Preikestolen and Stavanger (25.04.-30.04.2021)

Spontaneous Decision

On Sunday we played beach volleyball and talked to some other people from our course about what they would be doing next week because the university sailing was unfortunately cancelled. It turned out that we had the same idea, we wanted to go to Preikestolen and Stavanger. So we quickly agreed and decided to drive together on Tuesday. In the evening, we checked the weather forecast and saw that it was supposed to be particularly nice on Monday and Tuesday. After dinner, it was clear that Debby would join us. At 10 o'clock we made the decision to leave on Monday morning. We scraped together all the food we could find and packed our hiking backpacks.

Preikestolen

So on Monday morning we met with three others at 10 o'clock and drove towards Preikestolen. After a four-hour drive, we arrived at the parking lot and got ready for the hike. I quickly called the information desk and asked if we had to pay fees every day or if we only had to pay 25€ once. And indeed, we only had to pay once.

We started the relatively short four-kilometer hike, which was quite exhausting with a heavy backpack, especially the steep uphill stretches. There was still some snow on the way and also at Preikestolen. When we arrived at Preikestolen, we overlooked the "no camping" sign and enjoyed the view. There were only two other people besides us. After taking a few photos, we found a place to set up our tents.

We found a dry, sheltered spot above and set up our tents, made a fire, and cooked on the camping stove. In the evening, we sat comfortably by the fire and chatted, then went to bed. We set an alarm for 5:40 am to see the sunrise.

Sunrise at Preikestolen

At first, we only opened the tent and looked outside. It didn't seem worth it, but Debby needed to go to the toilet and got up, and it turned out to be worth it after all.

So we all got up and watched the sunrise first from above and later we were on Preikestolen taking photos.

Since it was still so early, we went back to bed afterward and slept for another two hours. After breakfast with a great view, we packed everything up and walked part of the way back. Today we wanted to hike to Bratteli and then find a place to sleep. Since the path was very challenging, we decided to turn back after a few hours and set up our camp. We found a nice spot by a lake and set up the tents, made a fire, and cooked. We went to bed quite early in the evening because we were all very tired from the hike. The next morning we woke up and it was unbelievably warm in the tent because the sun had heated it up. We decided to cool off in the lake.

After breakfast, we packed everything again and headed back to the cars. We arrived there around noon and took a lunch break.

Stavanger and Sunset at the Beach

In the afternoon, we drove to Stavanger and explored the city. I particularly liked the old town and the Fargegaten (street with colorful houses). Other than that, the city doesn't have much to offer except for a particularly delicious ice cream and the three swords in the rock.

We then continued driving to a beach where we wanted to spend the night. Since it was still quite warm when we arrived, we went for a swim, cooked and ate, and set up our camp. This time without a tent. We had a beautiful sunset in the evening, which can still be seen at 11 pm.

After a lovely night with the sound of the sea and seagulls, we woke up in the morning with the sun in our faces. We had breakfast, packed everything up, and got in the car, continuing along the west coast towards the south.

We made stops at the Obrestad lighthouse, Sogndalstrand, and Helleren. The lighthouse is really small but very cute.

In Sogndalstrand, you can visit old houses, but other than that, the village doesn't have much to offer, and in Helleren, you can see two old houses that were built under a cliff and used to be a small farm.

You can still go inside one of the two houses today and feel transported back in time. Behind the houses, there is a water source with very mineral-rich water. We immediately filled our bottles with it and enjoyed the taste of good water.

Here, the paths of the three of us and the other three separated. Because we wanted to spend another night sleeping outside and do the hike to Brufjellhålene, while the others started their journey back.

Parking, Searching for a Sleeping Spot, and Swimming

After driving in the wrong direction for an hour, we turned around again and finally found Stornes, which is the place where the hike to Brufjellhålene begins. When we arrived there, we hoped to find a meadow where we could spend the night. Unfortunately, that was not the case, so we decided to walk with our large backpacks to a bay on the way and sleep there. Since we only arrived there at 7 pm, we didn't want to walk too far. The bay was about three-quarters of an hour's walk away and was very beautifully sheltered.

When we arrived, we decided to go into the sea first.

Then we cooked and snuggled into our sleeping bags. It rained a few drops in the evening, but we still slept without a tent. At night, the sky was clear, and we could admire the Milky Way.

In the morning, we had breakfast in our sleeping bags, and after everything was packed, we headed up towards Brufjellhålene. Since the last section of the path is marked in black, we left our backpacks at the top and only went down with the camera. That was a very wise decision, as the path leads down to the coast with the help of crampons on the wall and chains.

When we arrived there, we took many photos and enjoyed the sun. Unfortunately, we didn't have our lunch with us and couldn't have a lunch break like other tourists.

So we decided to climb back up and have our well-deserved meal on one of the mountains. The way back was much more relaxed, and we passed the time with some funny songs until we reached the car. We loaded everything in, had a small snack, and then drove home.

And so, a very beautiful and spontaneous trip came to an end, which I really enjoyed with great company.

Until the next post,

yours Maike :D