Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) above Norway's Lysefjord: fog, rain and wind on a steep, slippery trail, and a summit hidden in cloud.
Me on the top of Pulpit Rock…you can see how foggy it is!!!
I still remember the time a few years ago when my Dad (an avid climber and hiker) was constantly complaining about the fact that Scandinavia was yet to be touched on our map of countries we’ve been to.
Lucky for him, my summer break was right around the corner. As my parents booked plane tickets, hotels, and rental cars, I only knew one thing: we were going to Norway, and we were going to hike. A lot.
As we reached the city of Stavanger, only an hour drive away from one of the most iconic landmarks in Norway, I couldn’t help but take an instant dislike for the weather. It was foggy, cold, and rainy — my least favorite weather, for obvious reasons. The cold wind froze my face and any other skin I had exposed.
I love the cold winter back in New York City, but not this. Cold and rainy weather is anything but the winter wonderland we get back in New York.
Nonetheless, I was already cranky from jet-lag and bad weather when my parents woke me up at 5 a.m. in the following day or two. In the car ride, which lasted about an hour, they told me that we were hiking one of the most famous trails in not only Norway, but in the entire world — Pulpit Rock.
Pulpit Rock, also known as Preikestolen, is a famous rock formation located in the Lysefjord region of Norway. The Pulpit Rock Trail is a popular hike that takes visitors to the top of the rock, where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the fjord and surrounding mountains.
Even now, I remember the trail being extremely well-marked, containing several rest stops along the way where we would take in the beautiful views. On the day that we began this hike, it was very packed, despite the gloomy, rainy, and cold weather that I mentioned before. Thus, we didn’t really take note of trail markers…we just followed the crowds!
Unlike anything I’d ever seen before as a 6 year old, the trails of Pulpit Rock were not dirt trails. Instead, they were only steep, rock trails. Climbing this on a rainy day made it much more difficult than it had to be — as we needed to pay careful attention to where we stepped. Our fear of slipping was also much bigger. One wrong move, and you could slip. Slipping on hard rock like this could be extremely dangerous — your bones could break, and hitting your head could be fatal.
You can see that there were almost steps carved into the path. Many people were also carrying raincoats of kinds — it was so cold and rainy!
Pulpit Rock also required lots of scrambling. Some rocks were up to two feet high. As a young kid, it was a massive effort for me — also considering that most of the hikers on this trail were full blown adults.
However, despite the possible challenges of this trail, it’s not too difficult for those in good physical shape. The total distance is around 4 miles (6 kilometers), and has a total elevation gain of around 1,000 feet (300 meters). Depending on your pace, it should take around 4 hours to complete the round trip.
As we climbed further, the trees began to thin out and the views became more and more open. The final stretch to the Rock involved a steep climb up a set of stairs that were carved into the rock face.
Reaching the top, we could not see the fjord and the surrounding mountains. However we still felt like we were standing on top of the world, and from the side, we could see the steep drop from the summit. My parents were brave enough to dangle their legs off the mountain, but I, on the other hand, was too scared of the drop below to even try.
The way down was much more complicated. Although it left less effect on your muscles, it required more concentration to not slip and more pressure on your knees. With just a measly sandwich filling up my stomach, being drenched to the bone, and the freezing rain now pounding on my hood, it was a much harder task than it could have seemed.
One of the best things about the Pulpit Rock trail is the sense of accomplishment I felt after completing it. The hike was quite physically demanding, and considering the weather was not on our side, it made it even more tricky. Furthermore, being the only child on the trail made me feel good. But the way you felt up on the summit was the perfect cherry on top, and it changed my grumpy mood to one of appreciation.
