So we carry on riding.
Our next encounter is when we stop to take a photo just before entering a tunnel. A Norwegian gentleman approaches us and pointing to our right informs us that the road snaking up to the right is a 'must do biking road' he furthers the interest by saying we would be riding through snow fields. Colin asks whether the road takes us to the same place as the tunnel; the gentleman shrugs and nods his head and says 'it's very good'.
Colin is intrigued and we decide to give it a go, saying we can always turn round and come back down if we feel it is not right.
So off we go riding around switchbacks, avoiding wandering sheep and amorous cows, cyclists and camper vans!
The views are stupendous and completely breathtaking.
We know we have arrived at the top when we park next to a chair lift!
Not only have we come through snow fields, they are still open for summer skiing! One Finnish lad was togging up to go skinning up to the top; Colin asked if he could borrow his skis for a photo!
We carried on a bit further, past an ice lake but them the road started to deteriorate, so Colin made the decision to turn round and retrace our steps.
The view on the return journey was even more awe inspiring than the ones going up!
We returned to the main road and proceeded to go through tunnel after tunnel; I calculated we travelled through over 12 kms of tunnels through the centre of the mountains. We never did discover where the road would have dropped us if we had carried on.
The route into Geiranger itself consisted of over 14kms of switchbacks.
We passed another fjord which had huge slabs of ice still floating in it and as we came into Geiranger itself the mountain tops still have snowy white snow caps!
Today has been the most impressive so far and exactly what both of us had in mind when we thought about the tour.