EWS

Never failing to disappoint, the breakfast at Norumgården is fit for a King (who incidentally stayed here once). My belly is full, my bike is packed and I am ready to start the day… Or am I?

I type my first destination into Tom-Squared. Destination unknown is the reply. I try the second. No luck. I try all my planned stops and nothing is recognised. Plan B: I look on my map and the scale is too large to be of any use. Plan C: I will use the vague descriptions I have and my common sense. Let’s see how far this gets me…

The first part of the route is simple. Follow the Arctic Highway southwards until the ferry crossing at Skarberget, but this description does not do the journey justice. After I escape the suburban sprawl of Narvik and the neighbouring villages, I pass through some of the best scenery of the journey so far. I am fast running out of superlatives to describe the view from my helmet. The mountain route passes towering peaks and weaves between glistening fjords.  I stop to take a few photos of a particularly beautiful stretch. I return to my motorbike, turn the key and nothing happens. The usual green light is replaced with three letters - EWS.

I have no idea what the letters mean. More importantly I do not want to be stuck in this uninhabited wilderness! I frantically fiddle with anything that moves. I press. I twist. I tweak. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

I give the key one last turn before I dig through my luggage in search of the manual and the green light appears. I hit the ignition button before the computers realises it has made a mistake. The engine roars into life and I race to the ferry, all the time trying to figure out what the letters EWS stand for…

I roll into the dock just in time to see the ferry close its thunderbird-two-style doors and float away. The next ferry is in an hour. Luckily there is a café, so I take my owners' manual and hope to find the solution to the EWS problem. 

I still do not know what EWS stands for. My guess would be a German abbreviation, but I do not know. I do, however, know what caused the malfunction. I am embarrassed by the cause.

EWS means the motorbike does not recognise the key in the ignition. It is a security feature that immobilises the motorbike. So why is this happening?

Well, my keys are dirty. They are covered with the grub and grime of thirteen days on the road. I am so relieved that I do not mind being scolded like a naughty child by my German motorbike for having dirty keys. A quick wipe with napkin and my motorbike is repaired :D

After crossing the narrows of Tysfjorden, I follow the Arctic Highway for a short while until I reach Ulsvåg. From here I take a little side trip to the Nordneset Peninsula at Tranøy. The views across the Vestfjord and to the lofoten Islands justify the detour.

Back with the Highway, I continue to ride southwards along the edge of Sagfjord. Across the fjord are more stunning views of islands poking out of a fjord.

The highway leaves the fjord and heads once more into the mountains. Dominating the cloud-covered skyline is Kråkmotind, a mountain peak that seems to have had its peak sliced off! Like most of the summits here, it rises just to or above the permanent snow line.

Road tunnels punctuate the final section of today’s route. Each tunnel takes me into what I imagine to be the crater of a huge volcanoe. A ring of mountain peaks, each wearing their snow caps at a jaunty angle, surrounding a tree lined, crystal clear lake.

My accommodation, Kobbelv Verthus, is a short distance after the third tunnel and occupies one of the most attractive settings along the Arctic Highway. It over looks the Leirfjord and is alongside Baggfossen. Time to sit back, relax and enjoy my mooseburger…

Distance: 158.3 miles