Nordkapp 2 - 2024. Page 3/7. All images click to enlarge.
July 17th Wednesday. Storjord, Norway.
Another day of good weather. It reached 25 degrees C in the afternoon. Because we had 250 miles to cover before our next overnight in Storjord we used the main E6 route without any deviations. The section between Grong and Mosjøen is sparsely populated with only 3 settlements that provide fuel and refreshment facilities. The whole route is scenic and with hints of things to come, the landscape changes to proper wilderness with large plains and rugged mountains. The Børgefjell and Lomsdal-Visten National Parks are nearby and there’s pull off areas with WC’s where hikers can park their vehicles.
On the border between Trøndelag and Nordland counties we rode through the ‘Gateway to Nord Norge’ arch which stretches across the E6. The design signifies the Northern Lights. There’s a refreshment stop adjacent to the arch which is popular with tourists.
Between Mosjøen and Moirana the E6 goes through the impressive Korgfjell Tunnel. Work on the 5.3-mile (8.5km) tunnel started in September 2001 and it was opened on 16 September 2005. North of Moirana the E6 crosses the Arctic Circle latitude within the Saltfjellet National Park. This a mountainous area and popular with hikers. At this point the E6 runs very close to the border with Sweden.
We stopped at the Arctic Circle Centre which is located just north of the small hamlet of Krokstranda on the E6. The Centre is one of the main tourist stops in this part of Norway and was busy with plenty of tour buses and RV’s filling the parking areas. The temperature at this location was a barmy 19 degrees C, certainly warm enough to enjoy an ice cream.
Contrast that with our last visit to the Arctic Circle Centre on Saturday 21st May 2011 when snow was piled up at the side of road and the temperature was only 3 degrees C with sleet and rain. The Centre was practically deserted, and we were told that we were the first motorcyclists to visit that year. Timo Närä from Finland joined us on that tour riding his Buell XB Lightning.
Back to July 17th 2024, after visiting the Arctic Circle Centre we continued north on the E6 to the Storjord Tourist Centre. This is the only stopover available in that area and has all the facilities you could possibly need such as fuel, restaurant and motel accommodation. The Saltfjellet National Park visitor centre is also located there. Motel website: https://www.isaltdal.no/om-turistsenteret/?lang=en
July 18th/19th Thursday/Friday. Narvik, Norway.
On Thursday 18th we continued our journey north on the E6 covering 200 miles in warm and sunny weather. Temperatures were still in the region of 20 to 25 degrees C. For the most part the E6 between Storjord and Narvik hugs the coastline and is designated a scenic route for its entire length. North of Bonnåsjøen the views are spectacular with the mountains of Lofoten clearly visible across Vestfjorden.
The Rago and Sjunkhatten National Parks are just north of Fauske which is the only large town on this section of the route. Between Bonnåsjøen and Innayet the E6 passes through a series of tunnels as it crosses the mountains before heading back to the coast. There’s a large vehicle ferry which links the towns of Bognes and Skarberget across Tysfjorden. The ferries on this crossing handle the large volumes of traffic in a speedy and efficient manner. As at most ferry crossings motorcycles are usually waved on first. We expected this part of our route to be a major bottleneck, but it was a pleasant surprise when we didn’t have to wait too long.
The last 24-mile section of our ride between Ballangen and Narvik, where the E6 runs alongside Ofotfjorden, was a great way to end the day.
Our accommodation for 2 nights was the Narvik Hotel. Wherever possible we try not to book accommodation in town centres, but the Narvik Hotel worked out OK despite less-than-ideal parking arrangements. It was certainly popular with fellow motorcyclists. Riders from Sweden, Finland and Estonia were also there during our stay. Hotel website: https://www.narvikhotelwivel.no/en
Located across the street from the hotel, the local tourist information office and the Narvik Krigsmuseum (War Museum) are well worth a visit. The museum tells the story of the Battle of Narvik in 1940 and the subsequent German occupation through to the town’s liberation in 1945. Museum website: https://krigsmuseet.no/narvik
The weather on Friday 19th was a mixture of sunshine and showers so we decided to spend the morning exploring Narvik on foot before going for short tour of the Lofoten peninsula in the afternoon. Using the E10 we travelled as far as Lødingen. Surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, Lødingen is a small fishing village that has managed to retain its unique architectural features.
July 20th Saturday. Sørkjosen, Norway.
The 200-mile route between Narvik and Sørkjosen was stunning. The weather was perfect with temperatures around 25 degrees in the afternoon. The E6 between Narvik and Andselv takes you through an area with huge snow-capped mountains, rivers and small lakes. Most of the tourist traffic travels as far north as Narvik (for Lofoten) so the E6 becomes relatively quiet. The 85-mile section between Oteren and Sørkjosen follows the coastline alongside Altafjorden and Kåfjorden. The most notable tunnel on this section of the E6 is ‘The Iceberg Tunnel’ (Isfjelltunnelen) which runs under the Isfjellet mountain between Båneset and Birtavarre. It is 2 miles (3.2km) long and was built as an avalanche prevention measure. Prior to the tunnels construction the E6 at this point was regularly closed by avalanches.
We stayed at the Reisafjord Hotel in Sørkjosen. Popular with touring motorcyclists this hotel is situated next to the harbour. There are stunning views looking out over Restafjorden to the various islands north of the town. Hotel website: https://reisafjord-hotel.com/Home
This far north we were well into 24-hour daylight and while it takes some getting used to, we managed to sleep soundly. Because the weather conditions were perfect the brief sunset/sunrise period produced some beautifully coloured skies. Our visit to Sørkjosen was one of the most memorable overnight stops during the whole tour.
