A landscape surrounded by rugged mountains with sharp domes and suddenly, a completely flat rocky clearing rises in the Lysefjorden fjord in . In the middle of the sharp peaks that make up the fjord, the flat surface seems to have been carved by giants who gave shape to the cliff. Its about Pulpit or Preikestolen, which receives that name because it literally resembles a pulpit.
Preikestolen in Norway
Located in the seafront Ryfylke district of northern Norway, Lysefjorden rises 604 meters from the sea surface. But this one is different from other f, since it has an almost perfectly square shaped cliff called the Norwegian Pulpit. Located almost exactly on the opposite side of the Kjeragbolten rock, very close to the city of Stavanger.
The upper part of the Pulpit resembles a platform 25 meters long by 25 meters wide. The plain rises 604 meters from the sea surface and anything thrown from there will descend in free fall until it collides with the ground. It is not known with certainty what conditions caused the strange-looking geological formation, but scholars believe that in the past it may have been used as a sacred site for pagan religious ceremonies.
Today it is a natural place where hikers come to look at the amazing landscape and the more adventurous climb to the cliff to practice BASE jumping, an extreme sport that is reputed to be the most dangerous in the world.
The hiking trip from the nearest parking lot lasts approximately two hours. The trail begins at 270 meters above sea level, from there you go through numerous ridges and descents that finally take you to a height of 604 meters, the maximum at which the cliff is located.
The difference in elevation is only 334 meters, but the route to reach the cliff will be much longer due to the ridges that must be negotiated, although it must be said that the path is perfectly prepared and does not require preparation in hiking, any person with a moderately good condition can make the ascent.
A total of 7.6 kilometers are traveled by visitors to Preikestolen, 3.8 kilometers one way and another 3.8 kilometers until returning to the starting point. In total, it takes an average person at a normal pace 2 hours to go up and the same amount to go down, although we must add the time they will spend admiring the sublime landscape.
Once you reach the top of the cliff, you will have at your feet the Norwegian sea and the immensity of the fjord with mountains covered in dark green, reminding you that the planet is alive and its landscapes are simply amazing.