This past August I traveled to Norway for the first time with my parents and my husband Brad. It was the trip of a lifetime! We spent 10 days traveling from Oslo to Lærdal, Lærdal to Bergen, and Bergen to Stavanger.
On our last day, our travel agent Sarah from Borton Overseas, had planned an active adventure for my husband and me, a hike to the famous Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock).
More than 300,000 visitors make the trek to the rock formation every year. The rock towers 604 meters above the Lysefjord and offers incredible views.
Our guide, Cristian, picked us up early in the morning, and we drove about 45 minutes away from Stavanger, taking in all the beautiful scenery along the way. My husband and I have done quite a few hikes in our time, but I felt nervous about this one. We weren’t just hiking the normal route; we were taking the “hidden trail.”
Once we got to the park, we got suited up in our hiking boots and rain gear. We headed down past the main trailhead, where everyone seemed to be headed, to the water. Our hike started with a 30-minute canoe paddle instead.
Brad and I are NOT the best canoers. We zigzagged across the lake, trying to not be the first people in our guide’s 10-year career to tip over their canoe. After a lot of bickering and testing of our marriage, we made it. Time to start our hike!
I had no idea where we were headed, but I knew it was going to be hard. The trail started out in a wooded area with a lot of mud. We were headed straight up and my lungs felt it. We stopped many times along the way to rest. There were no other people on the hidden trail, just us and our guide, quite the difference from the main trail. The views along the way, along with the silence of nature, were breathtaking. About halfway up we stopped for lunch which included a sweet treat, Kvikk Lunsj, after all, we needed extra energy!
Many times, we were scaling rocks to get from one point to the other. At one point, our guide had us stop and get on our stomachs and look over the edge. It was a complete drop off under us. Just thinking about it now gives me goosebumps. The boats traveling through the fjord below us looked like toys. We were literally on top of the world.
By taking the “hidden trail,” you wind up the backside of the mountain, instead of going straight up, using the main trail. Because of this, we climbed higher than Preikestolen, where we could overlook everything from above. Once we got to the top, we looked down and saw hundreds of people already there. It was a beautiful day without a cloud in the sky. There was a line of people waiting to have their picture taken on the edge of the rock. We even saw a proposal—how magical!
Our guide asked us if we wanted to walk down to the rock or just see it from above. Brad and I agreed; we had come this far; our feet needed to touch that rock. So, down we went.
We joined the crowds and took in the views. It was incredible. There are no barriers on the sides, nothing to keep you from going over the edge. I got as close as I could without hyperventilating, and Brad stayed far away from the edge. You can’t help but notice that there is a large crack in the rock. The crack has been monitored since the 1930’s, but the experts say there is no need to panic.
After spending about 30 minutes snapping pictures and taking in the scenery, we started our trek back down. This time, we joined the thousands of others who had taken the main trail. It was a far different experience going down. We greeted people as they huffed and puffed their way up and asked us, “are we almost there?”
When we finally got back to base camp, I could barely feel my legs, but wow, was it worth it! When people ask me what my favorite part of Norway was, I tell them it was this hike. It is something my husband and I will never forget. If you find yourself in Norway, consider taking a guided hike to Preikestolen via the hidden trail, you won’t regret it! And as always, contact Borton Overseas for your travel needs!