I’m currently planning to continue my Fjord Norway tour from Flam to Oppdal, which I’ll be doing alone from mid-June (also via Aurlandfjellet). I’m just wondering which direction is better. It is important to me:

a) To have less headwind
b) The direction in which most cyclists travel (so that they can occasionally ride part of the route with others).
c) I am more flexible when it comes to shortening (bad weather) or extending the tour (Oppdal-Trondheim).
d) The mountains should be as passable as possible (snow)

At first I assumed that south to north was the better direction. Now I’m a little unsure:

– Trollstigen: you then drive down the hairpin bends on Trollstigen instead of up

– Gamle Strynefjellsvegen: because for the Gamle Strynefjellsvegen route it says on the homepage of nasjonaleturistveger.no: “For cyclists: … we recommend that you start at Grotli” (that means from north to south).

– Lærdalsøyri: I want to take the Aurlandfjellet with me but don’t want to be stuck in Lærdalsøyri if I can’t get a bus to Kaupland (it would be easier the other way around, since then you wouldn’t get a bus in Kaupanger and could just take the ferry to Flam)

Matthew, what is your assessment of the points and the better direction overall?

Thank you very much