Riding in one of the most spectacular places on earth with Edelweiss Motorcycle Tours
No railings needed. The crew perched 1,500 metres above sea level on Scandinavia’s highest road above Geirangerfjord far off in the distance.
PHOTOS BY GLENN ROBERTS, KRISTINE ELLIS & CHRISTOPHER SEIWALD
N orway is one of those places that, I think, judging from those I’ve spoken with, is a destination on most people’s bucket list. The appeal is the rugged Nordic landscape and out-of-control scenery, the fjords, and its ancient history. For me, a trip to Norway is one that I’ve waited a long time to come to fruition.
My reason for being here was to participate in an Edelweiss motorcycle tour, aptly called the Viking Experience that ran from Alesund to Oslo. The night before the tour started, I met my fellow travellers at the first night’s hotel, where we also met our tour guides, Angela and Arild. Both are highly experienced in their field, with many years guiding guests in many parts of the world with Edelweiss.
FAST FACTS
INLAND W ATERWAYS
There are 1,190 fjords in Norway — the highest density in the world — and each one offers incredible beauty. The country also boasts the deepest and longest fjord — the uber dramatic Sognefjord, which is 204 km long with a depth of 1,309 metres. It’s known as the King of the Fjords. Because of these sea arms, Norway ’s coastline measures an incredible 75,000 km.
THE VIKING EXPERIENCE PARTICIPANTS
Thanks to everyone who participated in the tour. In alphabetical order: Jeffrey Barker and Deborah Holmes, Ontario; Craig Bridges, California; Kristine Ellis, Ontario ; Scott Fishman, Massachusetts; Ross Fleming, Ontario; Glenn Roberts, Ontario; David Rousay, Ontario; Fernando Salamanca, North Carolina; Christopher and Trudi Seiwald, California; And much thanks to our amazing Edelweiss guides: Angela de Haan, Austria; Arild Korstadhagen, Norway
DAY BY DAY
DAY 1: Arrival in Ålesund
DAY 2: Ålesund to Geiranger – 150 km
DAY 3: Geiranger to Fjaerland – 245 km
DAY 4: Fjaerland to Bergen – 315 km
DAY 5: Bergen - rest day
DAY 6: Bergen to Sola – 405 km
DAY 7: Sola - rest day – 220 km
DAY 8: Sola to Vrådal – 325 km
DAY 9: Vrådal to Oslo – 280 km
DAY 10: Depart from Oslo
Because of small roads, traffic patterns and slower technical manoeuvring, riding in Europe is far different than riding in North America, where you can cover great distances in a reasonable amount of time. Our longest day in the saddle during the Viking Experience was the 400-ish km from Bergen to Sola, which took around 11 hours.
NEVER STOP LEARNING
The one really cool thing about motorcycling is the skill level to operate efficiently is always ongoing. Edelweiss offers multi-day advanced rider training in three European regions — Italian Alps, Spain’s Andalusia region and Spain’s Tenerife region. Sign up for the course while your better half enjoys the local sights. Go to edelweissbike.com for further information on this tour and many more.
A GLOBAL LEADER IN EV SALES
Walk down any city street and you won’t hear many vehicles. That’s because as of June 2022, 90 per cent of all new car sales in Norway are electric. Furthermore, the country has legislated an end-date of 2025 for new passenger gas and dieselpowered vehicle sales, including hybrids. During one of our fjord crossings, even the ferry was electric. As the ferry docks to unload and load vehicles, a huge cable attaches to a tower on the ferry to charge before making its way to other side and repeat the process. That ferry is dead quiet and without a single vibration. There are more than 60 electric ferries plying Norway ’s fjords.