are back in Hov again as it belongs to one of our unbeatable set.
N 61°19'26" E 06°16'02".
Plan on three nights to chill out and walk some of the rapids again.
24.05.12 Doing just that today. Chilling, walking and hoping the snow is going to come down off the mountain.
25.05.12 Finally ID’d the Common Sandpiper which has been an effort. The book I was given at Christmas has taken a bashing this trip, the print is fading. Starting to get the hang of it though.
Siskin all over but merge so well into the surroundings that they are extremely difficult to spot. At least for an amateur like myself.
After three successive fine sunny days, which in comparison to what has been on offer for the earlier part of this trip, are almost tropical to us, the sky has clouded up and looks like a storm bank rolling in from the West.
Redshank-"Doin' what comes naturally"
