Koningsdam pulpit rock hike

[ipoder]

Has anyone been on this ship excursion in Stavanger this summer? I'm curious to find out how crowded the ship excursion is. Wonder how popular it is.

[OlsSalt]

Has anyone been on this ship excursion in Stavanger this summer? I'm curious to find out how crowded the ship excursion is. Wonder how popular it is.

 

We did the hike last May/June on the Zuiderdam. I did a thread on it that I will try to find. Crowding itself was not the problem; crowding the hike into the allotted time was the problem is you are not very young and fit. (Alas)

 

There were a lot early drop outs along the way, a few (the young ones) that got to the top and had time to enjoy (no views that day due to fog and rain) and a few of us (older) who almost got to the top, but had to turn back due to the strict time constraints.

 

It is just as hard going down as it was up so this drop-dead turnaround time must be honored to meet the ferry schedules back to the ship.

[OlsSalt]

Here is the prior thread from last June 2016 on the Pulpit Rock hike when we did it on the Zuiderdam: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2367870

 

It is worth doing even though it was extremely tough and I never got to the top - it was an opportunity not to pass up to have least tried.

 

Had the weather been better, had better hiking boots (I used LLB waterproof walking shoes not good enough) and time constraints not been so tight I would have made it. I also used a single hiking pole which for me was absolutely critical. (Age 72)

[FearTheFrog]

I am 43 and did it with my husband (same age) and 9 year old son. We left my 7 year old daughter back with my mother and they did a less strenuous excursion that day.

 

There were 3-4 buses of passengers who purchased this through the ship. There were others who put together multiple legs of transportation to do it on their own. This is one that I would recommend spending the extra money to ensure you make it back to the ship!

 

As for the hike... they allow 2 hours up and 2 hours down. The busses actually dropped us perhaps 1/4 mile up the trail via a short cut for the hike up (ha more bonus of purchasing through the ship!). This is a HUGE blessing as that lowest leg of the hike is very steep. You do take the trail all the way down so plan for that.

 

While we were on the shortcut trail we all filed single or double file. Everyone was at a decent pace and while a few passed I think most were comfortable with the pace. Because we got to the hike early in the day, there were not yet people coming down the mountain.

 

Once we got to the main trail things opened up a bit- in places- and there was room to pass. Most people who were a little slower were aware and allowed others to pass. There were some who were unaware and yes, it did clog things up.

 

For us, it wasn't the crowds that were the problem. Our day, like many others, was rainy. We prepared and all had waterproof hiking boots (a must) and waterproof rain jackets (strongly recommended). Other people were in tennis shoes and CARRYING UMBRELLAS. For the love of humanity please do NOT walk with an open umbrella. This was such a hazard for everyone around. If you don't have a waterproof jacket please just make peace with getting wet. The umbrellas took up so much space, and I was jabbed in the eye more times than I care to count. It also prevented passing.

 

You are allowed 2 hours up and 2 hours down. Our guides were along the trail to let people know about the time frame. The day that we went thunderstorms were predicted for the time that we would be on the hike. We went up as fast as we could to increase the chances that we made it to the top. We had been warned that at the first sound of thunder everyone would be required to turn around exactly where they were. We made it up in 1:40. My husband runs marathons, the 9 year old essentially bounced his way up and I was the slowest. We did not stop to rest at all.

 

The aspect that I wasn't mentally prepared for is that this hike is not the dirt trail type of hike that we are used to doing. You are walking on rocks essentially 80% of the time. Some of the rocks are flattened out and create stair cases... many, many stair cases... but others are just like walking on big cobblestones for an hour on end. There is very little time where your feet are flat in a typical gait. Strong ankles and good balance is essential. You will be looking down at your feet the entire hike, ensuring good footing. (see reference about umbrellas being a hazard for this very reason!)

 

Even if you don't make it up there are several lovely outlooks along the way. We also saw people of all ages and physical ability during the hike. It wasn't easy but it was a bucket list type of thing and we are so glad that we did it.

 

You can google image the hike portion to see what I am referencing with walking on the rocks. It doesn't fully do it justice but can give you a general idea if it is worth trying.

 

Best of luck! It is a great excursion and perhaps our best memory from our 2 week cruise!

[OlsSalt]

........

The aspect that I wasn't mentally prepared for is that this hike is not the dirt trail type of hike that we are used to doing. You are walking on rocks essentially 80% of the time.

 

Some of the rocks are flattened out and create stair cases... many, many stair cases... but others are just like walking on big cobblestones for an hour on end. There is very little time where your feet are flat in a typical gait.

 

Strong ankles and good balance is essential. You will be looking down at your feet the entire hike, ensuring good footing. (see reference about umbrellas being a hazard for this very reason!)

....!

 

Congratulations on getting to the top. And thank you for your very good description of the terrain. I titled my own review "Every step had to be negotiated" but you put that title into a far better word picture.

 

This also is why I needed the walking stick - as one often rotated around on top of curved stone with very little contact point, that was also slippery because of the rain. Though another blogger complained when it was dry there was grit on the rocks that made it like little ball-bearings and just as slippery.

 

So in my case I had to plant my walking stick then plant one foot ahead, twist it a bit to ensure I had a secure foot grip and then move the other foot. Over and over and over again - up and down.

 

Some of us did slip and fall as the rain made the rocks slick and even on the more open rock faces too. My biggest problem was not having enough sock layers to keep my foot from sliding around inside my LL Bean walking shoes. So another tip for the casual walker is to make sure your foot is very snug inside what ever shoe you choose.

 

Being a sidewalk - regular trail walker I had not known the importance of this necessary snugness until I started rolling around inside my shoes. However, I suspect there were young people who did this hike in flip-flops, so to each their own.

 

I got to love the stairs better simply because they were canted inwards so you had better balance on them, but they had such height between them they were not an easy pace to hike either.

 

Again ...each step had to be negotiated .. I guess unless you are 9 years old, have no adult fears and are a lot closer to the ground if you stumble. :cool:

 

Very good tip about the umbrellas. I would take one anyway but to use only if you are resting somewhere off the trail. A hooded rain/wind breaker is the far better option. With a bill or separate visor, so you can still see when the hood it up.

 

We did take a prolonged break at one point and had to negotiate whether we would continue or not, which is probably also why we ultimately ran out of time and did not make it too the top. So that is a good tip too - plan on few to no breaks if you want the maximum time to get to the top and back.

 

I looked at as many photos and websites I could find before to see what other hikers were wearing and one did see the whole range from sturdy hiking books to athletic shoes - but these photos naturally were mainly on sunny days. And younger people.

 

Hard to devote that much space and weight in a suitcase to hiking boots for a one day adventure, but if one is serious about this hike, it is a very reasonable consideration to make.

 

Agree, it was a highlight of this trip and glad it is still not on my bucket list. Each year now means we may never have been able to do it any longer. (Sigh)

[Quincy1016]

Has anyone been on this ship excursion in Stavanger this summer? I'm curious to find out how crowded the ship excursion is. Wonder how popular it is.

 

I hiked to the top of Pulpit Rock this past August when I was on the

Serenade of the Seas. I would guess it is the same excursion which

transports you to the trailhead. I was told it was about 2hrs. up and

then down. It was a good drizzle so the boulders were wet and a few

rocks were sheer and quite slick. Going down required caution too.

Needless to say the hike was slow so I didn't spend too long on top.

It was awesome and I did get some pictures. I would recommend

the excursion if you are fit and have some hiking experience. Carol

[Karennella]

My husband did the hike in May and we were lucky that we had perfect weather on all four days we were in Norway. As he recalls there was one bus load of people and most made it to the top with plenty of time to spare. He thinks they had almost an hour at the top but of course it would be quicker in fine weather. Also they returned to the ship very late, well after the designated departure time. Perhaps the ferry schedule was different as it was before the main tourist season. My husband is late sixties, reasonably fit as he plays golf, usually walking the course,three times a week ( all year round here)