Might Interest some ................

After nearly 60 days of dicking around in the snow in Northern Norway .... it's time to head home ....... apart from a busted front prop shaft the '98 2.5 DSE has done well .......... (and in my book, 8 bolts and 2 spanners for a prop shaft isn't a major repair.... lol)

Here's the interesting bit ..... and you'd only know if someone told you ......
Instead of doing the huge overland trek through denmark to esbjerg then harwich ..... I spoke to DFDS and they have a freighter that goes from near Oslo to Immingham direct - and if there is space they will take you.
Thats me booked on - no disco's bars or music but like who cares ..... saves me a day travelling.

http://www.bike****e.com/forums/photoplog/images/1/1_snowplay1.jpg


http://www.bike****e.com/forums/photoplog/images/1/1_snowplay2.jpg

How much (just interested) did it cost for the crossing, went to the Isle of Man a few years ago (work related) and the usual ferry that you take was having a refit, so they put us on a polish vessel (about 5 trucks i think) and we had a great time, the captain even let me steer the ship (not that you notice thought very unresponsive) they had a polish crew, and we were all drinking and having a great laugh there was only 5 passengers with our trucks, it was better than the normal ferry

Fond memories of Esbjerg, however my time was spent running up and down in a Renault Magnum. Only saw snow once in two 6 week stints in November / December.

That danish ferry is **** anyway and vastly overpriced...but as its the only route to scandinavia (unless you go bloody miles up to Bergen) its a monopoly...bastids!

Last I read you were heading for the artic circle. How far did you get?

sad as it is, never made it quite that far ....... about 100 miles short. Time more than anything, its been difficult to get more than a single day off work here and the roads have been closed more often than they have been open .....

Looking forward to the drive back to Oslo though ..... that road has been closed 3 or 4 times in the last 3 weeks and its supposed to be the main road.
Ive got 12 hrs to do a 9 hour jouney .......and if the weather closes in .......

Got some good kit whilst i have been here though .......... got a -40 deg C sleeping bag, a brilliant North Face Ve25 tent .......and all the stuff you cant find in UK shops.

Great stuff, any pixs of it in really deep snow??

I'm just home from Norway. Got off the ferry at Hirtshals (Northern Denmark) at 0230 Hrs and got the 1630 sailing from Calais to Dover. A few stops on the way and lots of miles on no speed limit sections of the German autobahn helped. LPG at 55p/65p a litre available every where apart from Denmark even makes it fairly economical.

Not every bodies cup of tea but if you don't mind driving it really is a doddle.

We went to watch the Snow Flying world championships at Vikersund. I've always thought those chaps a bit crazy watching it on the TV. Having seen it in real life I now realize they are f##k##g Mad!!!

I had the same amount of fun two days ago in Nigata's Snow (Japan) https://twitter.com/#!/GonzagueGB/status/173665534062231552/photo/1/large

I even succeed at one point yesterday to loose of the snow-chain after a 40 minutes climb trail with 40cm+ of snow...

Ive done the Hirtshals - Calais trip a few times ......... its a very long way hahaha
and time consuming. Fun when you are on a trip - pain in the arse when you are just trying to blat home lol.
Will give this "freighter" route a go and see what its like .........


is this deep enough ....?

http://www.bike****e.com/forums/photoplog/images/1/1_sweden1.jpg

It helps only having to do 100 miles off the ferry at Dover. Wouldn't be quite so nice having to head up north after the trek to Calais.
Also shared the driving with me old man so that was a big help.

I looked into one of the freight ferries a few years ago. They wanted too much on that particular occasion but the chap I was talking to said that during quiet times you can grab a real bargain.

Once again .... "the Worlds most unreliable Vehicle" ....... is in fact ....... "the Worlds most reliable Vehicle".

Trondheim to Brevik through the mountains and snow, Immingham to Edinburgh, a tad over 700 miles, never missed a beat.

4 1/2 thousand miles in the last 60 days, most of it in temps well below freezing, a lot of it in deep snow ........only casulty was a UJ on the front prop shaft.

The ferry from Brevik to Immingham was spot on, drive straight on - cabins are as good as the main ferry's - just no bars and disco's - ie no drunks and rowdies, also No customs or Passport Control at all in Immingham - not like theres anything to smuggle from Norway though hahaha


Here's an interesting fact to P*SS you off ....... best mileage I ever got from the 2.5 DSE was 27 on a motorway at 60 mph. Tank has been well flushed with Norwegian diesil and has been running on the stuff for 60 days. Immingham to Edinburgh 70 mph, 31 mpg ............ not only is UK diesil the most expensive in Europe .... its crap too.

Teamemmenracing said:

Once again .... "the Worlds most unreliable Vehicle" ....... is in fact ....... "the Worlds most reliable Vehicle"

Click to expand...

I'm loving this I loved that episode of Top Gear and whilst I am sure it is partially staged, it did kinda prove a point - it was certainly no worst than the other two Jap cars!

Sounds like you've got a keeper there. I'm taking my RRC to Morocco in August, keep getting jibes from the lads (of course) about unreliability, etc, but I genuinely believe it will be brilliant and be absolutely fine - your trip has inspired me to continue!!

Well done - now, where's your next trip??

We covered 2500 miles in 6 days and she didn't miss a beat.

As for Norway, beautiful country but bloody expensive. Filled up 3 times in Norway, £135 the cheapest, £147 the dearest. Divided by 4 softened the blow but wouldn't fancy bringing the family and copping the lot.

Beer in a hotel £11 a pint, between £8 and £9 in a pub/bar

Brilliant post! By coincidence I was travelling up the coast at the same time by Hurtigruten ferry. Living and driving in minus 20 is a new art for brits, cars idling all down high streets, putting lanolin on door seals to stop them seizing,Ki-gas starters on most diesels(work stuff).And the grip of winter tyres, wow. If you stop a 2 1/2 land-rover diesel its reckoned not to start till spring! My P38 has done Africa and after a recce by ferry I reckon its Norway next.

old traveller said:

My P38 has done Africa and after a recce by ferry I reckon its Norway next.

Click to expand...

My RRC is doing Morocco this summer, but want to venture to colder climates next year, determined to go see the Northern Lights!

Hahahahahaha ........
Just a few months ago I was thinking about binning the P38 and getting a defender ..... after this epic voyage, I walked past the beast today and smiled ..... and as I did that it smiled back and whispered ...... "not going to sell me now eh ...?"

another page in the "man who loves P38's" novel ........

So....where next?