Scandinavian Saga Part 2: Norway – Kjerag and the Scenery.

Early morning, on the way to Kjerag from Denmark (the travel story details can be found here).

“The restaurant at the end of the universe”… Almost 🙂
The restaurant at Øygardstøl south of the Lysefjord by the Lysevegen road above Lysebotn (and parking lot/WC area) is where the hike up the Kjerag begins. It’s fairly pricy and some of the dishes on the menu may not be available too early, but it’s a nice little spot for at least a coffee if not a snack – you’ll need that energy!

This demanding trail traverses several ridges, and climbs 570 metres (do you see the ‘little’ people below? The just started the ‘hike’ – which is truly much more of a climb – and we’re roughly 2/3 of the way up the first peak on the way.
To avoid wear and tear and accidents, please use the marked trail and hang on to the chains. Definitely wear solid, waterproof walking/hiking shoes/boots (make sure they aren’t slippery), warm clothes (more importantly, wind-proof and water-proof), and maybe gloves to help climbing. It is also a very good idea to bring some form of weather appropriate head-wear/ear-covers, as the winds on the top are so strong and fairly cold at any time of the year that you may end up with inflamed ears. Also a very good idea to bring along some food and definitely count on at least one 1,5L water bottle per person.
The path is 2,5-3 hours from Øygardstøl to Kjerag (one way), is very physically demanding and unsuitable for young kids, people with unstable health or with low levels of general fitness and endurance.

The autumn colors are almost other-worldly…

Photographer at work 🙂

Ways to go…
At 1084 metres, Kjerag towers above the other peaks along the Lysefjord. It has been traditional to admire this mountain face from the fjord, but in recent years, it has become increasingly popular to walk up the path to the plateau. Most people are happy just to enjoy the view of the Lysefjord from the plateau itself.

For some hikers, the climax of the excursion is to be photographed on the Kjeragbolten, a round rock about 5m tall wedged solidly in a mountain crevice 1,000 meters above the Lysefjord. Kjerag has also become a popular attraction for mountain climbers and base jumpers.
The path to climb over onto the Kjeragbolten is very narrow, and the winds can be strong and jolty. If you want to risk taking a picture on top of the rock, make sure you are very steady on your feet.
There is a piece of the chain to hang on to, but it’s by far not long enough to ensure a picture right on the very top of the rock. If you let go of the chain – it’s up to you to make sure you do not fall down (not to scare you but, sadly, you won’t be the first one…)

The fjord through the creek

A small, 715m high waterfall Kjeragfossen.

The highest point of the plateau is about 1110m asl.
In the nearly 1,000-foot north wall there are several free climbing routes and also “big walls”(for technical climbing). The cliff ranges from vertical to overhanging of good to excellent quality. Best time for climbing is July / August. The Stavanger climbing club (“BRV”) are the leaders in the industry.

My take on the “Scream”

Doing a small balancing act on the edge of the cliff in very strong wind is just THE way to go at Kjerag! 🙂

(I’m aware that many actual athletes pulled more impressive stunts than this, but this was about as far as our untrained for anything asses would risk it 😀 )

Acro-yoga FTW!

Some unknown to me girl also should have pictures of us jumping up and stuff, but I’m afraid if I wait for those I’d never publish this album 😀

My turn to be the base 😀

I promise next time if I make it up this freaking mountain I will actually stand properly on that rock… However, this particular day everyone was in such a damn hurry that we ran to the place and had to run back fairly quickly again. That chain to hold on to was pretty short, hence the pose :). I didn’t dare to let go of it because the wind was coming in powerful short bursts that could blow me off pretty easily. Since I got zero rest on the way and my legs were suspiciously unstable by the time we made it up here. I decided my life was a tad bit more precious than a picture… A better strategy would be to start the hike earlier, take it slow, then have a lunch on the top, relax, and then risk standing on top of the boulder – if the wind isn’t too strong (see video below for the wind 😀 ).

Long way to fall…

On the Kjerag mountain there is a certain place near the summit where a noise similar to a pistol shot may be heard, and is even accompanied by what appeares to be smoke. According to the older generation here, this is a natural phenomenon which occurs especially when the wind is in the east and blows with a certain force.The cause of this is uncertain but the village-folk in earlier times meant that it was water which was forced out of the rocks.