Day trips
Øye and Slogjen. The village of Øye is a popular destination for hikers, climbers and just people who want to relax in a classic Norwegian fjord décor. The famous Union Hotel that was popular retreat for royal families, artists and writers. It was visited by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edward Grieg, Roald Amundsen, Henrik Ibsen, Kaiser Wilhelm and Coco Chanel. Hotel serves athmospheric lunches and dinners. You can phone hotel for reservations at +47 70 06 21 00.The most famous hiking destination around Øye is Slogjen: a sheer rock with a vertical drop of 1564 meters (5128 feet) to the fjord surface. It stands just above Øye and a moderate footpath can take a fit person up there and back in 8 hours. Technical climb over southwest face (Fjord Route) is graded IV by UIAA system or 5.5 by US. Most other summits have both walking or scrambling paths and technical routes. They include: Kolåstind, Store Smørskredtind, Jakta and Råna: one of the few snow and ice ascents in the area that takes about 10 hours roundtrip.
To get to Øye take road 61 towards Ulsteinvik and continue towards Måloy to junction with 653. Take 653 to Eiksund. This is 29 km (20 to 25 min) from the house. Take a ferry to Rjåneset. From there drive 12 km along road E39 to Orsta and turn left to road 655 for another 26 km to Sæbø (25 to 30 minutes from Rjåneset). From Sæbø there is another ferry to Leknes and a final 6 km to Øye. If you leave the house at 7:10 in the morning you can be in Øye at 8:40. Or for a later ferry, leave at 9:00 and be there at 10:55. For return trip you may leave as late as 22:20 and be home at just after midnight.
Geiranger Fjord. If you feel more like a scenic drive than a hike one of the best routes would be to go to Geiranger Fjord. This is one of the most famous fjords in Norway. See Svein's Lunde photo album for some of the views.
Suggested route will be to drive to Øye as described above and then continue on road 655 through a dramatic Noransgdalen turning left on road 60 and descending to the old Viking port of Hellesylt. Stop at the waterfall there and maybe walk down the path along the roaring river. From Hellesylt take a tourist ferry ship to Geiranger. It is an unforgettable 65 sail. A recorded narrative provides you information about the route and places around in 4 languages.
If you have time it is worth driving up and south on road 63 towards route 15. Go to the highest point of the col and return back down. This 15 km side trip will take around one hour of your time but you will be more than rewarded by views of glaciers coming down to the road. But keep in mind that there is still a long drive home ahead.
Take road 63 north towards Eidsdalen. Do not miss several viewpoint turnovers as you climb up. There is no more than 40 minutes to Eidsdalen (25 km) even including a short stop. From there there is another ferry to Linge. From Linge take road 650 to the direction of Ǻlesund and drive through a series of small villages alongside the Storfjord. The drive is pleasant and interesting. After 41 km you will join the main road routes E39 and E136. Continue towards Ǻlesund for 31 km and then along E39 for 8 more km to junction with road 61. Another 9km on 61 will bring you to Sulesund and a ferry to Hareid. The ferry goes every half an hour during day time and a little less often in the evening and at night.
Romsdal and The Troll's Ladder. The downside of this scenic driving trip is that your trip starts by 2 hour drive along route E136. Not that it is a dull and monotonous drive: none is when you are going around fjords, but it is till tiring. The reward is that you will be going to one of Norway's most exciting tourist attractions: The Troll's Ladder that receives more than 700 000 visitors each summer. See more nformation at Trollstigen website.
From Hareid take a ferry to Sulesund (every 30 minutes from 5:30 am) and drive 9km to junction with E39. Continue for 8km on E39 North towards Ǻlesund to junction with E136 and then for about 100km east on E136 to Åndalsnes. Continue another 6km east on E136 towards Dombas to junction with road 63.
From here and for the next 54km you will be driving on 63. This is Trollstigen Road, a fantastic road that winds its way up the mountainside through eleven hairpin bends. The road crosses the Stigefossen waterfall on its way to its highest point, 852 metres above sea level. You can enjoy a short photo stop before continuing to the small village of Valldal, famous for its strawberries.
Road 63 continues to Linge where it turns to ferry to Eidsdalen but you continue on road 650 along Norddalsfjorden for 10 more kilomtres to Liabygda where you turn to ferry to Stranda. From Stranda you go on road 60 for 38km to Sykkylven and Ørsneset passing a major Stranda Ski resort. From Ørsneset you are on the ferry to Magerholm. From Magerholm drive 11km to junction with E39 and after 4km on E39 to the south you are back on road 61 to Sulesund and a ferry to Hareid.