Magnificent views from Preikestolen

The Beautiful Preikestolen

It was an honor to have gotten invited to present at the user meet of Quorum Software in Stavanger, Norway. 

After the conference got over - on the last day, they had arranged a hike to one of the most beautiful spots around Stavanger, Preikestolen, or the Pulpit Rock.

This is a popular tourist attraction in Norway, which has seen a steady increase of visitors since the past few years. As it soars around 600m above the fjord, it is also used for base jumping by professional base jumpers. 

So, after all discussions and deliberations got over at the conference, we all were taken by the organizers in buses to the parking lot from where the trail starts. When we left and while we were reaching, there was light rain, and everybody wondered if we would be able to see anything. This was because we were told that the view from the top was extraordinarily beautiful, provided we get good weather and some sun. However, all through our trip to the base, it was raining.

Once we reached, the wind picked up as well, but the rain had stopped. There were a few people who wanted to go to the washroom, so everybody waited till all got ready to hit the trail. Dick from the company was a veteran hiker, and was nominated by the company to lead the hike. He held a small safety meeting before we began, where he mentioned about the trail and the safety measures we all should be taking while going up and coming down. As it had rained in the morning, he expressed caution while going over rocks, as they may have become slippery due. There were many who were probably hiking for the first time, so he cautioned everybody about not leaving the trail. Also, at the very end, when the final destination comes, it was told to all of us to be careful, as the cliff is sometimes not visible due to the clouds, and if one doesn’t pay attention, one could just step over it, and go straight down - 2000 ft!

The hike begins with a moderately steep inclined trail which is all gravel, before it twists and turns into a proper trail with mud, slush and rocks on it. There were a few lookout points where people were getting their pictures clicked, while others were maintaining their stride on the trail. The rocky patch gave way to a marshy patch where the authorities have done a great job of laying a wooden bridge-like structure, so that nobody has to enter the marsh. 

With mountains around, and streams flowing around, walking on a wooden bridge seems a bit odd, as if you are walking in a hotel or a restaurant, with these magnificent backdrops around you. Once you leave the wooden bridge behind another steep incline over rocks comes along where one could see a lot of people waiting to catch their breath. It was amazing to see so many people who were senior citizens, who had come to hike the Pulpit rock. Their energy and enthusiasm was indeed something to witness. 

Once you top off from the inclined rocks, you come across a beautiful small lake on the side of the trail, and I could see a tent pitched on the other side of the trail. I was wondering - what an amazing place to camp! Although we didn’t see anybody near the tent, I assumed they must’ve gone on a hike somewhere nearby. After taking a few pictures at the campsite, we proceeded to the main attraction - The Pulpit Rock. 

I could see hikers with kids on their backs, similar to what I used to do back in India, by using the backpack that I had bought to carry my son on hikes. Plus there were these small kids, who were hiking up the trail by themselves, all decked up in hiking pants and shoes of their size. They looked so cute hiking up! 

Another 15 minutes of hike or so - and we could see people gathered on a flat rock - we were there!

There is this trail which goes up to the steep cliff that juts out in the middle of nowhere. It’s amazing to see how clean the rock is cut vertically.right to the bottom of the cliff - all of 2000 ft. or so. People were seen taking pictures at the extreme end of the cliff, with someone looking down right from the cliff, to someone sitting on the cliff, dangling their feet in the air! It was scary to even watch these people do these things. There were clouds everywhere so nothing could be seen from the edge of the cliff.

So, I climbed a bit higher to see if anything could be seen from there, but no luck. There were people coming in groups to be there, at the edge of the cliff. Eventually, to avoid any mishap, a queue was formed for going near the edge and taking pictures. One by one - people went up to the edge and took pictures. 

After I climbed down from a higher point, the skies opened up, and the view around was just WOW! We could see crystal clear blue waters below, with a few boats making their way through the fjords. The mountains surrounding the clear blue waters rose high up in the air, and were primarily only rock with very less vegetation. I wished I was at the higher vantage point, when the weather cleared. It was here that I had my sandwich which I had packed during breakfast in the morning. The bread had hardened due to the cold, but the peanut butter and honey sandwich tasted like heaven, while eating it in a heavenly environment. 

Bibin, Monica, Dick and the rest of the team members were there as well, taking pics. Bibin saw the entire fjord from above where he climbed up, when the clouds opened up. Jason, Tyson and others who were there started returning back to the base. 

We took a few pictures of the fantastic nature that surrounded us, and started heading down. Just about half an hour into the hike down, we came across two of the team members sitting down, with one of them having severe cramps in his thigh. We offered them assistance, but despite all efforts one of them couldn’t walk. Dick even thought of getting a chopper called if the situation didn’t improve. They had run out of water but luckily I had a full bottle of water which helped him immensely. Also, Bibin massaged his leg and helped him stretch, so that the muscles relax. 

Slowly but steadily everybody returned back to the base, where one bus had already left, and the second one was waiting for us to come. I descended with Viktoria, Stephanie, and Houston, with whom I had a great chat about places to see in Norway, Northern Lights, Driving in Norway, good places to hike etc.

It was good to see all team members returning back to the hotel safe and sound, after seeing one of the most beautiful places out there, with great company!