Hiking Kjerag – A Heart Pumping Adventure in Norway

“Stand straight, arms up, smile. Show confidence, strength, and most of all, bravery. You’re a conqueror of your worst fears, ready for any challenge”.

That’s what I’m telling myself anyway. It’s the image we all try to portray in that fleeting moment atop a metre-wide hunk of rock precariously suspended 984 metres above a fjord. Of course like most things, the reality is somewhat different.

Welcome to Kjeragbolten, the ‘summit’ of the famed Kjerag hike in Norway.

Cut back to reality: Gut-churning, leg-shaking, bowel-loosening, ever-so-slightly nauseating. That’s what it’s really like to stand on the Kjerag boulder.

If you can keep the contents of your stomach where they should be, you’ll remember this moment for the rest of your life. You’ll remember the moment if you don’t as well, but not for the same reasons.

Either way, if you want this adrenaline rush, you’re going to have to work for it.

The Kjerag hike is a roughly ten-kilometre round trip that traverses the Lysefjord in south-western Norway. It ascends some 800 metres in altitude along the way via three, ever more challenging climbs.

If I had my time again, I’d wild camp halfway along the Kjerag hike and enjoy the snow-capped mountain views, picture-perfect glacier ponds, beautiful deep green valleys, and rugged wilderness at my leisure.

In fact, there are a few times on the way up and back when all I want to do is crawl into one of the tents we pass and curl up for a while to stave off the exhaustion.

But when you’re not hauling yourself up steep slopes with the help of a chain, leaping across glacial streams, or trying to stay upright as you inch down a smooth granite rock face, the views on the Kjerag hike more then compensate for the nagging inner voice telling you to turn back now.

Unless you give in to the temptation for a little nap in a random tent, you’ll eventually find yourself at the hike’s ‘summit’, in a queue of people wearing their best nonchalant faces, waiting for their moment to leap onto the famous Kjeragbolten. Or turn back at the last moment.

In fact, it’s the queuing that’s the worst: plenty of time to talk yourself out of it.

When the guy before me opts for sensible and leaves the line, I’m sorely tempted to follow. But Dan’s already made the big leap by this stage, so there’s no going back. I can’t very well give her sole bragging rights.

So there I am, near the front of the queue, trying desperately not to look over the edge at the sheer drop in front of me.

I’m talking myself into it, reminding myself that it hasn’t ended badly for anyone – at least that’s what I’m told. I’m ready, just one more person and then it’s my turn. They aren’t in any hurry though, it seems they’re actually enjoying their moment on the boulder. The doubts creep in again.

I’m thinking if this is the last thing I ever do, then at least it’s been an incredible journey to get here.

The day started bright and early with a captivating 42-kilometre ferry ride from Lauvvik through a rugged, weather-beaten, glacier-carved landscape formed during the last ice age.

Cruising past the immense waterfalls and high peaks of the Lysefjord, including the square, flat topped peak of Pulpit Rock that we hiked to just days earlier, we made our way into the heart of fjord country.

Once off the ferry, drivers are put to the test on Lysevegen Road, a winding trail of tight mountain switchbacks considered to be one of the most perilous roads in the world. Or the most spectacular, depending on your perspective.

We’d survived the drive, and the three epic climbs of the Kjerag hike. Now it was just the boulder ahead.

So here we go. Two steps forward, grab a metal hook in the rock face with my trembling, sweaty forefinger, edge myself around a corner a couple of feet wide, try not to look down at the thousand-metre fall that awaits if I stuff this up, take a deep breath, and half step, half jump onto the boulder.

And then I’m in my gold medal-winning stance, trying to convince Dan and the large crowd watching that I’m all over this.

While leaping on to the Kjeragbolten is a truly extraordinary experience, many people undertake the Kjerag hike without resorting to this slightly mad finale. For the record, the views from around the boulder are equally spectacular.

With or without the boulder dash though, the achievement of the trek and the sense of awe you get from being in such a truly beautiful landscape makes the Kjerag hike an absolute highlight of a visit to this part of Norway.

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Good to know

Getting there

The Kjerag hike skirts the Lysefjord in Norway’s south-west, a day-trip from Stavanger by car (check out Visit Norway for essential info).

Our journey to and from the Kjerag hike trailhead was as much a highlight as the trek itself. To get there, we drove from Stavanger to Lauvvik and took the car ferry to Lysebotn, a spectacular trip along the length of the Lysefjord. From the ferry it’s a thrilling drive up the side of the mountain along the switchbacks of Lysevegen Road.

Parking at the Kjerag carpark (Øygardstøl) is NOK300 for the day. After the hike, loop back to Stavanger by road via the Fv500 and Fv450, a route that passes through some absolutely mind-blowing mountain and valley scenery.

When to go

The Kjerag hike is best undertaken during summer, between June and September. In winter the trail is considered too dangerous, and the road to the trailhead is closed due to snow. It’s also worth bearing in mind that there are many steep and slippery sections that would be quite treacherous in wet weather.

Be prepared

Kjerag is a challenging hike; there are a number of steep sections where chains are bolted for helping with the climbs up and down. A reasonable level of fitness is of benefit. As with any mountain hike, be ready for all kinds of weather and wear decent walking shoes. Carry enough food and water as the return trip can take anything from four to six hours or more, depending on conditions, fitness levels and time at the top.

It took us around two hours each way, and we spent around two hours at the Kjeragbolten ‘summit’, which included half an hour each of queuing to get on the boulder itself (!!).

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