Schedule of the Pre-conference Excursion Tysfjord-Hamarøy June 9 to 13 2017 The excursion leads to the Proterozoic Tysfjord pegmatite field situated between the towns Bodø and Narvik in northern Norway. The excursion area is in the Arctic region and weather conditions can be quite rough even in summer times. Thus, warm clothes (for temperatures down to 5 C), rainwear, hiking boots, gloves and a hat are required. The excursion is limited to 30 participants. We like to ask the participants to be flexible in respect to accommodation facilities and weather conditions. The latter may be cause changes in the excursion schedule. At the accommodation Tranøy Fyr (light house) - single rooms are not available and several rooms share one common bathroom. The excursion fee includes flight tickets from Oslo to Bodø June 9 2017 and Bodø to Kristiansand via Oslo June 13 2017 and a shuttle bus from Kristiansand airport to Kristiansand center June 13 June 2017. At the last excursion day we have to leave the Tranøy Fyr at 05:30 am for the Bodø airport. Tranøy Fyr.
Day 1. June 9 2017 Meeting at the Oslo Gardermoen Airport in the central café W.B. Samson in the entrance departure hall latest 11:00 am. The airport is c. 40 km north of Oslo and can be easily reached by the Flytoget (train) from Oslo center (http://flytoget.no/). The departure to Bodø is 12:30 (SK 4112). Arrival at Bodø airport13:55. 3 ½ hours bus drive (227 km) to Tranøy Fyr (light tower) at the Hamarøy peninsula. Arrival at Tranøy Fyr at about 19:00. The Tranøy Fyr is the accommodation for the entire pre-conference trip (http://tranoyfyr.no/home.html). Day 2. June 10 2017 The morning starts with a 2 ½ hours buss drive (75 km) from Tranøy Fyr to the Hundholmen pegmatite including the crossing of the Tysfjord with the Bognes-Skaberget-E6 ferry. The low tide is at about 09:45 am allowing the best access to pegmatite material on the mine dumps which are along the shore line. The parking place is next to the seawater-filled pegmatite mine which serves today as boat harbor. 12:30 lunch at the Hundholmen harbor. 13:00 departure from Hundholmen to the Stetind pegmatite. The 30-km drive takes about 30 minutes. The abandoned Stetind pegmatite mine is located at the foot on the most picturesque mountain of Norway the Stetind Mountain (1,392 m a.s.l.). The steep uphill hike from the parking site to the pegmatite mine takes about 15 minutes. 16:30 return to the Tranøy Fyr (2 ½ hour driving) with an optional stop at the Stone Age (c. 9000 years old) Leiknes rock carvings if the weather conditions allow. The Stetind Mountain.
Day 3. June 11 2017 In the morning the Jennyhaugen pegmatite will be visited. The pegmatite is exposed in an gravel-producing quarry at Drag (1 hour drive, 50 km). After the pegmatite visit the excursion participants will be divided into two groups. The first group is for participants who are able to hike for 1 hour off-track (one way) in mountainous area to the Tennvatn amazonite pegmatite. The second group consists of participants who are not able to hike and/or like to go for a sightseeing and fishing boat tour in the Sagfjord. The Sagfjord has a rich marine life, with large quantities of cod, coalfish, herring and mackerel. The fishing group drives from Drag to Håkonhals where the 3-hour fishing tour starts (http://www.hamaroy-fjordtur.no/). The hiking group goes by bus from Drag to Tennvatn (c. 10 km south of Kråkmo along the E6) which takes about 45 minutes (45 km). The entire hiking tour to the Tennvatn pegmatite will take about 4 hours: 1 hour to get to the pegmatite, 1 to 2 hours to stay in the mine and 1 hour to get back. The mine is in the middle of a very steep mountain wall and special precautions need to be taken (watch the persons who are below you in the mine and mountain wall). In the evening all participants meet at the Tranøy Fyr. The Tennvatn pegmatite.
Day 4. June 12 2017 In the morning the Quartz Corp processing plant at Drag will be visited (1 hour drive; 50 km). The Quartz Corp is the second largest high-purity quartz (quartz with <50 ppm contaminations) of the world and mines two pegmatites in the Tysfjord area. The visit includes a tour to one of the pegmatite mining dumps at Drag and possibly a visit of the Nedre Øyvollen pegmatite underground mine operated by the Quartz Corp. Hard hats will be provided. Lunch is at 13:00 at the Arran Sami Center at Drag including a 30-minute museum tour. In the afternoon the Håkonhals pegmatite mine operated by the Quartz Corp will be visited (30-minute drive from Drag; 30 km). It will be the last chance to have access to the mine because it will be closed down and recultivated immediately after the excursion. Because the bus is not able to drive up to the mine, cars will be arranged to transport the participants from the main road up to the mine (c. 3 km). C. 16:00 return to the Tranøy Fyr (drive by cars down to the main road + 1 ½ hour drive with the bus; 75 km). The Håkonhals pegmatite mine.
Day 5. June 13 2017 We leave Tranøy Fyr 05:30 am to the Bodø airport (3 ½ hour drive). The flight from Bodø to Oslo Gardermoen goes 10:30 (SK4107). In Oslo we will change the airplane and continue to Kristiansand 14:35 (SK215). Arrival in Kristiansand 15:20. There will be a bus waiting at the airport driving the participants to Kristiansand down town. The icebreaker party starts 18:00 at Agder Naturmuseum at Gimleveien 23 (street address) in Kristiansand.