Preikestolen, Norway

Here are a few more pictures from my adventures in Norway. I went hiking with some of my cousins to a very popular spot - Preikestolen. It is a 604m high mountain above the Lysefjord. I am still in awe that I actually went out on its surface at the top. I don't like heights.


We stopped for a picture before we started our trek because I knew that in a few minutes I would be sweating like crazy. Don't we all still look so happy here?!


There were endless rocks to climb up... and then down on the way back!


Then 3 or 4 times on the trail, there were these wooden walkways over the marsh. This is my cousin, Roald.


Almost there... the view was already breathtaking and I wasn't even at the top yet!



With my cousin, Siren... thumbs up that we made it to the top!


This was so hard to do. I know I have a big smile on my face, but I could hardly look over the edge. Such a long way down....


No matter which way we looked when we were up there, we found incredible views.



About a week before this, I broke my toe (well, how can you really know a toe is broken.. it went all shades of purple and hurt like crazy to put pressure on. Even putting these shoes on hurt. One the way up this hike, I curled the toes of my right foot so my pinky didn't have any pressure on it. If it wasn't broken, I'd be surprised!) so I was happy to get these feet to the top. But I knew that I wouldn't have this kind of opportunity again (at least not for a long time... 3 weeks in Europe without kids? I couldn't believe this trip happened in the first place! My husband is so great!) and that's why I didn't want to say no just for a baby toe!

Left - Andreas... Right - me :)


It blows me away that every year more than 120,000 people hike this trail to the top, and nobody has fallen off. (Except for base jumping, which more often happens down the fjord a ways, but has taken place at Preikestolen, too). I have seen much lesser trails roped off in Canada because they think it's too dangerous.

This doesn't look too bad, eh? Well, I couldn't look down sitting like this. We were on the edge, that you can see in the following picture.


For the picture above, Siren stood here (see below) and zoomed across to the pulpit where we were sitting. That was scarier than looking over the edge for me.




Again, this is my cousin, Roald. I tried to talk him out of this, but he wouldn't listen ;) Someone said I sounded like a mother! Hahaha... well, I am a mother, and if I ever see my kids doing something like this, I won't be too happy! But I did feel slightly better with Terje close by him.


I highly recommend this hike... if you live in the area, or not, it is worth it!