[6-4 |] Foreword [6-5]
[6-6] Gaz de France and Stavanger Tourist Association are very happy to be able to provide this guide for the trip to Preikestolen. [6-7] As a foreign company in Norway, Gaz de France is especially pleased that they have succeeded in publishing this guide in several languages, including French. [6-8]
[6-9] The publication is the first tangible result of the collaboration that was established in October 2003 between The Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT), Gaz de France's foundation serving the public and the French touring organization FFRP. [6-10]
[6-11] We hope and believe that this tour guide will make the magnificent trip to Preikestolen even more meaningful. [6-12]
[6-13 |] Bonne randonnée! [6-14 |] Enjoy your excursion! [6-15]
[6-16 |] Welcome to Norway's most colorful hiking destination! [6-17] Each year, about 100 000 people visit Preikestolen. [6-18] The map of the world that hangs on the wall at Preikstolhytta shows that people from all parts of the globe come to experience this spectacular mountain formation. [6-19] Many of the guests place a pin on the spot where they come from. [6-20] Each year, Europe is covered with pinheads, but in addition, the map reveals a colorful community of fellow hikers. [6-21] Australia, South Africa, Uruguay, China, New Zealand, Mongolia, Kenya, Nepal, Canada, Saudi Arabia and a large number of other countries have been represented. [6-22] And in the cabin's guestbook, many write that they experience the trip to Preikestolen literally as the high point of their visit to Norway. [6-23]
[6-24 |] The trip begins at the Preikestol lodge. [6-25] The trail to Preikestolen itself begins at the Preikestol cabin. [6-26] Everything is organized to be able to accommodate the many hikers, young and old, who want to take the trip out to this majestic mountain formation. [6-27]
[6-28 |] 400 parking spots. [6-29 |] Fee [6-30]
[6-31 |] During the summer season, buses run to and from Tau and Jørpeland several times per day. [6-32 |] Route information: Østerhus bilruter, telephone 51 74 02 40 [6-33]
[6-34 |] Jørpeland taxi, telephone 51 74 71 86 [6-35]
[6-36 |] The Preikestol Cabin [6-37]
[6-38 |] Open during the summer season. [6-39]
[6-40 |] Open during the summer season [6-41 |] Soft drinks, ice cream, films, sneakers, souvenirs, postcards, Preikestol certificate, maps, handbooks for sale. [6-42]
[6-43 |] Preikestolhytta: www.preikestolhytta.no [6-44 |] Preikestolhytta@enter.vg [6-45 |] Telephone 97165551 [6-46 |] Overnight accommodations [6-47 |] Open mid-May - mid-September [6-48 |] Discounts for members of the tourist association or Youth hostels. [6-49]
[6-50 |] Breakfast 0800 - 1000 [6-51 |] Luncheon dishes/light meals: 12 - 16 and 20 - 21 [6-52 |] Dinner: 16 - 20 [6-53 |] Licensed for beer and wine. [6-54]
[6-55 |] Rentals [6-56]
[6-57 |] Rental of fishing equipment [6-58 |] Brown trout in Refsvatn [6-59 |] Free rod-fishing in the northern portion of the lake [6-60]
[6-61 |] Sandy beach suitable for families just below Prekestol Lodge [6-62]
[6-63 |] Preikestolhytta was built on the Vatne mountain farm [6-64] Around 1900, the first tourists found their way up to Preikestolen. [6-65] Most of them needed to spend the night in order to be able to complete the trip, and in 1920 Stavanger Touring Association (STF) furnished three rooms for tourists at the roadless Vatne mountain farm. [6-66] In 1925, a tourist facility was also established here at the Torsnes farm by Refsvatn. [6-67]
[6-68] The flow of tourists increased steadily and particularly in the springtime Vatne and Torsnes were overcrowded with people on their way to Preikestolen. [6-69] Already in the 1920's more than 100 overnight stops were reported. [6-70] In 1949, SFT built the Preikestol Cabin near the farmhouse at Vatne. [6-71] The construction of such a large cabin far inside the mountains was a great boost for the touring association. [6-72] All transportation was done from Lysefjord. [6-73] A pier was built at Refså on Lysefjord, as well as a motor-driven cable car from the fjord and up the steep mountainside to Refsvatn. [6-74] Motorized boats carried people and supplies across the lake. [6-75] The lumber for the cabin was cut from the local forest and a saw was installed down by the lake. [6-76] In 1961, the automobile road was built up to the cabin. [6-77] As a result, Prekestolen could be reached on a one-day trip. [6-78] The flow of visitors increased year by year. [6-79] A new era had begun. [6-80]
[6-81] The Vatne farm was cleared in the 1800's. [6-82] There are still many traces left from the old mountain farm at Vatne. [6-83] The farmhouse is still standing and is used today as an overnight accommodation for those who want to make their own arrangements. [6-84] In the surrounding pasture area, the sites of former dwellings, stone fences and piles of cleared stone tell the tale of hard work throughout generations. [6-85]
[6-86] Vatne is nicely located on the dry, sunny hillside north of Refsvatn. [6-87] Here, the fields were larger and the topsoil deeper than at Torsnes, the other mountain farm here. [6-88] The first one to have used this area is said to have been an outlaw, but it wasn't until the 1800's that written sources recorded settlers here at Vatne. [6-89] Tollag Ellingson from Kalleli at Lysefjord moved here in 1810. [6-90] He had six children, but two or three of the children didn't survive past childhood. [6-91] In 1875, a census was taken at Vatne. [6-92] the following persons were reported as present: Elling Tollefsen, head of the household. [6-93] In addition, his wife, servant girl and an 80-year-old indigent woman. [6-94] Jonas Aslaksen, head of the household. [6-95] In addition, his wife, son/errand boy Guttorm and foster daughter Inger. [6-96] The following livestock were included in the census: 8 cows, 128 sheep, 35 goats, 1 pig. [6-97]
[6-98 |] The trip 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 particular improvements. [6-102] But when the automobile road was built to the Preikestol lodge in 1961, there was a marked increase in traffic out to Preikestolen. [6-103] The numerous tourists left scars behind them. [6-104] Wear and tear on the moors and marshes was so great that it became necessary to blaze a completely new trail. [6-105] In the 1990's, public grants helped to start construction of a large trail project. [6-106] The result was a route that could withstand heavy pedestrian traffic - and that was at the same time well adapted to the fragile natural surroundings. [6-107]
[6-108] The hike from the parking lot and out to the Prekestol plateau itself is only 3.8 km long, but still takes almost 2 hours each way. [6-109] The trip entails an altitude difference of 350 meters, and the trail itself varies between gravel, stone and scoured mountain rock. [6-110] The stony surface can be slippery in rainy weather - so it is best to walk cautiously. [6-111]
[6-112] From Tjødnane, you can choose whether you want to follow the traditional trail along the dizzying precipice high above Lysefjord, or follow the newly blazed trail up to the plateau above Preikestolen itself. [6-113] These two alternatives can be done as round trips. [6-114]
[6-115] The weather may change abruptly, so remember to bring rainwear, warm clothing, food and beverages in your rucksack. [6-116] It is not possible to buy food and beverages along the way, so these items must be brought with you from your starting point. [6-117]
[6-118 |] Enjoy the view out over Vatnegarden and Prekestolhytta. [6-119]
[6-120] Take a rest break when you have climbed to the top of the first steep incline from the parking lot. [6-121] From the plateau (350 masl), there is a wonderful panorama out over Preikestolhytta and the former Vatne farm. [6-122] Previously, this area was so sparsely wooded that the farmer at Vatne cut peat from the moors above the farm to use for heating. [6-123] Today this is not necessary. [6-124] The old farm landscape is beginning to become overgrown, and it is becoming harder to find many of the old moors and hayfields. [6-125] Overgrowth is primarily due to the fact that there are fewer grazing livestock and little woodcutting. [6-126] In addition, precipitation brings with it a number of chemicals that act as natural fertilizers. [6-127] Stavanger Tourist Association owns a total of 32 000 acres of this beautiful area and hopes that many visitors will make use of this outdoor treasure. [6-128] Here you can do exciting things for days on end: Swimming, fishing, rowing, berry and mushroom gathering - not to mention hiking the other marked trails in the area. [6-129] Try it yourself! [6-130]
[6-131 |] The landscape is shaped by glaciers. [6-132] The road from Jøssang to Preikestolhytta, at its highest point, cuts through Vatnerinda. [6-133] Earlier, people thought that trolls had deposited the enormous stone ridges along Vatnerinda and further along the range of hills surrounding Refsvatn. [6-134] Today we know that the ridges were pushed up as lateral moraines of the Lysefjord glacier about 10 500 years ago. [6-135] Lysefjord was completely filled with ice at the time, and an ice tongue covered the area where Refsvatnet and Preikestol are located today. [6-136]
[6-137 |] The Lysefjord Glacier [6-138] The map shows where the edge of Lysefjord Glacier was located in this area about 10 500 years ago. [6-139] This vantage point was in the middle of the glacial apron. [6-140] Preikestolhytta would have been barely covered by the glacier, while the automobile road up from Jøssang would have been located just outside the edge of the ice. [6-141] Along the road on the outer side of the lateral moraine, melted ice from the glacier has rinsed the landscape clean of loose deposits, while the area on the inner side is generally rich in loose deposits and soil. [6-142] When these lateral moraines were built up, other moraines were formed along the entire Norwegian coastline from Finnmark in the north to Østfold in the south. [6-143] Moraines from this period are often called gravel ridges. [6-144]
[6-145 |] The moraine ridges consist of giant boulders [6-146] The ice masses in a glacier flow plastically, and a glacier can move gravel and stones. [6-147] Along the edge of a glacier in motion, lateral moraines will be built up. [6-148] In the area along Lysefjord, the lateral moraines are composed of many huge blocks of stone and little fine matter. [6-149] You will come into closer contact with this type of stone block moraine later on your trek, but you can also take a closer look at it by taking a short detour from here, a hundred meters along the path toward Moslifjell. [6-150] (But be sure to come back to this starting point if you plan to continue on the path to Preikestolen.) [6-151]
[6-152 |] Crooked pine trees [6-153]
[6-154] The hiking trail levels out and continues across the plateau. [6-155] Here, short and stocky pine trees grow, resembling Japanese bonsai plants. [6-156] Pine was one of the types of trees that first appeared in Norway after the Ice Age. [6-157] Pines do well in gravelly soil and can survive arid conditions reasonably well. [6-158] Pines normally grow tall and luxuriant, provided there is sufficient nourishment in the soil. [6-159] The bonsai variety is an indication of poorer growth conditions. [6-160]
[6-161] Further along, tall and erect pine trees rise toward the sky. [6-162] The soil is evidently better here. [6-163] Between the trees you can glimpse the promontory at Refsvatn, where the abandoned mountain farm of Torsnes is located. [6-164]
[6-165 |] Tasty treats from the forest and mountains [6-166]
[6-167] During late summer and fall, you can find ripe berries along the hiking trail. [6-168] Earlier, people were eager to gather berries for making juice or jam - now too many people simply pass them by. [6-169] But do take a little detour and see what you can find. [6-170] There are many fine flavors here, for both desserts and interesting main dishes. [6-171]
[6-172 |] Blueberries [6-173] Blueberries are common throughout the area. [6-174] they are tasty - and are known as a good stomach regulator. [6-175]
[6-176 |] Bog bilberries, bog blueberries, bog cranberries [6-177] Bog bilberries are also blue on the outside, but they differ from blueberries in that they are faintly greenish inside. [6-178] Bilberries are often left behind when blueberry pickers have gone home. [6-179] This is unfortunate. [6-180] Because the berries are tasty - and they contain more than three times as much vitamin C as blueberries. [6-181] Make a fruit soup from bilberries. [6-182] They have a mild, pleasant taste that resembles gooseberries. [6-183]
[6-184 |] View toward Stavanger and Boknafjorden [6-185]
[6-186] After an uphill incline through wooded and stony terrain, the next lookout point is reached, 420 meters above sea level. [6-187] From here, on a clear day, we can see large portions of Boknafjord and the city of Stavanger farthest to the left - 25 kilometers away. [6-188] In the middle of the fjord are the islands of Bru, Mosterøy and Rennesøy. [6-189] On the mainland to the right, we see a little of the city of Jørpeland. [6-190] If you want to see even more, you should go the summit of Husfjell just to the south of where you are standing. [6-191]
[6-192] The forest has begun to thin out - and the mountain birch has begun to take over. [6-193] The tree line in this part of Norway runs at about 600 meters. [6-194] Farther inland, the tree line is higher; in Eastern Norway it can extend as far up as 1200 meters. [6-195] In Norway it is birch that grows highest up in the mountains. [6-196] During recent years, it appears that the tree line is slowly ascending, probably because of the milder climate. [6-197] Less livestock grazing and reduced lumbering also contributes to the landscape growing over. [6-198] During the course of recent years, we have seen great changes. [6-199]
[6-200 |] Moslifjell Crossroads [6-201] From here, there is a nice round-trip up to the summit of Moslifjell (718 masl). [6-202] This is a good alternative for those of you who don't want to return by the same route from Preikestolen - and who still have the remaining energy. [6-203] The trip goes through woods first, until you come up into gorgeous, open alpine terrain with a view in all directions. [6-204] The Mosli trail merges with the Preikestol trail again at the first vantage point. [6-205] The trip has a difference in altitude of 300 meters - and takes approx. 2 extra hours. [6-206]
[6-207 |] Moose, red deer and roe deer are found here. [6-208] Inside this area, you may be lucky enough to encounter the three types of deer species that live here: moose, red deer and roe deer. [6-209] Along the Preikestol path, there are so many people, as a rule, that the deer shy away. [6-210] But on the trip to Moslifjell, if you take a little detour on your own, you can get closer to the natural surroundings and fauna. [6-211] Even if you don't find live animals, there are often traces of them to be seen. [6-212]
[6-213 |] The Krogebekk Moor [6-214]
[6-215] Large portions of Norway have been covered with moorland. [6-216] We find moors in hollows with abundant precipitation. [6-217] Dead vegetation is not fully broken down because the soil is continually waterlogged and oxygen is unable to contribute to normal decomposition. [6-218] The incomplete decay produces a gas that has a slightly sour odor. [6-219] This results in the characteristic - and quite pleasant - odor of peat. [6-220] Just beneath the upper ground cover, there is a black layer of peat slush composed of the non-decomposed plant debris. [6-221] The peat slush is completely organic - free of sand and stone that would normally be found in other types of soil beneath plants. [6-222] On moors, we find the various types of plants that have adapted to life in a waterlogged environment. [6-223] Footpaths across moors have a tendency to widen; most people do night like to walk in marshy peat. [6-224] We walk beside the slush, and soon the path becomes several meters wide. [6-225] Across the Krogebekk Moor, therefore, a walkway has been built in order to prevent wear and tear and to make the crossing easier for hikers. [6-226] "Corduroy bridges" like this one are built on traditions that are many centuries old. [6-227]
[6-228 |] Dwarf Birch [6-229] Dwarf birch is a small, low-lying shrub that thrives in arid soil. [6-230] It has small rounded leaves that become an intense and beautiful yellowish-red during the fall season. [6-231]
[6-232 |] Frogs [6-233] Frogs live in moors. [6-234] During mating season, you will hear the males attracting the females with croaking noises. [6-235] The females lay several hundred eggs in shallow water. [6-236] The eggs hatch tadpoles, which later develop into frogs. [6-237] The most important source of food is insects and snails. [6-238]
[6-239 |] Dragonflies [6-240] Dragonflies are among the most colorful insects and are easily noticed. [6-241] They are built for stunt flying. [6-242] The wings are attached at to a breast that is chockfull of muscles, and their large, colorfully faceted eyes provide them with a perfect overview of their surroundings. [6-243] They are hunters that feed on flies and small butterflies. [6-245 |] Bog Asphodel [6-246] Bog Asphodel is a small lily that adds color to the moors. [6-247] When it blooms, it turns the moors golden, but as the fruit ripens, it turns reddish green. [6-248] the stems and leaves turn gray gradually, and in the winter, there is a grayish troll-like ambience on the asphodel-covered moors. [6-249] The plant contains a toxin that causes alveld, a skin disease in sheep. [6-250]
[6-251 |] Sundew [6-252] This beautiful moor plant is actually a meat-eater. [6-253] The sundew's beautiful, deep red and shiny color appears to attract many insects. [6-254] The dew droplets in the recesses of the leaves look like water, but insects that land on the plant adhere to the surface and are slowly suffocated. [6-255] Sundews absorb the nutrients in insects in order to obtain the nitrogen they need. [6-256]
[6-257 |] Cotton Grass [6-258] Bog cotton grass is often abundant on moors. [6-259] The white "wool" is not a flower, but rather bristles that serve as a flying aid for the seeds, so that they will be spread far away from the mother plant. [6-260] "The wool" has been used to stuff pillows. [6-261] There are 8 different species of cotton grass in Norway. [6-262] Cotton grass is found in great quantities on moors with acid peat. [6-263]
[6-264 |] The rocky hillside up Neverdal Gorge [6-265]
[6-266 |] The rocky mountainside was formed by the Lysefjord glacier. [6-267] This expansive talus is part of the large lateral moraine that was formed by glaciers about 10 500 years ago. [6-268] Many other places in the mountains of Rogaland - as elsewhere in Norway - there are also large talus deposits, but many of these were created after the Ice Ages, when mountain rock became frozen and fragmented out of the steep mountainsides. [6-269] One is able to see traces of this on the mountainside where the talus stones came from. [6-270] Such talus formations also occur today. [6-271 |] Skorpelav [6-272] Naked mountain rocks and boulders are not as barren as one might first believe. [6-273] Upon closer inspection, one will see that mountain walls and stones have a special plant life of their own. [6-274] Skorpelav grows in a thin layer on rock surfaces. [6-275] Most of these are a part, so to speak, of the mountain they are attached to. [6-276] With the help of chemical agents, the surface of the stone is slightly dissolved so that the plant can set root. [6-277] There are hundreds of species. [6-278] Many of them are just as gray as the stone they grow on; others are easy to see. [6-279] Water is scarce; it runs off the smooth stony surfaces as soon as the rain stops. [6-280] Skorpelav therefore grows slowly, often no more than 0.1 mm per year. [6-281] So if you find a large skorpelav, it may be several hundred or maybe even a thousand years old. [6-282]
[6-283 |] Abandoned mountain farms [6-284]
[6-285] Here in the Neverdal Gorge (540 masl), you will catch your first glimpse of Lysefjord and the Lyse uplands. [6-286] The fork for the path along the northern side of Lysefjord to Bratteli and further on all the way to Lysebotn is here. [6-287]
[6-288] The trail to Preikestolen meanders on a good gravel surface through the talus. [6-289] The many large boulders were deposited here by the Lysefjord glacier about 10 500 years ago. [6-290] During the fall, the dry hillsides around here are turned red by the bearberry and bilberry shrubs. [6-291]
[6-292 |] Farming on mountain ledges [6-293] Lysefjord provides meager opportunities for farming. [6-294] Still, people have managed to carve out an existence on the green patches on the mountainsides and have succeeded in surviving on small farms. [6-295] The mountain also provided supplementary resources through hunting and fishing. [6-296] In Neverdal there was once such a place. [6-297] Even today, one can find the remains of buildings that stood here, but the place was depopulated already before 1900. [6-298] The name comes from sheaves of birch branches that were used to thatch roofs. [6-299] If you follow the path on along Lysefjord, you will find abandoned mountain farms at both Hengjane and Bratteli. [6-300] The Hengjane farm is located just behind Hengjanenibbå, which plunges steeply down into Lysefjord. [6-301] In the 1600's, Hengjane was a mountain pasture holding of the Bratteli farm. [6-302]
[6-303 |] In the mountain forest [6-304]
[6-305] The mountain forest is the last bastion of shelter against the open mountains. [6-306] It is primarily mountain birch and a few rowan trees that grow here. [6-307] Mountain birch is often misformed by heavy snows, making it gnarled and crooked. [6-308] But it remains unbroken and resists until it becomes arched. [6-309] The twisted mountain birch trees have provided inspiration for many a local artist. [6-310] At cabins around the area, many strange figures have been made from mountain birch. [6-311] Burls were once popular for making dishes and bowls. [6-312] If you study the trunk of a mountain birch tree more closely, you will see that many different species grow low on the branches. [6-313] The bark on the lower portion of the trunk is often bare, an indication of how high the snow reached during the winter. [6-314]
[6-315 |] Have a swim in Tjøndane [6-316]
[6-317] Norway is rich in lakes [6-318] Here there are hundreds of thousands of large, medium-sized and small waters, lakes and ponds. [6-319] They are due to the glaciers' hard handed dredging and erosion of the mountain rock over hundreds of thousands of years. [6-320] Such uneven and rugged stony surfaces are found only in countries that have experienced the ice ages. [6-321] Western Norway's abundant rainfall all year long ensures that the lakes never run dry. [6-322]
[6-323] During the summertime, the temperature in shallow lakes like these quickly rise to bathing temperature; the sun warms both the water and the terrain around it. [6-324] There is little chance that you will disturb the fish in these lakes; they lack spawning streams, and besides this, the water has a low pH factor due to acidic rocky soil and acid rain. [6-325]
[6-326] Most water in natural water courses in Norway is potable, provided there is a moving stream in the water and it appears clear and clean. [6-327]
[6-328 |] Bedrock [6-329] The mountain terrain you walk on during your hike to Preikestolen is part of the Norwegian mountain bedrock. [6-330] It consists of acidic granite and gneiss that was formed several kilometers under the crust of the earth about a billion years ago. [6-331] Over millions of years, the ground that lay over today's surface was worn down and removed by eroding forces, such as water, wind, chemical breakup and, of course, glaciers. [6-332]
[6-333 |] Crossroads [6-334 |] 2 trails leading to Preikestolen [6-335] The trail branches off in two directions. [6-336] You may either follow the path to the left and approach Preikestolen along the mountain ledge. [6-337] Here portions of the trail are secured by wooden bridges. [6-338] You can also bear to the right at a newly constructed path and approach Preikestolen over the Neverdal mountain. [6-339] You will then ascend to 645 meters in altitude. [6-340] If you wish, you can take the other trail back, so that it will be a round trip. [6-341] We have described the traditional, left-side trip here. [6-342]
[6-343 |] At the bridges [6-344]
[6-345] At the safety bridges, the mountain plunges steeply down into fertile Neverdal. [6-346]
[6-347 |] Pine forests and sawmills [6-348] It was probably the stands of pine that were the economic basis for most of the farms along Lysefjord, at least from the 1500's onward. [6-349] The forest had grown tall throughout the centuries following the Black Plague. [6-350] Sawmills were built along the waterfalls. [6-351] From the 1600's, the pine lumber from Lysefjord also became an important export product to countries in Europe, where increased shipbuilding demanded good raw materials. [6-352] Several slipways were also constructed at Lysebotn, Håheller and Viga. [6-353] The Lysefjord pine was tall and had high-grade and dense fiber tissue, making it well suited for ship masts. [6-354]
[6-355 |] The mountain ledge along the fjord [6-356]
[6-357] Suddenly you have Lysefjord just below you. [6-358] The last portion of the trip goes across a narrow mountain ledge 600 meters above the fjord. [6-359] Be careful. [6-360] Preikestolen's plateau is approx. 25 meters x 25 meters, and it hangs 604 meters above Lysefjord. [6-361] It got its name when people from Stavanger discovered this distinctive mountain formation almost 100 years ago. [6-362] Locally, it has been known by the descriptive name "Hyvlatonna" - because it resembled the form of the steel blade in a wood planer. [6-363]
[6-364 |] Preikestolen [6-365]
[6-366] many have regarded Preikestolen as a personal challenge. [6-367] Members of the Stavanger Gymnastics Association have done daring handstands on the edge. [6-368] Several years ago, a world famous French artist balanced on a chair that rocked back and forth atop several water tumblers placed at the outer edge of the cliff. [6-369] The Stavanger Symphony has given concerts here; The Preikestol rock is a landmark, and weddings with clergymen and bridal veils have been performed. [6-370] A church service is held at Preikestolen each year. [6-371] But the steep wall is unsuitable for either mountain climbing or base jumping due to loose rock and capricious air buoyancy. [6-372] For these activities, one should instead try one's luck at Kjerag farther into the fjord. [6-373]
[6-374 |] Round-trip trail [6-375] A marked trail leads to the plateau above Preikestolen itself. [6-376] Many have come up here to take photographs. [6-377] The trail continues across Neverdal Mountain and down along the other Preikestol trail next to Tjødane. [6-378]
[6-379 |] What is a fjord? [6-380]
[6-381 |] The Peneplain and Lysefjord [6-382] In front of us, we see several landscapes of different ages. [6-383] The mountains on both sides of Lysefjord are remains from an older landscape - a peneplain (= semi-plain). [6-384] This flat landscape was formed 600 million years ago and lay at that time at sea level. [6-385] Younger rock types may have been pushed across this flat landscape during the Caledonian mountain chain fold 350 million years ago. [6-386] These mountains have since been eroded away, and the plateau landscape was renewed some 60 million years ago. [6-387] Since that time, movements of the earth's crust have raised this flat landscape up to its level today, 7-900 masl. [6-388]
[6-389] The contrast to the deeply recessed valleys and fjords. [6-390] Lysefjord as a landscape form was begun as a river valley after the plateau landscape rose. [6-391] Rainwater, streams and rivers began to do their subversive work. [6-392 |] The work of the glaciers [6-393] Throughout the ice ages - the past 1-2 million years - the river valley was widened into today's u-shaped valley. [6-394] Glaciers have the ability to push outward to the sides as well as dig down deeply. [6-395] They force loose blocks of stone along the sides and under the bottom of the glacier; they scour the bedrock flat and carry most of the loose material away from its original site. [6-396] Glaciers are the most effective creator of landscape forms that exists. [6-397] They demolish, transport and build up new landscapes along the glacier edges. [6-398]
[6-399] Lysefjord is a true fjord, i.e. it is overly deep and has a threshold outermost in the fjord, and it is filled with ocean saltwater. [6-400] The fjord is deepest - 457 meters - at Songesand, where the fjord changes direction.