February 2020
My sole purpose was hiking Preikenstolen in winter. Its not all about hiking in Hawaii here, I promise 🙂 I booked my flight a month in advance and to be honest only fully decided to go and booked everything else 3 weeks in advance. So you don’t really need extensive planning.
This was also a trip I booked entirely on my own. I just think there comes a time in life where you just have to do you. You can’t wait around for a boyfriend or for your friends to be available.
Transport & Accommodation
I flew out on a late Friday evening after work, so I didn’t need to take any time off and therefore landed close to midnight. I had pre-booked a shuttle bus with the company Flybussen which was just over 10 pounds and was literally the first thing you see as soon as you walk out the airport. My hotel was also on the list of drops off so this could be a great indication or guide for where you would like to stay if you are looking for convenience.
I stayed at the Radisson Blu Atlantic as its right in the centre as I was really just after convenience and comfort. It also has a wonderful sauna which is a gift to enjoy after your hike. I found a very cheap flight therefore given I was only staying for a weekend, I could spend a little more on accommodation.
Hiking Preikestolen in Winter
As I mentioned this was a solo trip, and although I might come across as adventurous, I didn’t do the actual hike on my own. I booked the hike through a company Outdoor Norway. I was on the verge of not going because many sites I read said the hiking trail was closed until march due to weather conditions, but lucky enough I found this company.
Boarding the Cruise
You can also book the hike paired with a cruise which I highly recommend. Honestly its amazing, the views and experience are unreal. Check out my instagram page for more pictures and videos.
Given the time of the year, the weather was certainly not predictable. In fact when I woke up in Stavanger, it was raining very heavily and the prediction of rain was 90% for the rest of the day. However, I travelled all the way to Norway just for this hike. There was no turning back now!
Once on Board
Once the boat took off, the weather had cleared up and the sun even came out for a little bit. This quickly changed as soon as we went through the bridge in the water. I think this is the official entrance into the Fjords, so exciting. In the very moment we were approaching the bridge, you could see this heavy white cloud that brought hail with it.
The sights on this journey were just breath taking, so many small and big waterfalls. It really does make it easy to understand why Norway is so well known for the high quality of their water.
Do remember to use the toilet as much as possible before leaving the boat.
Gearing up for the hike
I think it took about an hour or two to get to our destination. Once the hikers stop is announced, this is the first moment you meet your fellow hikers (there was 4 of us). We got off the boat and our guide was waiting for us. He drove us to the “Hikers Cafe” were you could rent out any required hiking gear, or change into anything you brought!!! Its a lovely spot over looking the Fjords.
Things to take: A waterpoof coat & trousers, a fleece and hiking boots. Make sure your top is not cotton as this retains your sweat. Therefore making you feel cold, especially when you stop moving. A backpack with snacks, water and maybe some additional layers. A flask that retains hot tea. Trust me when you are up in the freezing mountains there is no better feeling than a sip of hot tea.
Let the hike to Preikestolen begin
There is a great sign at the start of the hike that gives you a good understanding of what is to come. Good indication of distance and height.
After the first ascent of the trail (1 km) it started hailing. This was exciting as I was hoping for a completely different scenery to what I was used to. I cannot help but think that the lack of snow was a consequence of global warming.
In terms of difficulty, I personally would not consider this a difficult hike at all. I think it took us about 2 hours at a steady pace. The most exciting part was the constant weather change.
We started the hike in the afternoon so we were literally the only ones there. This implied our return would be in darkness. Yup, we needed head torches. Fuuuuuun!
This was such a great hike to do during this time of the year. You really do feel like you are on Mars, a distant world to your daily reality.
The higher we got the more snow we found, which made me very happy of course 🙂
And of course the most awaited photo of the whole hike. We were so lucky to get this visibility. The weather was really insane, changed about a hundred times. The best thing is that just as we finished taking our pictures a storm came in, well more like a blizzard.
Perks of going on this hike with a qualified local guide. You can just enjoy the journey and not have to worry about safety as much because they know what they are doing and really reassure you. Outdoor Life Norway I do want to make it clear I’m not sponsored by them, just a genuinely satisfied customer 🙂