Saturday 1/07/2017 Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock)
Stavanger, Rogaland County, NORWAY
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
This walk is accessed from Stavanger, a large town in southern Norway. We reached this destination by ferry and then bus from Stavanger which took over an hour each way. It is possible to drive from Stavanger by taking a car ferry to Tau. A fee is payable at the car park at the start of the walk.
Highlights of the walk include stunning fjord views and according to the tourist brochure “the worlds most breathtaking viewing platform” – you just have to share it a multitude of other people.
Max elevation: 667 m
Total climbing: 3027 m
Total descent: -3015 m
Average speed: 4.57 km/h
Total time: 05:33:07
We caught the earliest ferry possible without missing out on breakfast. The weather was fine and warm so there were many people with the same idea. After we disembarked from the ferry there was a huge lineup of people for the bus. We eventually got on but there was standing room only.
The bus dropped us at the start of the walk and we couldn’t believe how many people were there. As it was only four kilometres each way this destination is in reach of most people, many of whom obviously didn’t hike very often. It was literally a conga line of people and for Steve it ended up being a challenge to see how many people he could get past along the way. It was quite warm as well so all the cold and wet weather gear we carried didn’t make it out of the pack.
In about one hour and forty minutes we arrived at Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) along with hundreds of new found “friends”. It was a fantastic sight but the air wasn’t very clear on the day and the views down the fjord appeared a bit smoggy. We were amazed at the casual attitude of people who sat on the edge and precariously posed for photos. The drop is over 600m and one you would not survive if you fell. There was also a very large vertical crack in the platform, so one day, who knows when, the platform will be no more.
A crowded Pulpit Rock
We climbed up to the ridges above and behind the platform where it was much more peaceful and we got great alternative views looking down onto the rock and watching the antics of the people below. We lingered up there and enjoyed the views and the pleasant weather.
We headed back to make the 4:30pm bus, snagging a seat for the return. It was not quite so packed on the way back but Steve still made a sport of passing as many people as he could. So many very slow people who managed to take up the entire track!
We arrived back in Stavanger by 6:00pm after another enjoyable and scenic day walk in Norway. This hike was #2 of the triple crown (Trolltunga, Preikestolen and Kjerag), unfortunately we won’t get to do #3 (Kjerag) this trip.
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