Vinayak Hegde

From the Pulpit’s Rock wikipedia entry.

Preikestolen or Prekestolen, also known by the English translations of Preacher’s Pulpit or Pulpit Rock, and by the old local name Hyvlatonnå, is a massive cliff 604 metres (1982 feet) above Lysefjorden, opposite the Kjerag plateau, in Forsand, Ryfylke,Norway. The top of the cliff is approximately 25 by 25 metres (82 by 82 feet) square and almost flat, and is a famous tourist attraction in Norway. During the four summer months of 2009, approximately 130,000 people took the 3.8 km (2.4 mi.) hike to Preikestolen, making it one of the most visited natural tourist attractions in Norway.

When I researching for places to visit in Norway, I chanced up some photos of Pulpit’s Rock and Kjerag. It seemed like a good trek with some fascinating views of Lysefjorden. The only problem was that there were very few details to get there. After searching a lot and contacting a few people I figured how to get there. You have to take a bus to Tau and from there take a ferry across the sea to a bus stop. From the bus stop, you can get to Preikestolhytta (youth hostel) where the climb starts. The climb is not long but tiring as you continuously go up and down by the edge of the Fjords and takes about two hours each way. In some places it is downright dangerous to climb as you have nothing much other than a chain to cling to and a crackegde to put your foot on. The fall can be several hundred meters.

It was raining during my stay at Stavanger and the rain continued during the trek. That make the trek worse as I was carrying my camera and completely drenched as I reached the top. It was misty and it was hard to see more than a few meters ahead. But the views were magnificent whenever the mist receded. There were few people that day due to the weather. About 70% of the people did not reach the end of the trek as they decided it was too dangerous to go on or were ill-prepared. Those who reached the top alongwith me were greeted with thick mist. At the end, there were only about 50-60 stubborn people who stayed back. I was determined to get a good glimpse of the Lysefjorden below and stayed back hoping that the skies would clear. They did clear and our patience was rewarded some of the most awesome views of Lysefjorden below.

Among the people who stayed back were a group of models who had climbed all the for a photo shoot and a married couple who wanted to take their wedding pictures in the scenic surroundings. The upside of the inclement weather was that there were few people on Pulpit’s rock.

I arrived at Stavanger to go to Pulpit’s rock. The journey from Bergen to Stavanger was very scenic as I had the to take two ferries across the jagged west coast of Norway. There standing at the bus stop for my host, I meet Jerry – A couchsurfer and master of coincidences. Jerry, a gentle guy – He greeted me and asked me whether Sam was hosting me. I was taken aback but he said he guessed after looking at my big backpack and my description by Sam. I later realized that he had messaged me earlier that he could host me in Stockholm. As luck would have it, we did not meet in Stockholm,Sweden but in Stavanger,Norway. Traveling to the same place and staying the same host at the same time was a pleasant coincidence. Jerry was a seasoned traveler who had traveled to more than 60 countries. After we went to Sam’s home he realized that Sam had a painting of picture of a wharf in Polperro, UK. Sam had bought the watercolor picture of the wharf from a traveler gypsy girl. Now Polperro is not your run-of-the-mill tourist destination. Jerry was convinced that he had been to that place 22 years earlier and taken exactly the same picture from the same angle. Obviously Sam and I were skeptical. Jerry went into a shell for sometime and then dug out the digitized version of the picture from his laptop to our disbelief.

Much of my time in Stavanger was wasted as it was raining pretty regularly. So Jerry and I went by the harbour to do some people watching and we were not disappointed. Amongst other things, we witnessed a marriage, saw a marathon in the rain, chatted with Norwegian soldiers, chased a stray cat to take pictures, saw a man dressed as Spiderman selling hotdogs and a guy about to get married busking for money. I also had some of the most delicious seafood on this trip.

Current Mood:  calm

Fjords are U-shaped valleys dug out by glaciers. When the ice melted during the Ice Age, these u-shaped valleys were formed. The dramatic steep valleys (some rising upto 1400m above sea level from the sea) provide a amazing backdrop to clouds nestling the tops and small houses at the foothills.

A cruise through the fjords is a fantastic experience. I visited the Sognefjord and Nærøyfjord in Western Norway using the Norway in a Nutshell tour. It worked out cheap for me as I was able to use the Eurail pass for part of the journey from Bergen to Myrdal. The journey from Myrdal to Flam using the Flam Railway (FlamsBana) is very scenic as it runs on one of the steepest gradients in the world. On the way the trains stops at the Kjosfoss waterfalls where there is a small platform where the passengers can get down.

After the scenic cruise through the Nærøyfjord – a World Heritage Site, you come to the town of Gudvangen from where you can take a bus to the town of Voss situated by the Fjord on the way back to Bergen.

Bergen was founded by a Viking King (love the alliteration there) almost 1000 years ago. It was also a Hanseatic trading town in the middle ages but nowadays it is known as the gateway to the beautiful fjords of Norway. It is also Norway’s second largest town and a big university town.

Bryggen is the Bergen’s Quayside with old wooden houses. They are a distinctive landmark of Bergen and can be found on every travel brochure in Norway. Bryggen is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This part of Bergen has been gutted by fires many time in the past and has been reconstructed many times – the most recent being in 1955.

Bergen is also one of Norway’s rainiest cities and receives precipitation about 280 days out of 365 days a year. I was lucky that I did not encounter much rain during my stay there. The city is beautifully lit during the night and it is fantastic to take a walk around the city at night. It is also very safe and has a vibrant nightlife. I did not stay for much time in Bergen as it was just a stopover for going to the majestic fjords in the West. After a nap during the day, I ventured out in the evening and at night to take some photos of this beautiful city.

The journey from Tromso in the north to Trondheim in the west was long and involved 2 ferry rides, 2 bus trips and a overnight train journey. I traveled a about 800 kms in one day. I found Trondheim to be a charming university and historical town. Even today about a quarter of it’s population is students.

The Nidaros Cathedral

Trondheim was the capital of Norway until 1217 AD and was founded more than a millennium ago in 997 AD. The region around Trondheim has been populated since Prehistoric times. Nidaros Cathedral is a Church built in Gothic style. A church was initially built on the same place in 1070 though it has been damaged and rebuilt several times since then. The West front of the Cathedral contains many statues. A legend to the statues can be found here. The complex also has the Archbishop’s Palace and a small museum. Beneath the Cathedral there is a crypt chamber which has many old coffins recovered during excavation and restoration of the Cathedral. It is also possible to go to the Church Spires to get magnificent views of Trondheim City.

Monk’s Island

Munkholmen or Monk’s Island is a small island just off Trondheim port. It used to be an execution ground in ancient times until Benedictine monks built a monastery in the 11th Century. Over the years it has been used as a prison, fort and also a monastery. During World War II it was also used as an anti-aircarft gun station. Today it is a place for recreation with several small restaurants and cafes.

Camera Obscura

As a traveler, once in a while you hit across something that is not there on any website or guidebooks but delights you. The Camera Obscura (A Pinhole Camera) is such an attraction on banks of the Nidelva River. The building of the Camera Obscura was actually built by students of NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology). The building is made of wood and has a small hole and lens at the top which lets light through. The image is formed on the floor of the Camera Obscura after being reflected from a small mirror system. The images are really sharp and there are various levers to adjust the aperture of the pinhole and the orientation of the pinhole. It is really educative for people who do not know how cameras work as you are actually inside the Camera Obscura itself. More details at the website of the Camera Obscura.

Kite Festival

During my stay, I walked up to the Kristiansten Fortress situated on a hill. While I enjoyed the view of Trondheim Fjord from the hill, there was a sudden rush of students and their parents from the architecture section of NTNU who were organizing a impromptu Kite Festival as a part of the coursework. It was funny to see students trying to fly kites of different sizes and shapes including some monolithic duds which has no chance of flying. In the end the kites that flew well and stayed afloat were the ones which had the simplest design. A good engineering lesson learnt the hard way .