Not only were we descending on slippery Rock and swampy trails but we were doing so with fully pannier laden bikes - Mike had the idea of riding the bike which was fine by us as long as he indicated where we should mail all his pieces to !
Our first duty of the day however was to sing happy birthday to the youngster of the group one KH at 68! Kev warily accepted our best wishes knowing that previous Birthdays on our overseas trips have often been greeted with some form of death defying activity and today was to be no different !
Miraculously we arrived unscathed at the train station following our treacherous descent and waited with the Rallervergen hordes who like us were having to train it to Halinskied with the mid section of the Rallavergen still under heavy snow despite it being the middle of summer !
After getting off at Hallinskied we were almost immediately gob smacked by the trails amazing scenery - although H didn't appreciate the fact that the trails were in a much rougher condition for his thin touring tyres !
The surrounding scenery was astonishing - pristine lakes, snow capped hills, raging river torrents and breathtaking waterfalls wherever you looked !
Just when we thought it couldn't get any better it did just that as we rounded one corner to find ourselves up close and personal to 2 raging "thunderfalls" eroding their way through massive rock formations over the millennia !
Eventually the astonishing gave way to the spectacular asr as we arrived at Mydral and descended by way of amazing switchbacks and a narrow steep valley to Flam at the head of the fjiord.
From high up this valley looked every bit as spectacular as those in Austria and Switzerland - low down you realized the amazing waterfalls and raging river made this one very special place.
D Mike took on a Kamikaze role flying down the switchbacks and scaring the bejesus out of errant walkers while I politely just ran them over, Kev walked the switchbacks with his tourer not suited to the steep soft conditions.
This meant however that Kev was now in real danger of missing our 3.15p.m. ferry !
While Mike & I enjoyed an incredible run into Flam Kev had finally run out of time.
With the possibility of losing all 3 tickets if we waited D Mike came up quickly with a plan B telling the ferry staff that H had broken down !
Reluctantly they indicated they would allow H to travel on the 6.00p.m. ferry without further charge !
With no time to ring Kev we boarded our ferry and sailed with a distant view showing a forlorn H arriving on the dock late - not a great way to celebrate your birthday !
By the time I'd emptied my panniers so I could message H I dare say H was in a bit of a panic not (as usual) knowing our evenings destination or in fact what ferry he should get on although he indicated later that the berthed cruise ship did look enticing !
With communications now in place and H now relieved at knowledge of our plan B, Mike and self settled back to take in the incredible fjiord scenery particularly on the Naerosynd Fjiord with its impossibly steep cliffs !
Fast forward to 8.00p.m. and a bedraggled KH finally emerged from his ferry to be met by the two Mike's who wisely sang happy birthday before guiding H to his nearby accommodation after first getting some food down him.
As per normal it was definitely a birthday that won't be forgotten !
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