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| Preikestolen Backpack via Songesand, WW | |
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| | Preikestolen Backpack via Songesand, WW | | | |
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Preikestolen Backpack via Songesand, WW
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| Backpack | 11.77 Miles |
4,480 AEG |
| | Backpack | 11.77 Miles | 2 Days | | |
| 4,480 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | While I've seen Preikestolen from the ferry in Lysefjord before, I had never been to the top. I made it a mandatory part of this summers trip to make sure that got fixed.
As normal, I try to avoid crowds, so instead of the relatively easy 2.5 mile hike that gains 1000 feet, I opted for a much longer, more scenic hike from the fjord below. This gave me a solid day, only a handful of people -- all backpackers -- and a much better sense of accomplishment.
I took the ferry to Songesand, which is nothing more than a dock and a building with a bathroom. The first mile or so is a difficult traverse just above the fjord, with lots of granite scree and steep terrain. From there it heads uphill and passes some beautiful farms, crosses a good sized river, and then goes right through the back yards of some summer cabins converted from historic farms.
The route climbs up from the fjord, but offers amazing views all along the way. It tops out at about 1800 feet before heading inland a bit, losing the views of the fjord. Here there are several lakes and streams, with ample spots to camp. The next 3 miles is a steady up and down in pristine Norwegian birch and fir forest before the trail begins its final ascent toward the top of the mountain. A very steep 700 feet in half a mile brings you to the junction of the popular (and much shorter/easier) tourist trail to Preikestolen.
I didn't get started until after 2pm, so by the time I go to the junction, it was almost 7:30pm. This is not a problem in summer in Norway. With sunset after 10:30, I knew I had until about 11:30 for headlamp free hiking. And at this point, it was less than an hour to get there.
In fact, it only too half an hour. I took a couple of photos, but quickly set out to find a spot to set up camp for the night and get out of my shoes! After I chose a spot, set up camp, put on flip flops, and enjoyed a beer, I headed off to enjoy the views of this amazing place and capture some photos.
The moon rose just before I went to sleep, and in the early hours of morning it began to rain. After an exhausting hike the day before, I was happy to just stay in my tent and sleep for a while. The rain let up and I got up to pack my things. It didn't take long for the rain to begin again, but I just put on my gear and headed down the trail. I had a bus to catch.
Despite the weather there were a good number of people who were making their way up. I was the only one heading down at that time of day. It wasn't long before the rain stopped and the clouds began to break. I got to the TH, enjoyed an ice cream cone and made the final arrangements to catch the correct bus to the ferry for my next night's adventure at the other end of the Lysefjord.
I really can't explain what a great hike this is. If you put Preikestolen on your to-do list, I really think it makes sense to make it an overnight. It really helps avoid the crowds of people and lets you enjoy this wonder in more solitude. The hike up from Songesand is so much more peaceful and enjoyable than the main tourist trail.
Of course, if you have the time you can hike around the entire fjord, not just do a little 12 mile hike from the bottom to the top!
Since HAZ doesn't have topo map coverage of Norway, if you are interested in the detailed maps of my hike, you can visit this Norwegian site which I have also uploaded my GPS track to. Either use Google Translate or click "stort kart" to make the map full page. Includes elevation profile.
http://ut.no/tur/2.8548/ |
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| I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies. |
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