[6-4] Foreword [6-5]
[6-6] Gaz de France and Stavanger Turistforening are pleased that together we can offer this Guide for tours to Preikestolen. [6-7] As a foreign company in Norway, Gaz de France is particularly pleased that the Guide has been published in several languages, including French. [6-8]
[6-9] The publication represents the first visible result of the cooperation that in October 2003 was established between Den Norske Turistforening (DNT), the Gaz de France Foundation, and the French Hiking Federation (FFRP). [6-10]
[6-11] We hope and believe that this Guide will make the splendid tour to Preikestolen even more interesting. [6-12]
[6-13] Bonne randonnee! [6-14] Happy hiking! [6-15]
[6-16] Welcome to Norway's most colorful hike destination! [6-17] Each year, about 100,000 people visit Preikestolen. [6-18] The map of the world hanging at Preikestolhytta shows that people from all parts of the globe come to experience this spectacular mountain formation. [6-19] Many guests place pins at their home towns. [6-20] Every year, Europe is covered by pinheads, but otherwise, the map shows a colorful community. [6-21] Australia, South Africa, Uruguay, China, New Zealand, Mongolia, Kenya, Nepal, Canada, Saudi-Arabia, and a long list of other countries have been represented. [6-22] And in the lodge register, many say that they literally experience the tour to Preikestolen as the high point of their visit to Norway. [6-23]
[6-24] The hike starts at Preikestolhytta [6-25] The hiking trail to Preikestolen itself starts at Preikestolhytta. [6-26] Here arrangements have been made to receive the many small and adult hikers who want to take the trip out to the mighty mountain formation. [6-27]
[6-28] 400 parking places. [6-29] Fees [6-30]
[6-31] In the summer season, there are busses to and from Tau and Jørpeland several times a day. [6-32] Schedule information: Østerhus bilruter, Tel: 51 74 02 40 [6-33]
[6-34] Jørpeland taxi, Tel: 51 74 71 86 [6-35]
[6-36] Preikestolen [6-37]
[6-38] Open in the summer season [6-39]
[6-40] Open in the summer season [6-41] Sale of soft drinks, ice cream, film, jogging shoes, souvenirs, postcards, Preikestol diplomas, maps, guides [6-42]
[6-43] Preikestolhytta: www.preikestolhytta.no [6-44] Preikestolhytta@enter.vg [6-45] Tel: 97165551 [6-46] Lodgings [6-47] Open mid May - mid September [6-48] Discount for members of Turistforening or Vandrerhjem [6-49]
[6-50] Breakfast from 08:00 - 10:00 a.m. [6-51] Lunch dishes/Snacks: from 12 - 16 and from 20 - 21 [6-52] Dinner service: from 16 - 20 [6-53] beer and wine licensed [6-54]
[6-55] Rentals [6-56]
[6-57] fishing gear rentals [6-58] Trout in Refsvatn [6-59] Open rod fishing in the northern end of the lake [6-60]
[6-61] Family-friendly sandy beach just below Preikestolhytta [6-62]
[6-63] Preikestolhytta was built at the Vatne mountain farm [6-64] Around 1900, the first tourists made their way up to Preikestolen. [6-65] Most needed lodgings to complete the tour, and in 1920 Stavanger Turistforening (STF) had 3 rooms fitted out for tourists at the roadless Vatne mountain farm. [6-66] In 1925, a tourist station also was set up at the Torsnes farm in at Refsvatnet. [6-67]
[6-68] The stream of tourists gradually increased, and especially in springtime, Vatne and Torsnes could be overcrowded with people on their way to Preikestolen. [6-69] As early as the 1920s, more than 100 guest nights were reported at Torsnes. [6-70] In 1949, STF built Preikestolhytta close by the farmhouse at Vatne. [6-71] Building so large a lodge deep in the mountains was a considerable accomplishment for Turistforeningen. [6-72] All transportation was undertaken from Lysefjorden. [6-73] A dock at Refså on Lysefjorden and a powered aerial cableway from the fjord up the steep hillside to Refsvatnet were built. [6-74] A motorboat carried people and goods across the lake. [6-75] Lumber for the lodge was cut in private woods and a sawmill was built down at the lake. [6-76] In 1961, a road was built up to the lodge. [6-77] Then Preikestolen could be reached on a day hike. [6-78] The influx of people went up, year by year. [6-79] A new epoch began. [6-80]
[6-81 ] Vatnegarden was cleared in the 19th century [6-82] Still there are many traces of the old mountain farm at Vatne. [6-83] The farmhouse still stands and now is used as lodgings for those who wish to shift for themselves. [6-84] In surrounding pastures, house sites, stone walls and cleared stone heaps tell of work and toil through generations. [6-85]
[6-86] Vatne lies beautifully placed on the dry sunlit slope north of Refsvatnet. [6-87] Here the fields were larger and the soil deeper than at the other mountain farms in here, Torsnes. [6-88] The first to frequent the area is said to have been an outlaw, but not till the early 19th century do written sources record farmers at Vatne. [6-89] Tollag Ellingson from Kalleli on Lysefjorden moved here in 1810. [6-90] He had 6 children, but two or three of the children died before adulthood. [6-91] In 1875 there was a census of Vatne. [6-92] The following persons then were there: Elling Tollefsen, head of a family. [6-93] In addition his wife, servant girl, and a pauper woman 80 years old. [6-94] Jonas Aslaksen, head of a family. [6-95] In addition his wife, son/hired hand Guttorm, and foster daughter Inger. [6-96] The following animals were included in the census: 8 cows, 128 sheep, 35 goats, 1 pig. [6-97]
[6-98] the hike to Preikestolen requires good footwear! [6-99]
[6-100] The trail to Preikestolen was marked for the first time in 1921. [6-101] It was a simple path, without any special modifications. [6-102] But when the road was built to Preikestolhytta in 1961, traffic out to Preikestolen swelled. [6-103] The numerous tourists left their mark. [6-104] Wear on the marshes and the wet stretches was so severe that it was necessary to build a completely new trail. [6-105] In the 1990s, with public funding, a major trail project was initiated. [6-106] The result was a trail that withstands tramping - and that also is attractively adapted to the vulnerable surroundings. [6-107]
[6-108] The hike from the parking places and out to the Preikestol plateau itself is just 3.8 km, but nonetheless takes almost 2 hours each way. [6-109] The tour has an elevation difference of 350 meters, and the trail itself alters between gravel, stones and smoothly scoured bedrock. [6-110] The trails can be slippery walking in rainy weather - so it's best to tread carefully. [6-111]
[6-112] From Tjødnane you can choose if you will follow the traditional trail along dizzying cliffs high over Lysefjorden or follow the newly-built trail up to the plateau above Preikestolen itself. [6-113] These two alternative can be taken in a round trip. [6-114]
[6-115] VThe weather can change rapidly, so remember rainwear, warm clothing, food and drink in your pack. [6-116] It's not possible to buy food and drink on the way - so that you must bring from the starting point. [6-117]
[6-118] Enjoy the view of Vatnegarden and Preikestolhytta [6-119]
[6-120] Take a rest when you have come up the first steep hill from the parking places. [6-121] From the plateau (350 m above sea level), there's a fine view of Preikestolhytta and the former Vatnegarden. [6-122] In the past, the area was so threadbare that the farmers at Vatne cut sod from the marches above the farm to use as fuel. [6-123] Today that's not necessary. [6-124] The old farmlands are becoming overgrown and it's beginning to be difficult to find many of the old walls and hayfields. [6-125] The overgrowing is due principally to there being fewer grazing animals and little logging. [6-126] Moreover, precipitation carries a range of chemical compounds that fertilize the landscape. [6-127] Stavanger Turistforening owns in all 8000 decares of this beautiful area and hopes that really many will use it for outdoor recreation. [6-128] Here you can find challenging things to do for days: Swim, fish, row, pick berries and mushrooms - and not least, hike the other marked tours in the area. [6-129] Try yourself. [6-130]
[6-131] The landscaped was shaped by glaciers. [6-132] The road from Jøssang to Preikestolhytta cuts at its highest point through Vatnerinda. [6-133] In the past, people believed that Trolls had laid up the enormous stone ridges along Vatnerinda and further along the range around Refsvatnet. [6-134] Today we know that the ridges were deposited as lateral moraine by the Lysefjordbreen some 10,500 years ago. [6-135] The entire Lysefjorden then was filled with ice, and a glacial tongue lay inwards where Refsvatnet and Preikestolhytta lie today. [6-136]
[6-137] Lysefjordbreen [6-138] The map shows the where the edge of Lysefjordbreen lay in in this area some 10,500 years ago. [6-139] This vantage point was midway on the edge of the glacier. [6-140] Preikestolhytta will have barely been covered by the glacier, while the road up from Jøssang will have been beyond the edge of the glacier. [6-141] Along the road, outside the lateral moraine, melt water from the glacier has flushed the landscape clean of sediment, while inside, on the whole there is abundant sediment and soil. [6-142] When these lateral moraines were built up, other moraines were deposited along the entire Norwegian coast, from finnmark in the north to Østfold in the south. [6-143] Moraine from this period often is called terminal moraine. [6-144]
[6-145] The moraine ridges consist of huge boulders [6-146] The mass of ice in a glacier moves plastically, and the glacier can float on gravel and stones. [6-147] Along the edge of a glacier in motion, lateral moraines build up. [6-148] In the region around Lysefjorden, the lateral moraine consists of gigantic boulders and little finer material. [6-149] Close contact with this boulder-rich moraine will come later on the hike, but you also can study it closer by taking a small side trip from here, a hundred meters along the trail to Moslifjell. [6-150] (But come back to this starting point if you wish to continue on the trail to Preikestolen.) [6-151]
[6-152] Gnarled pine trees [6-153]
[6-154] The trail flattens out and continues over the plateau. [6-155] Here grow short, compact pine trees reminiscent of Japanese bonsai. [6-156] Pine was one of the first tree species that came to Norway after the ice age. [6-157] Pine thrives in gravelly soil and withstands dehydration relatively well. [6-158] Pine usually grows towering and fine wherever it has enough nutrients. [6-159] The bonsai variety certainly indicates harsher growing conditions. [6-160]
[6-161] Further away, erect, high pine trees reach heavenward. [6-162] Here the soil obviously is better. [6-163] Between the trees you can glimpse the headland in Refsvatn, where the abandoned Torsnes mountain farm lies. [6-164]
[6-165] Good taste from forest and mountains [6-166]
[6-167] In late summer and the autumn you can find ripe berries along trails. [6-168] In the past, people were good at picking berries for juicing and preserving - now too many walk past. [6-169] But take a small side trip and see what you can find. [6-170] Here there are many taste treats, both for desserts and for tantalizing dinner dishes. [6-171]
[6-172] Blueberries [6-173] Blueberries are commonplace throughout the area. [6-174] They are tasty - and are known to be antacid. [6-175]
[6-176] Whortleberries [6-177] Whortleberries are also blue outside, but as opposed to blueberries, are light greenish inside. [6-178] Whortleberries often are left after blueberry pickers have gone home. [6-179] That's a shame. [6-180] Because the berries taste good - and contain more than three times as much Vitamin C as blueberries. [6-181] Make soup from whortleberries. [6-182] It has a mild, delicate taste reminiscent of gooseberries. [6-183]
[6-184] View towards Stavanger and Boknafjorden [6-185]
[6-186] After a climb through woods and talus, the next vantage point emerges at 420 meters above sea level. [6-187] From here, we can clearly see greater parts of Boknafjorden with Stavanger city farthest to the left - 25 km away. [6-188] Midway in the fjord lie the islands of Bru, Åmøy, Mosterøy, and Rennesøy. [6-189] On the mainland to the right we see a bit of the town of Jørpeland. [6-190] If you wish to see a little more, you should go up to Husafjellet just south of where you stand. [6-191]
[6-192] The woods here have begun to thin - and the mountain birch has begun taking over. [6-193] Timberline in this part of Norway is around 600 meters. [6-194] Further inland timberland is higher; in Østlandet it can be as high as 1200 meters. [6-195] In Norway, it's birch that grow highest up in the mountains. [6-196] In recent years, it seems that timberline is creeping upwards, perhaps due to a milder climate. [6-197] Less grazing and less culling of forests for firewood also contributes to the landscape overgrowing. [6-198] In the course of the last few years, we have seen major changes. [6-199]
[6-200] Stidele Moslifjell [6-201] From here, there's a fine found trip to the summit of Moslifjell (718 meters above sea level). [6-202] It's an attractive alternative for those of you who wish not to return by the same route from Preikestolen - and who have strength left. [6-203] The hike goes first through woods, before you get up to the open high mountain terrain with a view in all directions. [6-204] The Mosli trail joins the Preikestol trail again at the first vantage point. [6-205] The hike has an elevation difference of 300 meters - and takes an extra 2 hours. [6-206]
[6-207] Moose, deer, and roe deer linger here. [6-208] In this area you can be lucky and come across the three species of deer that live here: moose, deer and doe deer. [6-209] Along the Preikestol trail there usually are so many people that the animals stay away. [6-210] But on the hike to Moslifjell, or if you take a side trip on your own, you can get closer to the outdoors and animal life. [6-211] Even though you may not come across a living animal, there often are tracks to be seen. [6-212]
[6-213] Krogebekkmyra [6-214]
[6-215] Greater parts of Norway have been covered by marshes. [6-216] Marshes are found in depressions in regions with abundant precipitation. [6-217] Dead plants are not broken down because the ground is always saturated with water and oxygen cannot contribute to normal decomposition. [6-218] The incomplete decomposition forms a gas that smalls a bit acidic. [6-219] This results in the characteristic - and quite good - marsh odor. [6-220] Just under the uppermost vegetation cover lies a black mire; this is incompletely decomposed plant remains. [6-221] The mire is completely organic - without sand and stones that otherwise are found in soils under plants. [6-222] In marshes we find various species of plants that have specialized in life in a water-saturated environment. [6-223] Tracks over marshes tend to expand, as most people don't like tramping in mire. [6-224] We walk to the side of the mire, and soon the trail is many meters wide. [6-225] Over Krogebekkmyra therefore, a walkway has been laid to prevent wear and ease traversing for wanderers. [6-226] Such corduroy bridges are built in the tradition of centuries. [6-227]
[6-228] Dwarf birch [6-229] The dwarf birch is a small, low-lying shrub; it thrives where it's dry. [6-230] It has small, round leaves that take on an intense and beautiful yellow-red color in autumn. [6-231]
[6-232] Frogs [6-233] Frogs live in swamps. [6-234] At mating time, you can hear males luring females by croaking. [6-235] Females lay several hundred eggs in shallow water. [6-236] The eggs develop to tadpoles that subsequently change into frogs. [6-237] The principal foods are insects and snails. [6-238]
[6-239] Dragonflies [6-240] Dragonflies are among the colorful insects that people easily notice. [6-241] They're built for stunt flying. [6-242] Their wings are attached to a muscular chest, and the large compound eyes give them a broad view of their surroundings. [6-243] They are hunters that live, among other things, on flies and small butterflies. [6-244]
[6-245] Bog Asphodel [6-246] The bog asphodel is a small lily that adds color to the marshes. [6-247] In bloom, it makes the marsh golden, but gradually, as the fruit ripen, it turns reddish green. [6-248] Stems and leaves gradually grey, and in spring there's an enchanting grayish tint in bog asphodel marshes. [6-249] The plant contains a poison that gives sheep a skin disease, photosensitization. [6-250]
[6-251] Sundew [6-252] this beautiful marsh plant actually is carnivorous. [6-253] the sundew's beautiful, bright and shining color attracts many insects. [6-254] The drops outermost on the leaf rosettes resemble dew, but insects that sit on the plant are trapped and slowly suffocated. [6-255] The sundew assimilates the nutrients in insects to get the nitrogen it needs. [6-256]
[6-257] Tall Cotton Grass [6-258] White cotton grass usually is found in profusion in marshes. [6-259] The white "cotton" isn't flowers, but tufts that act to aid seeds so they spread far from the mother plant. [6-260] "The cotton" has been used as pillow filling. [6-261] There are 8 different species of cotton grass in Norway. [6-262] Tall cotton grass is found in profusion in acidic marshes. [6-263]
[6-264] Talus up to Neverdalsskaret [6-265]
[6-266] The talus was deposited by Lysefjordbreen [6-267] This huge scree slope is part of the large lateral moraine that was formed by glaciers some 10,500 years ago. [6-268] At many other places in the mountains of Rogaland - and elsewhere in Norway - there also are huge scree slopes, but many of these were formed after the ice age as rock fragments were split out of the steep mountainsides by congelifraction. [6-269] So we can see traces in the mountainside where the congelifracts of the talus came from. [6-270] Such talus formation goes on today. [6-271] Crustaceous Lichen [6-272] Bare rock and stones are not as nude as you might first believe. [6-273] Upon closer examination, you can see that rock walls and stones have their special plant life. [6-274] Crustaceous lichen grows as a thin layer on stones. [6-275] Most crustaceous lichen are so to speak a part of the underlying rock. [6-276] Using chemicals, the breaks down the surface of the rock to attach itself to it. [6-277] There are hundreds of species. [6-278] Many of them are as grey as the stones on which they grow, while others are more easily seen. [6-279] Water is in short supply; it runs away from the smooth stones as soon as rain stops. [6-280] Crustaceous lichen therefore grow very slowly, often no more than 0.1 mm a year. [6-281] So you can find large crustaceous lichen that can be hundreds or perhaps thousands of years old. [6-282]
[6-283] Abandoned mountain farms [6-284]
[6-285] Here in Neverdalskaret (540 meters above sea level) you get the first glimpse of Lysefjorden and Lyseheiene. [6-286] Here there's a fork to the trail that continues on the north side of Lysefjorden to Bratteli and onward all the way to Lysebotn. [6-287]
[6-288] The trail to Preikestolen meanders on a dirt road through talus. [6-289] The many large stones were put in place by Lysefjordbreen 10,500 years ago. [6-290] In autumn, the dry ridges here are colored red by black bearberries - and blueberry bushes. [6-291]
[6-292] Farming at mountain lodges [6-293] Lysefjorden offers scanty conditions for farming. [6-294] Nonetheless, people have clung to green specks along the mountainsides and have managed to survive on small farms. [6-295] The mountaints provided essential supplementary resources through hunting and fishing. [6-296] In Neverdalen in times gone by, there lay such a little place. [6-297] You still can find the sites of houses that stood here, but the place was abandoned as early as before 1900. [6-298] The name most likely comes from the birch bark used for roofing. [6-299] If you follow the trail further along Lysefjorden, you will find abandoned mountain farms at Hengjane and in Bratteli. [6-300] Hengjane farm lies right behind Hengjanenibbå that plunges straight down into Lysefjorden. [6-301] In the 17th century, Hengjane was a summer dairy farm under the Bratteli farm. [6-302]
[6-303] In mountain forests [6-304]
[6-305] A mountain forest is the last bastion against the mountains. [6-306] Here grow principally mountain birch and some mountain ash. [6-307] The mountain birch often are disfigured by snow and are gnarled and crooked. [6-308] But it won't give up and resists until it's back is rounded. [6-309] But the twisted mountain birch has inspired many a local artist. [6-310] Around in cabins, there are many odd figures made of mountain birch. [6-311] Gnarls formerly were popular for making saucers and bowls. [6-312] If you look closely at the trunk of a mountain birch, you will see that many species of lichens grow on the branches. [6-313] The bark on the lower trunk often is bare, which indicates how high snow lies in winter. [6-314]
[6-315] Bathe in Tjødnane [6-316]
[6-317] Norway is rich in water. [6-318] Here there are hundreds of thousands of large, medium and small lakes, ponds and tarns. [6-319] This is due to the glaciers' rough excavation and scouring of bed rock through hundreds of thousands of years. [6-320] Such uneven, rugged rock faces are found only in countries that have gone through ice ages. [6-321] Vestlandet's abundant precipitation throughout the year ensures that the lakes never are dry. [6-322]
[6-323] In summer, the temperature in such shallow water can rise to bathing temperature, as the sun warms both water and the surrounding rock. [6-324] There's little chance for disturbing fish in these lakes, as they lack spawning streams and moreover the water has a low pH due to acidic bedrock and acid rain. [6-325]
[6-326] Most water in the Norwegian outdoors is drinkable, as long as it's flowing and it appears to be clear and clean. [6-327]
[6-328] Bedrock [6-329] The rock you walk upon on the way to Preikestolen belongs to the Norwegian basement complex. [6-330] It comprises acidic granite and gneiss formed several kilometers down in the earth's crust more than a billion years ago. [6-331] Through millions of years, the rock that lay over today's surface was worn down and removed by eroding forces, that is, water, wind, chemical action, and not least, glaciers. [6-332]
[6-333] Trail fork [6-334] 2 trails onward to Preikestolen [6-335] Here the trail divides in two. [6-336] You can either follow the left trail and approach Preikestolen along a mountain ledge. [6-337] Here parts of the trail are safeguarded by wooden bridges. [6-338] You also can turn right on to the new trail and approach Preikestolen over Neverdalsfjellet. [6-339] You'll get up to 645 meters elevation. [6-340] If you wish, you can take the other trail back, so it will be a round tour. [6-341] Here we have described the traditional left tour. [6-342]
[6-343] At the bridges [6-344]
[6-345] At the safety bridges, the mountain is sheer down to the lush Neverdalen. [6-346]
[6-347] Pine forests and sawmills [6-348] It was probably the pine forests that were the economic basis for most farms along Lysefjorden, at least from the 16th century onwards. [6-349] The forests had grown large through centuries after the Black Death. [6-350] Sawmills were built at waterfalls. [6-351] From the 17th century on, pine logs from Lysefjorden too were a vital export to countries in Europe where ship building required good raw materials. [6-352] Moreover, there were set up several slipways at Lysebotn, Håhelle, and Viga. [6-353] Lysefjord pines were tall, with good, dense crowns that suited them well, among other things, for ship masts. [6-354]
[6-355] Mountain ledges along the fjord [6-356]
[6-357] Suddenly you have Lysefjorden right underneath you. [6-358] The last part of the hike goes over a narrow mountain ledge, 600 meters above the fjord. [6-359] Be careful. [6-360] Preikestolen's plateau is 25 meters x 25 meters, and it hangs 604 meters above Lysefjorden. [6-361] It was named when people from Stavanger discovered this distinctive rock formation nearly 100 years ago. [6-362] Locally it has had the descriptive name "Hyvlatonna" - as it resembled the shape of the blade in a plane. [6-363]
[6-364] Preikestolen [6-365]
[6-366] Many have regarded Preikestolen to be a personal challenge. [6-367] Members of Stavanger Turnforening have performed supple handstands at its edge. [6-368] A world-renowned French acrobat sat a few years ago on a chair that was balanced on four water glasses outermost at the edge. [6-369] The Stavanger Symphonic Orchestra has held concerts here; Preikestol rock is a known concept, and weddings with a minister and a bridal veil have been conducted. [6-370] Each year, divine services are held on Preikestolen. [6-371] But the steep wall is unsuitable for rock climbing or base jumping, because of loose rock and unpredictable updrafts. [6-372] So you should preferably try Kjerag further up the fjorden. [6-373]
[6-374] Trail round [6-375] A marked trail shows the way to the plateau above Preikestolen itself. [6-376] Many go up here to take photographs. [6-377] The trail continues over Neverdalsfjellet and down on the other side of the Preikestol trail close by Tjødnane. [6-378]
[6-379] What is a fjord? [6-380]
[6-381] Peneplanet and Lysefjorden [6-382] Before us we see several landscapes of differing ages. [6-383] The mountains on both sides of Lysefjorden are the remains of an old landscape - a peneplain (= almost a flat). [6-384] This flat landscape was formed 600 million years ago and lay at sea level. [6-385] Younger rock types can have been shoved over this flat landscape during the Caledonian Orogeny 350 million years ago. [6-386] Thereafter, these mountains eroded away and the flat landscape was renewed 60 million years ago. [6-387] Since then, movements in the Earth's crust have thrust this flat landscape up to the level of today, 7-900 meters above sea level. [6-388]
[6-389] The contrast is great to the deeply cut valleys and fjords. [6-390] Lysefjorden as a terrain feature began as a river valley after the old flat landscape was thrust up. [6-391] Rainwater, streams, and rivers began their abrasive action. [6-392] Glacial action [6-393] Through the ice ages - the last 1-2 million years - the river valley was broadened to today's U-shaped valley. [6-394] Glaciers can scour at their sides as well as carve deeply underneath. [6-395] They break off blocks of stone along their sides and in their bases, they scour rock flat and transport most of the unconsolidated material away. [6-396] Glaciers are the most efficient shapers of landscape known. [6-397] They tear down, they transport, and they build new landscape along the sides of the glacier. [6-398]
[6-399] Lysefjorden is a real fjord; that is, it is overdeepened, has a threshold at its entrance, and is filled with salty seawater. [6-400] The fjord is deepest - 457 meter - at Songesand, where it changes direction.