Cover Photo: Robbert van der Gaag
Text: Debra van der Lem and Mésange/Auxane Bolanz
Edit: Mike Dent
After a night of not too much sleep and a quick breakfast, many International Service Team (IST) headed towards the buses, which would take them to the foot of Preikestolen.
Of course we were given something fun to kill time and to get to know new faces we hadn’t seen before: Bingo!
Not everyone had the same bingo card, but some of the tasks on it were: Take a picture with 5 people hugging a tree, jump in the air with 4 people at the same time and learn how to count to ten in Norwegian.
By the time we arrived, half of the card had been filled and we set out on a very steep path to cover the 500 metres towards the top of Preikestolen. The 4 km long one-way track had loads of big steps, narrow passages and nice spots to sit down and admire the view. Fortunately, there were some wooden paths over soggy areas to prevent your shoes from drowning.
Starting the walk with 150 IST at the same time meant some sort of a chase for the first 500 metres or so. Running uphill isn’t something for everyone so most IST fell back to a personal pace towards the top, but personal records were set. It was rather warm and sunny on Wednesday and not everyone made it to the top. Even if you couldn’t make that far, you could still find breathtaking scenery along the track. On Thursday it was more cloudy and temperatures were more reasonable. Luckily the views were just as beautiful.
Halfway we met two people with blue vests to check whether we had eaten and drunk enough, had rain protection with us and made sure we were okay. They were there on the way back as well, but there were also enough IST with blue vests walking to the top to check everyone’s well-being.
There were stunning views from the top of the mountains far beyond the blue water of the Lysefjord and many stood in line to take in the environment from the point of the rock. Like most, we had our lunch up there, although it was the windiest spot of all the trip.
With two hours left to spare before the buses would leave, it was time to head back. It was surprising to realise how much height we had actually covered on our way to the top. Getting back where we started we found out the café and gift shop had opened while we were away. It was a good moment to treat ourselves to some well-deserved drinks and a souvenir like a badge or pin. The bus ride back was used to take a nap by many or finish the bingo card.
