Family Trip on the Navvy Road (Rallarvegen)
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© Paul Lockhart
After a few days of fun in the bike park at Vestlia Resort, the family is ready for what Ane hopes will be a truly memorable experience for both kids and adults: Rallarvegen.
The longer trip all the way to Flåm will have to wait until the kids are a bit older, but there’s no need to worry. The Finse – Haugastøl route is perfect for families and is snow-free earlier in the summer than the western parts of the trail. This makes it an excellent choice for an early July vacation.
Instead of taking the bike train from Geilo to Finse, the trip starts with their own car for the short 20-kilometer drive to Haugastøl.
At Haugastøl Turistsenter, there is free parking and bike rental options. Here, they also receive valuable advice from locals who know Rallarvegen best. It's a great way to kick off the trip, and not to mention, they can enjoy a heavenly cake from the café!
With a mix of rented bikes and their own, the family rides to the train station to catch the bike train to Finse. After about 20 minutes, the train arrives at Bergensbanen’s highest station, Finse 1222 meters above sea level. The family disembarks the train, visits the Rallar Museum, puts on their helmets, packs their bags with chocolate, and gets ready to cycle eastward with Haugastøl as their destination.
Suddenly, they encounter a small snowbank on the road just east of Finse, inviting them to a snowball fight and the challenge of "cycling in snow."
After overcoming the snowbank, they continue on dry ground. The 27-kilometer route has a descent of approximately 200 meters and traverses beautiful high mountain terrain along Bergensbanen and at the base of Hallingskarvet. They make a stop before reaching Oksebotn and Storurdi watchtowers. At picturesque rest areas, the family can dip in fresh mountain water and replenish their energy.
Soon, the sound of a cuckoo calling from the low mountain birch is heard along Rallarvegen.
The adults listen attentively, but the boys, now refreshed with sausage from the thermos and chocolate, are full of new energy and ready for the final stretch of the trip. They are promised ice cream at the finish line at Haugastøl, 27 kilometers after they set off from Finse.
Ane, who hadn’t cycled this shorter version of Rallarvegen before, is thrilled with the choice of route and the day the family has had in the mountains. They are also very pleased with their own efforts. The boys receive praise for their enthusiasm and love for cycling, which made the Rallarvegen trip a perfect conclusion to their biking vacation in Geilo.
©
© Paul Lockhart