We Survived Cycling 500 Kilometers Across Norway

During May of 2025, my friend and I decided to cross the fjords and mountains of Norway from Bergen to Oslo. This was the first ever voyage my friend attempted.

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[Music] This is my friend Jeremy and this is his family, his girlfriend and three kids. We’ve been best friends since we were 13 and we stayed close all the way throughout college. We always enjoyed making videos together. Now that we’re adults, we’ve been talking about going on an adventure, and what better way to do that than to cycle from his hometown of Bergen across Norway to the capital, Oslo. That’s 500 km of mountains and fjords. And the best part, he has never been on a bike packing trip before. What’s your expectations for this adventure?
I’m going to be wet. Going to be tired, angry, tired, and tired. But I love an adventure. You can’t have an adventure without being tired or wet. Our first wet stage would take us from Bergen to Moonh High. The plan was to set up tents in the free region nature. At least that was the plan. But with cycling trips, you’ll always find that things don’t go accordingly. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the world’s longest cycling tunnel. 3 km long. Let’s go check it out. There’s plenty of dog poop right here. People bring their dogs inside to poop.
Yes. And in the middle of the tunnel, there was a big open space for resting. If you consider tipping over to be a form of resting.
I forgot to mention embarrassed. You probably experienced having your foot stuck in a pedal and down you fell. It’s not going to be the last time. After traversing a few more kilometers in this slightly hallucenic tunnel, we emerged into a sunny day.
This will come out tomorrow.
Only 497 km more to go. Leaving Bergen behind, cheered on by a friend and his tiny puppy. All ahead was the open road of the great west.
Can officials say that the rain has uh started. There’s one thing you can know about Norwegian weather. Rain will always come. When the rain began, there was no sign of it stopping for the rest of the day. Luckily, our first ferry crossing meant we could take a warm break and grab some food. But all that running water caused my body to expel excessive fluids in which needed to be emptied immediately. Our first hair ride was followed by our first traditional suela and some coffee which provided much needed energy for the rain. We seek shelter underneath a gas station. The rain is not bad, but it gets you moist. There’s rumors there will be snow in a couple of days, but so far so good. How about the functioning of the genitals? Still working. We’re not getting cold yet because as long as we’re cycling, you can keep your body heat. But we shouldn’t stand still for much longer. [Laughter] We started to realize that Munheim wasn’t a good option for camping. All our things were wet and we were starting to freeze. Instead, we opted for a warm hotel in a town called Yundal, located just a few kilome east of the previous one. We decided now to go to Yundal. There’s a hotel. The rain is intensifying and uh it’ll probably get worse cuz everything is uh wet and uh it’s not cold, but it’s just wet. [Music] [Laughter] Look at that nice yellow color. Made it on to the top of the pass. The rain is uh back and forth between being light rain and quite intense. The most important thing now is just to keep uh going, stay warm.
With the temperature dropping further, there was not much time to soak in all the beautiful landscape unfolding along our path. And what better way to do so than by accident to leave my phone and my $7,000 camera behind on this bus stop.
This is my second camera, but my main camera 50 km back where we came from. The weather is not the best for electronics outside, but we did manage to find uh some uh people on the streets that helped us uh find someone who could drive back and uh try and see if the camera and phone is still there. So, let’s see what happens. Subsequent to the cameras return to secure custody, the frigid condition had taken their toll on us, compelling us to seek refuge. Fortunately, with the help of the locals, we were given a phone number for someone who could help us. Little uh change of plans. We decided because we’re so insanely cold from all the rain to check in at this place. Few apartments, maybe a few rooms. As long as we can get a shower, not together. The very nice manager of this hotel showed up in no time to let us in. We were able to remove all our wet clothes and empty everything that was filled with water before we sat down and enjoyed the night in this beautiful $160 a night room. In Norway, you don’t pay for accommodation, you pay for the view. It’s like Scandinavian pay-per-view, only with fjords. It makes you forget about the price. On day two, we aimed to cycle along the stunning Hardang Fjord to the small village of Kinsarik. We bathe Aur to our lodgings, though not before making efforts to engage in social discourse with the locals in their native tongue. How are you doing?
It was absolutely pissing down with rain earlier. Luckily, we left a bit late.
Oh It’s amazing what oil money can do to you. Oh, look. Nice Airbnb.
So, we will arrive soon at the ferry. A nice ferry will take us over to the other side of the Haranga Fjord to Yundal. And over there lies our biggest challenge yet, first mountain pass. But as everyone eventually learns, bike packing presents numerous challenges. The key to enjoying the journey is to savor the small moments and not dwell on the hard times ahead. We are blessed with warm fairies, traditional slays, and the occasional lucky break when the rain stays away and we are treated to a patch of blue sky above our heads. It’s as if someone up above sends a little miracle to encourage us. In Norway, you’re doomed to have to enter a tunnel once in a while on a bicycle, and it might be a little bit scary in the beginning. I
actually prefer cycling inside tunnels because they keep me dry. The only thing though is that when a car enters the tunnel, even though it’s just a small car, it sounds like a train with a 100 carriages entering right next to you. And that was even an electric car. Pedaling alongside the Viking constructed road wall. We completed our final rest stop prior to the mountain pass.
Here in her, we speak her. Can you say a full sentence in what does that
is that I’m guessing it’s a mountain. I’m guessing it’s some sort of um pickup line like you look beautiful today honey. That’s the way we’re going right now. Should be about 3 km of uphill. It’s not the worst part yet. Let’s start it now. Oh, I need to say hello to this guy. Oh, dude. If we’re ever looking at a map and you see the road go back and forth, back and forth, that’s a sign that your legs will be very sore in a few moments. The uphill is so brutal that I don’t even bother wearing a helmet cuz if I fall, it’s like going to sleep. This is truly exhausting. I actually think I lost my friend. Where are you, my friend? Where are you? Oh, there he is. It seems like Jeremy had ran into some minor issues. Can detach from those things there. So, I fell over and that broke off.
Welcome back, my friend.
We stomped our way upward, shouting a few ancestral slogans to express our current feelings.
And more often than not, what is lengthy and challenging ultimately feels rather satisfying. We’re at the top. Feels really good. Oh man, that was hard. The final part of our day’s journey took us through Harangir, a cultural landscape with rich soil that produces the finest fruits in Northern Europe. As we were a little early for the season, we instead enjoy the fruits that are produced all year round. Tasty, refreshing beer. The ferry was another hour away, and since I was becoming increasingly drunk and violent, I decided to see if any locals were in the mood for a challenge.
These guys, they challenged me for a race. So, he has a motorized scooter. He has a Yeah, like a small bike. And I have my 50 kilo bike hiking gear. You guys ready?
Yes. Okay. And go. [Music] He’s He’s too fast. This little kid is too fast, too, man. Oh, he’s so close. Nice. And here’s the loser. Nah, I’m kidding. You get second. Are you okay? You fell, actually.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. He’s a cool kid. Congratulations, even though you were cheating a little bit.
Having fallen behind in a race against two 10year-olds, it was time to call it a day. The ferry took us to the final part of the Hardang Fur to the small town of Hinsik where we started day three of our journey from Bergen to Oslo. It is day three of Bergen to Oslo. The first couple of days has been moist. This day slightly less, but still a little. What started as a wet endeavor soon turned into a bright sunny day that revealed the true beauty and awe inspiring wonder of one of the world’s most beautiful fjords. The route of day three was a short one. We only traveled 30 km from Hinsik to Adur. We wanted to get a proper rest in before taking on the challenge of the next day. After patching up Jeremy’s bike, the next morning we prepared for the most dangerous and challenging part of our adventure. This is the infamous Moa Valley. Earlier I said if the road goes back and forth, that’s usually a sign that your legs will be very sore in a short while. But when a road goes in circles, yep, that’s how steep it is. So, as you can see, it’s a big yellow sign stating you’re not allowed to go through Modal, which is exactly where we’re going right now. Closed doesn’t mean forbidden, right? If it’s blocked because of rocks or whatever, then we’ll just climb over it. We pick our bikes on our backs and then we’ll just do some hiking over the landslides or whatever. I don’t know. There’s really no other alternatives.
So, we just went along with it and shortly after we encountered our first obstacle.
Here we have the first obstacle of the day and that means we actually have to carry our bikes around.
Dude, I think they’re coming out. Jesus, take the wheel. Nope. That’s very good. You can actually use the mountain as coverage for rain. This is literally above your head. Over there’s a huge boulder in the middle of the road. So, I guess we’re taking the tunnel. A little bit challenging to see every part of the road in front of me. So, let’s hope there’s not any big holes in the road. Potholes would be the least of our concerns as we would soon figure out why the road was closed.
Oh my god, here’s a real landslide. Doesn’t look that big, so we might be able to climb over, but our bikes are really heavy.
I can see why it’s closed.
Yeah. Yeah. Definitely not going to open again soon. I’m guessing never. All the trees has been snapped clean off. I guess the safest way if there’s a slide coming, I don’t know, jump in the water and go into the mountain. This is 40 or 50 kilos. I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that I’m carrying a 50 kilo bike on my back through a landslide area or that I’ve drank too much coffee and I have to poop so bad. Okay, I’m going to try and walk over that little pile of rocks. Oh, I better kill her. Watch the landslide. Yeah. What do you think? I’ve never O. It’s powerful stuff. Really is. We’re used to floods and mudslides. I’ve never seen a landslide with with rocks before. It’s a lot of power involved. On the one side, you have a mountain. You can break out at any second. And on the left side, you have deep water. If it starts falling, you either go as close into the mountain as you can possibly go. You can jump into the water, but still you might get hit depending on the size of the rocks. But I’m no expert. If you have a landslide expert, then write in the comments what you think think we should do apart from not entering a landslide area.
Well done. Good.
Oh, okay. We’re sort of feels good and explore the tunnels a little bit.
It’s pretty dark in here. But I guess this is a automatic light. There’s a camera. You better off then.
I guess this is the emergency exit for the tunnel on the other side of that wall here. You saw a camera?
Yeah, I saw a camera. That’s
That means the authorities are now after us.
Are those garbage?
All garbage cans. Now we’re going to follow this tunnel a few hundred meters ahead and hopefully we’ll get back on the main road and back to relative safety.
Wait. Whoops.
So, we’re going to continue now along this old road deeper into the valley. And uh let me tell you, this is not our biggest obstacle yet. Thank you, sir. [Music] So for the next 3 to 25 km there’s about 8% elevation.
I don’t think it’s called elevation.
Where do you think elevator comes from?
From God. We followed the beautiful main road for a while, but that wouldn’t last long. This sign states that we’re not allowed to follow this road anymore. But here we have the old road. Be ea beautiful. And there’s always a constant risk of landslides. After four days, you still don’t know how to attach your shoes.
I don’t find the right technique because it’s a bit broken. And
one might assume that a road no longer in use would be a less than pleasant experience. But no sooner had we passed through a large, stunning open and proceeded around the corner when the magnificence of the valley revealed itself. Here we have the second obstacle. But I guess they figured if you’re stupid enough to go all the way up here, we don’t even bother closing it properly. Just be a bit careful going straight into the water on the other side and then the risk of landslide on this side. Danger lurks on every corner. Disregarding the danger, this place was breathtakingly beautiful.
We haven’t even gotten halfway up the mountain, but I can already feel the increasing cold. Pretty tight, but it also at the same time feels nice being all by myself. I don’t know if this road was just broken because it was hit by huge boulders or the fact that it’s literally a landslide river.
I think it’s troll pinball. Yes, it is. That’s what it is. Oh, my balls. I’m pushing the bike with my balls.
My balls. I decided to walk for a little bit. The road here is uh quite damaged. It’s also narrow.
I can hear it.
See the waterfall?
Nope. The road is shut. It was made by those who are dead. There’s a few obstacles, but uh they’re manageable. See on the top there? That’s the top of the waterfall. Still a little bit to go, but it’s absolutely manageable. This is probably some of the sickest sceneries I’ve ever seen. Wow. I’ve always believed that working hard to achieve something provides an even better experience. The challenge of getting to the top was tough. And at one point, we risk severe danger. But now, what lay ahead of us was open mountain areas covered in snow and bathed in sunshine. And at the very peak, a nice cold beer. We also filled the entire entranced area with cycling gear. So, this cayen gentleman was left sitting awkwardly and smelling 4 days worth of cycling sweat. We filled our gas tanks with the finest Norwegian cuisine and went back on the road for the final lap of the day. So, this is what an additional 1,200 m gets you. Cold, wind, and snow. Not that wearing super tight bicycle spandex helps you showing off what you got in the front. But if you add the additional cold, I’m not sure what gender I am anymore. This is what we’re having now for the next 30 km. Then we’ll enter into the little town of Yao. And when we arrive at Yo, that means we only have two more days of cycling before we’re in the capital of Norway. And boy did God strike upon us with great weather. From the beginning of day five, we were pushed ahead by a fierce tailwind, pushing our bikes along the deserted road like a roller coaster ride. After pushing ourselves along the Hardang Plateau, we arrived in a captivatingly beautiful valley, which turned out to be one of the finest cycling experiences of my life. In a course of such voyages, concerns pertaining to temporal constraints become moot, thus allowing ample opportunity for contemplating on a myriad of captivating subjects. AI translation is crazy. What I mean is you have a lot of time on your hands to think about all the silly things that you never had the time for before.
Did you learn a new word today?
Yeah, we were trying to find out what my butt hurts in German is. I thought this ass was asher, but that’s ash. What is in German then?
I think Google said ash. Was it?
No. No, but it’s very close. Yeah. No, it’s ash.
Ash. That’s a Scottish German version.
Yeah. Ash is a bit sore.
I think we actually found the most underrated cycling area in all of Norway. We simply follow the new medal slogan. That’s the name of the river. And there are actually two options for cyclists. You can either follow the number 40 road, that’s the main road, or there’s a side road, which is equally good, but there are no cars. This is probably one of the best places I’ve ever cycled in all of Norway, ever. This is some good quality water.
Soaking up the sunshine along the way, we slowly but surely made it to the historic city of Kmetic. The last time I visited, a somewhat famous superstar blew bubbles straight into my legs. I felt it befitting both our personalities. Today is the final day. How does it feel? It’s going to be good not to wear my uh outfit and uh hurt my uh swer genitalia.
My genitalia.
Day seven was our last day. An easy 70 kilometers to the capital and to our final destination. Seven days ago, my friend was just an ordinary parent of three with a safe and steady job in insurance. Today, he is a normal parent of three with a safe and steady job in insurance who has come, seen, and conquered one of the hardest cycling routes that Norway has to offer. And over there, you can see Oslo. We finally made it. What was your expectations before this trip?
That I would have a sore butt. Cry a little bit.
Did you cry?
Almost.
Almost. Okay. Almost. I didn’t. But uh but I’ve been very tired.
We’re We’re almost done now. We’re almost finished.
How does it feel? Feels good that uh I can accomplish uh such an endeavor. Physically better than I thought I would be.
Yeah. So, uh, it’s going to be good to, uh, finally get to the finish line, have a beer, see some friends, see some family, and, uh, have a shower. As we crossed into Oslo, you could see that the smile on his face was different. It wasn’t just a smile of someone who had achieved a goal, it was a smile of accomplishment. No matter the weather, no matter the elevation, my best friend was now a member of the small league of bike packing cyclists, a group of explorers and curious people who had discovered that the world was now open to his pedals. And who knows, maybe one day we’ll do another great adventure together, as long as in the end the everlasting journey will still be our friendship. [Music]