Fauske - Glomfjord
215 km
The ride from Fauske to Glomfjord brings you through a wild and mountainous landscape, which, if you have the time, you can explore in multiple directions if you leave the ETR for a while.
Named after the Norse word for old wood, Fauske is one of the main towns of Salten, famous for its mining industry and marble deposits. On the shores of Skjerstad Fjord in Nordland, Fauske nestles between fjords, mountains and national parks providing endless outdoor adventures and rewarding cultural experiences. Visit Fauske Church from 1867, and Fauske Folk Museum with traditional rural grass-roof houses.
The village is based around the Glomfjord hydroelectric power plant, which was the target of the 1942 commando raid entitled Operation Musketoon. The Forså and Sundsfjord hydroelectric power stations were built in 1963 to supply power to heavy industry in Glomfjord.
This area is peppered with exciting trails and tunnels, and is also perfect for canyoning, climbing, rappelling and other adrenaline-infused extreme tours. If you have the energy, climb up along Fykantrappa - 1100 long, steep stairs used by miners early last century - worth it for the magnificent view from the top.
Dave O'Byrne
European Touring Route AS
About 15km southeast of Glomfjord, at the end of the mountain road up to Glomfjellet you can find the massive Storglomvass Damm - the world's largest stone dam, on Storglomvatnet. The Storglomvass Dam holds over 3.5 billion cubic meters of water, enough to provide over 500 liters of water to each of the inhabitants of earth. You can park at the top of the hill overlooking the dam, and hike eastwards down to it.
To the southeast is Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park, where you can visit The Svartisen Glacier in Austerdalsisen, Norway’s second-largest glacier, and one of two large glaciers that rest into the scenic environment of Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park. If you have time, you can also take the road south from the parking area at Storglomvass to the Holmvass dam, from where you can either continue on to the Svartisen Glacier in Holmvassdalen, or hike up into the hills for some great views over to Svartisen and the surrounding mountains - as always, everything is at your own risk, so take care!