Building Character: Preikestolen

On Saturday it was finally time to embark on the adventure we set out for: hiking to the top of Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock in English). Of course it was pouring rain by 7 am, but that wasn't going to stop us. The first bus stop was tricky to find, but we figured it out. Our hostel was in BFN (BFE but with Norway, get it?), so it required 2 buses & a ferry to get there. The ferry gave us an incredible view of the islands around the coast and dropped us off at the bottom of the cliff. It was at that point that I realized for the first time what I'd gotten myself into. This was not hiking; it was BOULDER-HOPPING. Like diagonal rock-climbing. In the rain.

If you know me, you can probably deduce that hiking isn't exactly my "thing," let alone boulder-hopping. It seemed like a scary feat at first, & I was unsure about my ability to make the 2-hour trek to the top, which happened to be 2,000 feet off the ground.

But I made it. Fully intact, soaking wet with no serious injuries. And it felt great. I can honestly say I have never felt as empowered & accomplished as I did then. The "hike" was difficult due to the steepness of the inclines, both up- & downhill, the slipperiness of the rocks, & the uncertainty about the stability of the rocks on which we were stepping. Look up from the ground for one second or take one wrong step, & you could be seriously injured. No pressure. Although it was difficult & certainly not safe, it was doable. I don't want to be overly dramatic; I'm no superhuman. A relatively fit & coordinated individual with good balance & logical thinking skills could probably do it, but that doesn't change the fact that it is a major accomplishment to make it not only to the top but also to the bottom again.

 Lucas

 Bridges = pretty much the only breaks.

 Yes, the Preview backpack made the journey with me.

P-LUV '10 :)

 First glimpse of a fjord!

 About half-way up the cliff

 Trail marker

Words & pictures can not do this experience justice. When we got to the top, it took my breath away. I thought, "THIS is why people come to Norway." I wish Preikestolen were better known throughout the world. Honestly, I think it should be up there with the 7 Wonders of the World. Being up there was a combination of feeling like I was on top of the world & being overwhelmed by it all.

Naturally, the first thing most of us did was rush to the edge & hang some body part (legs, head) off of the cliff. Talk about exhilarating! Again, pictures & words can not do it justice, but they do a pretty good job.

 FJORD.

 Getting close! We had to shuffle across a TINY ledge to get to the very end.

 Preikestolen.

Just chillin. NBD.

 

 I did it!

 The tiny orange line is me. Sorry, Mom. :)

I couldn't have asked for a better group to travel & share this experience with! From left to right: Deniz, me, Lauren, Joe, Liz, Caitlin, Jules, Megan & Lucas. Thanks to Jules & Liz for making a plan, sticking to it & finalizing the details!

In a word, amazing. Definitely one of the highlights of my life. And another word, character-building. That's how I like to think of all difficulties in life. As I was climbing rocks in the pouring rain, I could feel myself building character, & I really feel like I'm a stronger person for having completed this adventure.

Some things I learned: Fjords are really cool & actually highly underrated in my opinion. FYI, they are inlets surrounded by steep cliffs caused by glaciers. Hostels are good things. Pushing myself just a little out of my comfort zone has yet to be a bad idea, especially not in this case. AAA makes the best earplugs. PB&J is one of the greatest concepts of all time. The end.