Day 48 — Kjeragbolten

Kjeragbolten is a 5m³ boulder wedged in a mountain crevice by the edge of the Kjerag mountain. It is a popular hike for those looking to escape the crowds at Preikistolen, or those who fancy walking across the boulder with a 241m drop below and another 735 gradient down.

This hike is definitely worth pushing yourself to do. In many ways I find it more interesting than Preikestolen, it’s interesting the whole way through rather than the boring 2 hours hike and orgasmic finale of Preikestolen.

At times the climb can be quite steep, so I wouldn’t recommend anybody hike it without proper footwear. Even wearing no shoes is better than inappropriate shoes. Way better than half the stupid shit tourists wear on hikes. For example, I saw a girl wearing wedges with a handbag on the Preikestolen hike. Humanity is de-evolving. Believe it.

The climb takes you over a mixture of boulders and rock sheets. At times it can be muddy, because nestled between each plateau are beautiful still lakes that seep into the surrounding ground. Some points of the trail have chains embedded into the rock to assist balance when climbing up or down the steep parts. But generally it isn’t really a bad climb, just an intense one if you want to do it quickly.

Finally after about an hour you’ll have climbed so high that you can stand on the edge of the first plateau and see Lysebotn sprawled out beneath you. The great fjord and a dazzling blue sky with cute dollhouses delicately arranged around the water’s mouth. This is the first jaw-dropping view.

Once you reach the top you will now be pretty much on top of the plateau. So you can walk off the track up to the edge of the rock and see the entire length of Lyseford. And wow. Is it spectacular. I have never felt so small, and amazed, and terrified at the same time. It was horrifyingly beautiful.

I got to Kjeragbolten, and boasted I’d walk onto the boulder. BAH. Whatever. I got to the rock and realised I had to sidle on a tiny ledge to then extend my leg and step onto the boulder. Dan was poised ready for the photo but I couldn’t get my legs to move. Serious vertigo. I still can’t figure out how no tourists have died attempting this, especially when they deem it appropriate to wear wedges on hikes.

I retreated back, dan laughed. He was about to base jump off a cliff after all. Pathetic. But here’s a photo I photoshopped of me standing on the boulder ha.

We walked over to where Dan was jumping from, base 4. The rest of the group were around the corner on base 6. When they jumped they had a tennis courts sized area of canopy on which they could land. It was at the very bottom of the cliff where the rock met the water.

Dan suited up and then made his jump. It was fucked up. Especially the stories he told me about his dead friends. It’s insanity.

I bought a ticket for the ferry as soon as we arrived back at Lysebotn, about an hour or two before it departs. The ferry costs about $70 and takes two hours. If you’re on a bike you don’t need to book in advance, there’s plenty of room. Just head up to the cafe on the corner and book your ticket. And they take card 🙂 If you’re taking a car you should probably buy a ticket early. The ferry leaves at midday and 6pm daily, so make sure to arrange yourself around that.

The ferry ride was quite pleasant. They stop off at a few sights along the way and everybody gets out their camera and snaps away like crazy. But they do it because they see everybody else do it, they feel like they might miss out on something if they don’t. It’s a self-perpetuating chain of events. I cracked up watching them try and take a photo of Kjeragbolten from such a distance. It was a spec, and they were snapping on smart phones. Tourists are so silly but I’m glad, it’s a constant source of entertainment.

I was so tired from the past few days I fell asleep on the ferry and nearly missed my stop. Physical exhaustion is catching up with me big time. The combination of riding all day, lifting heavy bags and hiking for hours on end without food really takes its toll.

I ran out and noticed the barge doors closing. I waved them down and after 500 hours putting my gear on I started my bike and drove off. If I missed this stop, I’d have ended up on the wrong side of the fjord (Stavanger) and would’ve had to catch ANOTHER ferry.

I arrived at Forsand and drove over the bridge to the mainland. I drove to Forsand camping, but it looked terrible. And the owner was really pushy. I left and decided to drive a further 15 minutes to Priekestolen camping. That way I could leave all my gear there in the morning and go for a hike really early. It cost 270kr for the night, but free showers and WIFI were a plus. I’d definitely recommend it.