As I perched on the edge of the rock high above the fjord, fresh air in my lungs and sun on my face, I wondered why I hadn’t had a change from my many city-breaks earlier. Climbing Preikestolen, otherwise known as Pulpit Rock, in Norway reminded me how much I love getting outdoors – and how stunning these landscapes can be!
I flew into Stavanger with my trusty group of fellow explorers for the second May Bank Holiday, and we had an early start for the ferry from the central terminal to Tau. As we snacked on our takeaway breakfasts from our very comfortable Scandic hotel, we willed the clouds to clear for our hike.
Awaiting the ferry in Stavanger
We were travelling without a car, so had pre-booked our bus tickets from Tau to the start of the hike up Preikestolen, near the lodge Preikestolen Fjellstue. The journey from Stavanger to the start of the hike was just over an hour of travel. We posed for our obligatory group photo and up the hill we went! The track is really well-marked, and a lot of it is purpose-built boulders or wooden tracks. We’re all pretty fit and didn’t have any problems with the climbs, but if you’re a bit unsteady then walking poles would be a great idea. We were near the start of the season so there was still ice and snow around, and a few spots of rain. As you’ll see, the epic views in all direction meant any amount of clambering was well-worth it.
Early lake views
The scenery kept changing but it was all beautiful – this part reminded me of NZ’s South Island
One of the steeper bits
Gorgeous huh?!
As it was nearly the end of May, we were more than a little surprised to still find snow around in patches, but the temperature definitely warranted it – as we climbed it became quite chilly. All of us came from New Zealand and with our tramping (hiking for non-Antipodeans!) backgrounds, we were all well-prepared with multiple layers, rain-proof jackets, and sturdy shoes. Later on we saw lots of people attempting the climb in sneakers, jeans and light t-shirts, and I shudder to think how they would have felt when they got higher. Not fun!
Looking down the fjord
The tip of the rock!
After about two hours we made it to the top, where all of the scrambling and chilly winds were instantly forgotten as we took in these incredible views. Every way we turned, a different stunning aspect of the landscape commanded the eye. Pulpit Rock rises over 600 metres above Lysenfjorden, and one of my favourite panoramas was the view down the fjord towards the distant mountains.
Quite a long way down!
Sorry mum… I know I promised! 😀
We climbed a bit higher above the Rock and were rewarded with this view down onto Preikestolen – I love the splashes of colour from all the different jackets! Once we’d photographed selfies, groupies and the landscapes at every possible angle, we opted to head down. Preikestolen, despite the steep climb, is one of Norway’s most popular tourist attractions and it was starting to fill up. It made me a little nervous to watch people attempting jumping shots near the edge as it got more crowded, but I also appreciated that the Norwegian authorities had chosen not to fence off the edges. Personal responsibility, people! And of course, much more photogenic that way.
Even the little legs of this puppy managed most of the climb
The view for our late lunch – pretty great!
Once back at (nearly) sea-level, we opted to miss the first bus coming in favour of lunch at the lodge – definitely the more relaxing and restorative option. Nearly nodding off on the bus back to Tau, we enjoyed the smooth sailing and beautiful blue skies on the way back to Stavanger. I can’t recommend this hike highly enough – it’s definitely one of my favourite activities I’ve done since I moved to the UK! For more information on hiking to Pulpit Rock, click here.
Have you ever hiked Pulpit Rock, or somewhere else in Norway? Would you?
Linking up for Travel Tuesday with Bonnie, Christine and Sara – check their blogs for the linkup and loads more wanderlust-inducing posts!
