Kjeragbolten offers one of the most jaw-dropping photo opportunities in Norway! It is a tough hike that leads you to a boulder sandwiched between two cliffs with a sheer drop below. If you’re feeling adventurousu you can even step out onto the boulder! There really is nothing below except a very steep drop so stepping out is not for the faint hearted.
When to go
We hiked Kjeragbolten in mid June and it was perfect! Generally you can hike during the summer months from June-August and even perhaps early September. Even within this period doing the hike cannot be guaranteed as it is very weather dependent. Just 2 days after we hiked it was pouring with rain and not advised to do the hike. Read on to find out why you should not do this hike in bad weather.
When we hiked there weren’t too many other people and so I would really recommend mid-June. The peak months of July and August will be busier however as this is hike is strenuous and less accessible there are fewer people that do attempt to hike Kjeragbolten.
How to get there
The easiest way to get to Kjeragbolten is to drive from Stavanger which takes around 2 hours 30 minutes. The journey itself is beautiful. You’ll find yourself driving along some really high roads where if it’s still cold enough you may be surrounded by snow.
It costs 300NOK to park at the start of the trail, there is a restaurant and toilets here too. It is also free for an hour to drop people off like my parents did. They then jumped back in the car and drove to bottom of the fjord and did a small walk round there.
Who should do the hike
This hike is classified as a strenuous. It has 3 very steep sections where there are actually chains in place to help you climb up and down the rock. That being said, it doesn’t require any technical skills, but a good level of fitness is a must! It is also very dangerous in wet weather, we experienced this first hand…keep reading below to find out what happened.
Given the difficulty of the hike, our parents decided to give this one a miss. This was definitely the right decision, it would’ve taken a lot longer for them. Given we were were climbing Trolltunga a few days later it was best to save themselves for that hike.
What’s the hike like
Visit Norway classifies the hike as a strenuous hike and states that it takes 2.5 hours each way. From the car park, you start off walking up one of the three steep sections of the trail. You may need to use the chains here to help you climb up. This is the most strenuous steep bit so if you can do this, you should be good for the rest of the hike!
Then you’ll start to walk down the valley and we passed this stunning view, where we couldn’t resist taking a photo.
After walking along the valley, you begin the second climb, this climb isn’t too long.
Then you’ll reach the final climb which looks rather large! But once you reach the top, it’s relatively easy until you get to Kjeragbolten. You’ll know you’re there because you’ll see the famous boulder sandwiched between the cliffs.
Remember to look at the amazing waterfall on the left hand side. If you feel brave enough join the queue to stand on the boulder. We risk-assessed before we decided to step out and the boulder is bigger than it looks. However, it is quite scary actually stepping onto and off the boulder so make sure you take your time and don’t rush.
There are several great photo spots when you reach the end of the hike. As you continue walking forward you’ll see a queue in the middle of the main rock of people waiting to step out onto the boulder to get their photo! We spent about 45 minutes on the top. This included taking photos and eating food then it was time to head back.
In total the hike took us about 5 and a half hours to complete. It took a bit longer because on the way down we got hit bad bad weather. Read on to find out what happened.
Check the weather
On our way back about 1 hour 30 minutes into the hike back, we unexpectedly got caught in a hailstorm. The hail stones were size of huge blueberries and were coming down so hard. As it was so warm and sunny in the morning we foolishly didn’t bring our raincoats with us.
We continued to make our way back as quickly as possible however the hail stones had made the rock incredibly slippery. It was lucky that we only had a third of the way to go, there were so many others at the top who also had to make their way back. Going uphill was okay when the rock was wet, but the final descent down was another story. There were about 8 of us who were coming down the final bit. Despite using the chains, every single person slid and fell at several points. We resorted to going off track to find a less slippery route back. At this point I was so thankful my parents hadn’t come on the hike with us.
e finally reached the car park after what felt like the longest 45 minutes coming down. At the bottom, there was a group of people who wanted to start their climb. It was still raining and there was no sign of it stopping, in fact the weather was going to get work. Even the guides at the parking were warning them not to go because of the danger it could cause.
This hike should only be done in good weather. If it is raining or there is poor visibility it is incredibly dangerous. Be sure to check the weather beforehand or look at the Kjeragbolten trail facebook page.
Top tips
- Ensure you wear walking boots. The rock can get very slippery and you’ll need grip on your shoes so walking boots are a must!
- Make sure you take enough food and drink for 6 hours
- Bring layers with you – don’t get caught out like we did, the weather can change drastically so always be prepared
- Remember to bring walking sticks if you need support for your knees
Check out my other posts on how to hike Pulpit Rock
