Day 9: Alta to Bognelv

78 km and 680 m climbing

World Heritage Rock Art Centre – Alta Museum

Alta is most famous for it rock carvings, which were rather recently discovered in 1973. When a local noticed during low sun the shadows of animals pictures in rocks.

Today it is a well known UNESCO site and a open air museum. The location and the view over the fjord makes it special. There is a wooden walking path over the garden-like scenery. Which guides the visitors besides the famous pictures.

The sun breaks through the clouds and brings the colorful environment alive. It feels to me like walking in an Japans garden, beauty in the many imperfections, a flowing structure and an abundance of all sorts of fine-shaped plants. Autumn already introduced her colors. The place breaths melancholy. I enjoy it very much.

Every drawing was once on the coastline. As the ice layer melted, Norway lost a lot of mass. In such an order that it started the rise again. Bringing the oldest drawings meters above the sea level. A proces of only a couple of 1000 year.

The entrance building has some exhibitions about the carvings and the local communities. An interesting stop to have a walk instead of cycling around the clock.

Along the road

No high ambitions today, I just want to make a turn around the block. However, i am not alone on this traject. In this part of the E6 the traffic clearly increases with a lot of trucks passing. I start to look forward to leave this highway the next coming days. Headwind, tunnels and the everlasting hills makes it in the end a rather slow day.

All compensated with colorful views along the road.

Altafjord Camping

Altafjord camping looks like a former farm which switched to less labour-intensive activites of tourism facilitation.

I put my tent besides one of the main buildings. It appears to be an old house. It contains a enormous fully equipped kitchen with even Chesterfield couches (i call it whisky couches), a sauna, washing machines and the regular sanitary.

There is another entrance in the building. Which brings you in the former living area of the house. It looks like people lived her for many years and it is stuffed with everything that 2-3 generations seems to have collected. A real museum, they call the place ‘Galeri’. However , as i am the only one in the whole building, it is also a bit spooky when i walk around over the creaky floor in the different rooms. I expect to find any moment forgotten people. However, as this is strange enough the only place with working WiFi, i spent the rest of the evening her to read and to write while listening music and accompanied by a stuffed ptarmigan .

At a certain moment a Dutch family enters as well to make a small tour. And the son of the family tries if one of the piano still works. He gives a nice concert with the instrument that gives sign of character.

In the end , i conclude, i rent a whole house for a sweeping 150 NOK. As long as I return in the end of the day to the garden to sleep.