Day 57 - Fusa (102 kms) - " Nearing the end " !

With just 2 cycling days left we were closing rapidly in on Bergen. We knew this one though was the final major stage having pleadingly convinced D Mike the night before to change our original literary from a 122 km + 2700 metre climb to something less arduous a 102 km ride + 1700 metre climb which H gratefully thanked D Mike at the end of the day as he crawled into our cabin on all fours !

This was a "pearler" of a day, the usual stunning scenery was backed up by a magic day with clear skies and an almost hot temperature of 24 c.

We left our Kvanndal camping cabin and jumped straight on board our ferry across the Hardanger Fjiord to quaint Utne and its steep road out.

Climbing from the start provided for wonderful all round views as we cycled 35 kms around this beautiful peninsular almost devoid of car traffic to Jondal. This stretch had a toughish climb to a 250 metre pass before a high speed descent to picturesque Herand where we dropped in for a drink or in H's case some much needed snooze time (see pic).

At Jondal we grabbed some lunch supplies and took another ferry this time to Torvikbygb cycling another 35 kms around to Mundheim. The constant small climbs were beginning to take its toll but our early start meant that we were committed to reaching our destination at Fusa.

Switching inland at Mundheim the climb really steepened with one 4-5 km section really taxing.

Finally descending down to the fjiord our normally orderly peleton became a shambles ! Self had ventured a bit further than wise up front becoming lost and having to retrace my steps.

After knocking on a house door for directions to Fusa I rang H to advise him and D Mike of my delay to find that H was also lost in the same town as me having become separated from D Mike.

Finding Kev we both rode the last 13 kms to Fusa together where fate intervened cruelly. Kev on his last legs was fronted with a 1 km incredibly steep climb and descent into Fusa where we caught up with D Mike at our camping sight.

With H comatose, self and D Mike had to then ride back up the incredibly steep hill from the other side to secure dinner for the evening and check whether any taxidermists where in town so i could at least take an effigy of H back home with me !

It was a magic evening in the conditions and H did recover enough at the smell of available bananas to crawl our of bed knowing that tomorrow's flattish 45km ride signals the end to our riding for this trip and the beginning of 2 + weeks of normal tourist activity !

Hooray !!!