written 2013.2.19
Preikestolen or Prekestolen, also known by the English translations of Preacher's Pulpit or Pulpit Rock, and by the old local name Hyvlatonnå (“the carpenter-plane’s blade”), is a massive cliff 604 metres (1982 feet) above Lysefjorden, opposite the Kjerag plateau, in Forsand, Ryfylke, Norway. The top of the cliff is approximately 25 by 25 metres (82 by 82 feet), almost flat, and is a famous tourist attraction in Norway (Wikipedia).
This Sunday, we went up the Pulpit Rock, one of the tourist destinations in Stavanger. This hike was almost 4km long and the group took a bit more than three hours to get to the plane which they call Preikestolen. Our trip started early in the morning when it was still dark, passing through some scenic Norwegian countryside to get to the port where there are ferries to help us get across the fjord. It's pretty amazing to experience crossing a fjord on a ferry (I've only read it in books before and now, I'm actually doing it!). The bus had to go on the ferry and we were able to get the chance to hop off and walk around the ferry. It was a fairly short crossing, maybe about twenty, twenty-five minutes, but it felt so long because the wind outside was so cold. But that didn't stop us from taking pictures of the fjord scenery, even when our hands are already shaking because of the cold. As usual, I'm dressed for it, though: gloves, bonnet, three inner layers, an outer jacket, scarf, leg warmers, jeans, socks and my good, old sneakers.
After crossing the fjord, we again had to get on the bus until we reached the first camp of Preikestolen. This is all hikes start. On the way up, we've encountered fairly gentle slopes, going to rocky, steep slopes, rock planes that are vegetated and planes that were not, ponds, sheer cliffs and lots of people. I even met and spoke to some Pinoys making the climb with their families, too! I also walked a fair distance with our doctor, who is the wife of one of our mentors (and who is also geologist!) Our walk had fairly many stops for picture takings and for resting as many of us are not used to climbing up mountains, especially in cold climate.
We reached the Preikestolen around lunch time (started the hike around 9am) so we were fairly famished and just started sitting down and opening our lunch packs. Picture taking just had to wait until we were full again.
After eating, I just had to go to the edge of the cliff and my goodness! It's really a fairly distance going down. I just thought that if anyone fell here, the water below will just feel like concrete, able to break your bones to pieces. That was how far down it was. The ferry moving along the fjord below was just a tiny little thing and the waves at its wake is like a streak a jet makes when it passes through the cloudy sky.
The climb was really hard, with notably two places where the hike was steep. I can feel the pain in my thigh but I also welcome it, because it was what my doctor recommended - a steep climb to help with my heel and calf muscles. But the view of a fjord, a real fjord, is enough to vanish all the pain away. It was wonderful! To reach the Preikestolen is a really great experience. It was a good thing that the organizers moved the date a week earlier when the weather forecast was good: sunny and warm.
Here are some photos of our climb:
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