Sogndalstrand to a layby on route 13!

So, a brief update on what turned out to be a bit of a sad day. Me and Rachel had a wonderful breakfast at tiny Madland Harbour, still on the southeast coast, before heading north and inland to meet up with Carey & Mark to climb Preikostolen. A tourist trap but still a 'proper' 4km hike up, up, up to a flat 'Pulpit Rock' that overhangs Lysefjord.
To travel there, we left the zig-zag, ups and downs of the day before, and drove through attractive farmland towards some impressive mountains bordering the fjords, inland from Stavanger.
The meeting point worked well, in the base camp car park, so we set off after a shared lunch, up the steep trail in warm but breezy sunshine.
Sadly, just 150m short of the actual flat rock outcrop, a couple of hours in, we were stopped by trail staff, along with about 100 others,
A climber only a few hours before us had slipped and fallen over the edge, 200+ metres. No one was then allowed to complete the climb, which was along a narrow ledge and around a corner that led to the viewpoint. It was known to be a tricky spot when busy.
We learned later that it was a fatal fall, an accident, and he had been in a small group.
We watched as the helicopter and rescue people arrived but then were forced to head down, somewhat saddened by the events.
So some attached photos recall the terrific highs of the day, tinged somewhat with sadness.
Currently, we are now in an overnight layby on Route 13, overlooking a lovely fjord.Read more