If you are anywhere in the vicinity of Stavanger, you are going to be encouraged to visit Preikestolen, commonly referred to as Pulpit Rock. It’s easily the largest tourist attraction in the area and for good reason. It’s an easy hike compared to Trolltunga or Kjerag, and it takes a lot less travel to reach. The hike is free, but they make their money on the ferry and the buses. Kim and I had some difficulty finding the the correct place to get to the ferry, luckily most of the people walking around could at least point us in the general direction of the port. The boat departs from Fiskepiren, which is also where airport bus stops, so it’s not a bad stop to know. Take the boat to Tau, and grab a bus to the hike. Be sure to double check bus times, we were there during the off season and ended up waiting for two hours at the port for the next bus, which was a big waste of time. Also, take note that there are two bus companies that offer round trip discounts to Pulpit Rock. I recommend going with the green bus. I can’t recall the name, but it’s the same public transportation as Stavanger, and they run later. There were several people that purchased tickets for the other company, and missed the last bus back and had to purchase another ticket.

Keep in mind that this is a tourist destination. You will not be getting the same experience as you would if you were hiking Trolltunga. The path is developed, including steps, gravel, boardwalks, and chains. You won’t be able to have the rock to yourself, unless you manage to be the first or last one there. The hike isn’t terribly long, which was a blessing for us because it was raining the entire way up. It was still a beautiful setting. The fog was cool to walk through. Kim was dressed in a lovely poncho, while I just soaked it up and was wet for hours. There aren’t a lot of incredible photo opportunities on the way up, but there are several little ponds that would be fun to swim in during the warmer months.

By the time we neared the top, the rain was letting up, but the clouds were still there. As nice as it would have been for clear skies, it’s fun to be in the clouds. Much like Trolltunga, you can’t really see the summit until you are almost on top of it. When you can see it, it’s awesome. The iconic profile view of the rock face is amazing. Take some pictures of this, because the top of the rock is not as recognizable. The view off the rock, however, is super cool. If your Camera is able to take some panoramas. There is wide, unobstructed view of the Lysefjord below. It’s gorgeous. I think it would be a cool place to hold a wedding ceremony, if you could keep the tourists off long enough. The top of the rock is big and flat, the hike is easy enough for your out of shape cousins to make it up… eventually.

The way down was more enjoayble that the hike up. The rain held off and the sun began to peek out from the clouds. There is an area with a couple picnic tables and a great view of some islands off in the distance. It also gives you a nice perspective of how much further you have to reach the bottom, if that’s a concern for you. We had at least an hour wait for our bus, so we spent some time in the visitors center. It’s a nice place to warm up and grab a bite to eat if you need it. We were waiting to eat until we got back, but we did get a lot of good information regarding our next hike to Kjeragbolten. The person working the desk informed us that we would not be able to catch a ferry as we originally planned. During off peak tourist months, the ferry only runs twice a day, and does not leave enough time to make the hike. She said the only realistic option to do was to rent a car, and she was right. We spent the trip back figuring out a new game plan.

Pulpit Rock. Go see it, enjoy it, ignore the tourists.