Incredible experience at Torghatten & summary of Helgeland
Believe it or not, but today it has been rain-free almost all day! I took the opportunity to hike up through the famous hole in Torghatten, which is 35 meters high, 160 meters long and 20 meters wide. It is absolutely incredible to stand in there and see the landscape stretch out through the giant hole formed by the forces of nature over millions of years. A powerful experience that I will always carry with me.
They have done a fantastic job of enlisting the help of Sherpas who have built natural steps up both sides of the hole. There are a total of 1001 steps, which makes it much easier to walk up and down, but even so, it is a climb of a couple of hundred meters. I was really out of breath by the time I got up but it was definitely worth the effort.
The view in both directions is absolutely incredible, especially through the hole with a view of all the small islands that dot the coast. An incredible experience that I really recommend to anyone who passes by.
Torghatten has a very characteristic appearance and can be seen from several miles away, the picture below was taken from 3 miles away! It's easy to understand where it got its name from - it really does look like a big hat. On the left you can see in the dark how big the hole through the top really is.
If you want to experience the whole mountain, you can go up through the hole on one side and down on the other and then follow a great walking path around the whole mountain, which is a total of about 4 km long. Of course I did and enjoyed the cold but fresh autumn weather where even the sun peeked out sometimes. Full of impressions, I went on towards the last ferry on my journey along the Helgeland coast tourist route.
While waiting for the ferry, I stopped at Sundshopen, which is a beautiful brackish lake with mixed salt and fresh water. There was a magical atmosphere over the lake when there was no wind and the water was mirror-like.
After lunch at Sundshopen and admiring the view, it was time for the sixth and last ferry along the Helgeland coast and for once it didn't rain the entire crossing.
After the ferry, I continued a few miles and stumbled across a small campsite, Kjelleidet camping. There were only about 10 seats but they are building more. What a location! Perhaps the most beautiful campsite I have ever stayed at. It was run by a very nice older uncle who welcomed me while he was fixing the new seats with his little wheel loader.
The national tourist routes in Norway are always a good starting point when traveling here. They are full of experiences along the way and always have many nice rest stops whose architecture is an experience in itself. I've ridden all but the one furthest south, but it was the first time I went to the Helgeland coast. Now it's time to sum up my impressions.
The Helgeland coast is the longest of the national tourist routes, a whopping 433 km long. There are also 6 ferries you need to take, so make sure you have plenty of time. I've been a bit unlucky with the weather but I can still say that it's one of the most beautiful tourist routes I've ridden and I'll definitely do it again. I traveled from the north, but I think it is best from the south, as the landscape gradually becomes more dramatic and exciting. Combining it with Lofoten, Andøya and Senja is an experience out of the ordinary, but expect to spend at least 2-3 weeks on the three tourist routes for full enjoyment.
Now I'm going on to Sweden tomorrow after my third trip to Norway this year - but I'll be back soon!
