From Stavanger we sailed a short leg to Jørpeland. The town is well suited as a starting point for a visit to Preikestolen: bus and taxi connections to the base camp are straightforward and reliable.
The weather on the day of the hike was anything but inviting. Low cloud, changing light and occasional rain showers accompanied the ascent. Yet it was precisely these conditions that gave the rock formation and the Lysefjord a special, almost mystical atmosphere. When we reached the top, we were far from alone despite the weather…
Preikestolen is a rock plateau rising almost vertically some 604 metres above the Lysefjord and is one of Norway’s best-known natural landmarks. The hike up to the plateau is well maintained, but still requires sure-footedness and a reasonable level of fitness.
The following day the weather showed a more favourable side. We set off and passed Preikestolen and the Whisky Falls, heading deep into the Lysefjord as far as Lysebotn. The berth there demanded our full attention for the first two to three hours: there was very little water under the keel. We monitored the depth continuously and compared it with the tide tables. When things became critical, we warped Anori a little further and remained ready to leave again at any moment if necessary. In the end, everything worked out – just enough.
In the fjords, the saying holds true: the journey is the destination. Accordingly, we set off again the very next morning, heading out through the fjord past Lindøy and on towards Haugesund. At last, this was a passage we were able to sail entirely under sail.
In Haugesund the weather remained changeable, but we enjoyed a pleasant and inspiring exchange with a young Dutch crew – encounters like these are very much part of what travelling under sail means to us.
Our next destination was Bergen, with a stopover in Kolbeinshamn. The small, very idyllic natural harbour with two floating pontoons provided a quiet end to the day. In the evening we went for a short walk ashore before setting off the next morning on the final leg to Bergen.
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