Stavanger

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We woke up the next morning to rain - nothing terrible but it was coming down steadily. By the time we finished breakfast it was raining hard. We decided to play some cards, read, take naps, and hope it cleared up enough to attempt later in the day.

At 3pm we were back to reading (and writing TravelBlogs!!) and the rain was still a problem. The weather forecast predicted a narrow window of clear skies between 7pm and 10pm and we were hoping to head out then. Remember that daylight is not a factor this far north! By 5pm it had stopped raining and we thought we’d give it a shot. The lodge was super cozy - like a mountain resort - complete with panoramic views, couches, tables, and a lit fireplace - but we’d come here to hike. We quickly changed into our gear and started up the path.

The views along the path were magnificent. The fjords are simply amazing and the pictures do not do them justice. We all agreed at out point when we stopped to take pictures, that to truly appreciate the scenery you had to see it with your own eyes. Although we had some light rain on and off we were able to reach Pulpit Rock (almost 4km away) in just under the two hours predicted by the trailhead marker. The trail was challenging at times, but was overall a relatively easy hike. When we were within a few meters of Pulpit Rock we turned a corner along the cliff path and just as it came into sight we were blasted by gusting winds. It was so strong we all kneeled down so as not to be knocked over. Ordinarily it would have just been annoying, but it was frightening up there because of our proximity to the edge. Falling over the edge meant 602 meters (about 1800 feet) into the icy water below. We crept out to take a couple pictures but only went about halfway out onto the rock.

Honestly we were more impressed with the hike itself than by the Pulpit Rock. Maybe the wind and rain ruined the experience for us but we were a little disappointed. I think if the weather would have been better and we could have hung around a little to enjoy the view, we might have been a little more excited. Regardless of what we thought of Pulpit Rock, I know all of us would hike it again. It’s unfortunate that we had such bad weather because the hostel is located at the head of at least a half-dozen trails - all of which branch out and connect to dozens more. We could have thoroughly explored the fjords on foot in nicer conditions. Who knows, maybe we should have just done it anyway.

As we finished the last 8-10 minutes of our hike and walk back to our hostel, the skies just opened up. Within minutes the rain was pouring out of the clouds. As I opened the door to the hostel and stepped inside dripping wet, a woman in the lobby looked at me and said, “Awwww! You poor thing!” It was actually worse than it seemed though - we all had a good laugh. Talk about timing! Had we left at 7pm like we’d originally planned we would have had almost two more hours of hiking in a torrential downpour! We showered and warmed up and went to bed.

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