Ålesund to Snåsa via Geirangerfjord

The Route To Geirangerfjord

Alesund ticked off, and the top section of the ‘T’ progressing nicely, it was time to make it back to Fanremm’s central roundabout. This is where I would ‘cross the T‘ and begin the journey north east to complete the letter. I opted to meander back via Geirangerfjord and Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park…

The route back to Fanremm from Alesund (via Geirangerfjord)

The route from Alesund to Geirangerfjord is long and winding but again, well worth the drive. It takes roughly 2.5 hours and involves the beautiful Eidsdal-Linge ferry. There are also numerous tunnels through the mountainside. With our excitement building once again, we wondered whether Geirangerfjord would top Alesund and the Atlantic Ocean Road…

Katy on the Eidsdal-Linge ferry

One of Norway's Most Spectacular Sights

26 km later, the fjord finally reveals itself. Don’t be fooled though, the main view point is a little while further…

First peek of Geirangerfjord in the distance

As you begin descending into the valley, the main viewpoint creeps up on you (it’s situated on a hairpin bend). With panoramic views, this is the best place to comprehend the fjord and surrounding mountains in all their glory. The scale is breath-taking. Huge cruise ships anchored below look like tiny rowing boats in the distance. It has to be one of the most spectacular sights in Norway.

Pano of Geirangerfjord from the main viewpoint

Me at The Geirangerfjord viewpoint!

Wide-angle lens

Little did we know, this viewpoint was only the beginning of the full Geirangerfjord experience. if you descend to the town itself and head up the other side, there’s lots more to see. The road up is extremely steep and the going can be slow, but there are plenty of points to stop.

Viewpoint 1 (around 1/3 of the way up)

Around two-thirds of the way up, we reached the first remnants of winter snow. The views are constantly changing as you ascend and it’s not long before the fjord is a speck on the horizon.

All scenes from Viewpoint 2, Katy touching snow in July

The Dalsnibba Mountain Plateau

Approaching Lake Djupvatnet, I thought we had finally reached the top. It was only after pulling over that we noticed another sign for Dalsnibba Mountain Plateau. Feeling curious, we paid the £14.00 fee to get past the barrier, took in the warning signs and proceeded.

Warning signs

I know I’ve already used the words steep and winding to describe the roads around Geirangerfjord but this was a different level. The Nibbevegen Road, with it’s 12.3% incline and eleven hairpin bends is truly dizzying. Confined to first and second gear, the van slowly crawled higher and higher until, with a sigh of relief, we eventually reached the top. At the summit, views of the valley stretch for as far as the eye can see. In fact, the Geiranger Skywalk offers Europe’s highest fjord view by road (1500 m)…

Views from Dalsnibba Mountain Plateau

Views from The Geiranger Skywalk

Katy trying not to look down…

Crossing The T!

On the way down, we pulled over to give the brakes a rest and observe Lake Djupvatnet from above. Shortly after this, we camped for the evening and digested the day’s events.

Views of Lake Djupvatnet

The next morning I was determined to get back to Fannrem and push on to Trondheim. It took longer than anticipated as we kept pulling over to appreciate the scenery.

Woodlands and rapids on the road back to Fanremm

After 6 hours, and a lovely drive through Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park, the van finally made it back to Fannrem. I turned the GPS back on and proceeded to draw the right hand section of the ‘T.’

As night fell, we approached Trondheim and visited some family friends for dinner. It was a lovely evening, I will always remember this sunset over Trondheimsfjorden.