Day 5: Stavanger

Today was the day to hike to the infamous Kjeragbolten. Sitting suspended in between the mountains, the boulder rests over 1,000 meters above the Lysefjord below. Not only was this hike going to be longer than the hike to Preikestolen, but more challenging as well. Little did I know what I was in for today.

It took us about 2 hours to reach the starting point of the hike. A 20 minute drive to the speed ferry, a ferry ride of about 1 1/2 hours, and finally a drive through 27 hairpin turns to reach the parking lot. During our travels, we were warned about the weather which included rain, and winds of 80-90 kilometers per hour, which is about 50-55 miles per hour. Those numbers don’t mean shit until you’re standing at the base starting a hike. Due to this, we were all prepared for the worst which was not being able to complete the hike. However, we were going to try.

The hike itself is about 11 kilometers round trip, and is made up of 3 big climbs, each of which has a downhill right after, so coming back is just as hard as going. The trail we followed (not the main trail) consisted of open faced granite, boulders, stairs, grass, mud and streams. Sounds fun, right?! Now, just add the rain and the wind, and we’ve got a perfect storm (pun intended).

We set off and it was brutal. The first climb is the most steep, you’re being pelted in the face with rain, and the wind was strong enough to knock you over. We ended up moving off our trail, further away from the cliff, for obvious reasons. But we made it to the top of the first hill, and got a bit of relief from the wind on the downside.

This same pattern continued for the second climb. We had all been battered and beaten by the wind and rain, but no one wanted to stop. Then came the last climb. This was the make or break point of the trip. On this climb, our guide, Jeff, was going to decide if we got to proceed to the boulder or not (it’s on the backside of this climb) since the wind was going to be strongest on this climb. Luckily, he let us continue! But, in the 40 minutes it took us to complete the uphill part of the climb, and get down to the boulder we were shown how powerful and relentless nature can be.

Once we got to the boulder, all of that was just part of the journey! The view of the boulder and beyond was stunning (as were the views along the way too)! It was such a reward for what we endured to get there. The only slight downside (and yes, I really do mean slight as I value my life more than this) was that we didn’t stand on the boulder due to the wind and that the boulder was wet; a deadly combination. However, we did get to sit in a rock right next to the boulder, place our feet on the boulder, and peek around for a picture (that will be coming in a few days with my photo package). That alone was terrifying with the wind. All in all, we spent about 30 minutes at the boulder taking pictures, enjoying the views, having a snack, and having some traditional Norwegian “hot drink” (homemade black current tea). We didn’t stay longer because we were all cold and wet.

The way back, we didn’t have to deal with the rain, and the wind had died down a bit (go figure), but we still had a lot of climbing to do. During this time, I had a lot of time to ponder the experience I just had, and even now, it feels almost indescribable. The conditions were extremely difficult, the hike itself was physically and mentally demanding, leaving me tired (and likely sore tomorrow), but I was also filled with exhilaration and excitement, thoughts of being proud of myself for taking on and being able to complete such a challenge, and honestly, complete amazement of everything I had just been through (the weather, the hike, the views). I could go on, but I’m sure you’re all bored with my rambling by now!

As I leave in the morning to head to Bergen, I am leaving with complete satisfaction of my experiences thus far. Takk (thank you), Stavanger, you have me some incredible experiences and memories, and most definitely did not disappoint!

P.S. Thank you, Powerline for getting me ready for these climbs!