Preikestolen, Norway

 At the end of July, John & Ann found themselves in Stavanger with a day to kill before the start of the third and final race of the Tall Ships' Races 2011. What better than an easy short dander up to the Pulpit Rock, one of the biggest tourist attractions in the Stavanger region? We were fortunate to be staying with Karl, who provided excellent hospitality and a handy drive to the start of the walk.



Lysefjord, with Pulpit Rock just in the cloud to the L



Being a Friday we were expecting it to be not too busy but how wrong we were. When we arrived mid-morning we were banished to the overflow car park and that was just the start of it. In common with many Norwegian mountain paths, the route is more of a marked way than anything constructed. That, combined with the number of people and limited overtaking opportunities, made it more of a slowly moving queue than a walk in the normal sense.



Busy Busy Busy



Dramatic scenery on the way



Pulpit Rock, and a lot of visitors



Interesting section of the path


Still, we persevered and progress to our goal was somewhat below Naismith pace. Although only about 4 km and 300 m ascent it took about 2.5 hours. Luckily the early morning cloud had lifted and we got some great views. Certainly worth its status, but loses some marks for being far too busy. Having opted not to take the BASE-jumping kit the route down took about as long as the ascent, but it was great to be out in the Norwegain mountains again after a five year break.

A wander in Carpathia

The 'main drag' of the local village

Village shacks, many have outdoor toilets.

They are well stocked-up for winter!

Greetings one and all from the remote wilds of the Carpathian mountains, Ukraine. I have been working here for the past month and this was the first weekend that clement weather conditions allowed me to venture from the valley up into the hills. Tired of the dusty tracks and lada-dodging, I wandered up into the forests to see what I could see!

Farming landscapes in the valley

I am in the west of the country, close to the Romanian border. The nearest city is Muchachevo and the local services consist of a few shops that serve out of date crisps and, of course, as much vodka as you can drink. Thankfully my wanderings in the hills didn't involve close encounters with the mature Ukranian gentry (like last time...), but allowed me to spend a few quiet hours admiring the alpine views and chasing the local wildlife. Thankfully, I managed to avoid the kind that would chase me...

Lack of maps meant that I was wandering blind and had no idea what the hills were called or how high I was, but tramping up through the forest was a lovely way to spend the afternoon away from camp.

Forestry tracks used by the locals to collect wood to heat

their wooden shacks in the long harsh Ukranian winters

This is where the wood ends up

I followed the ski lifts until they intersected with tracks that took me deep into the forest. Cover was broken by beautiful grassy meadows, filled with wild flowers. Side tracks led me into the woods where paths disappeared into thick bush. Obviously the local foresters weren't as nervous of the lynx and bears as I was! I saw no signs of these wild beasts, although colleagues here have reported lynx sightings and we have been warned about the animals. While I didn't really believe they would be a threat... I did take my walking stick... and a whistle... just in case...

Wild flower meadows

Eventually, cover was broken and I enjoyed views of the surrounds from the top of one of the hills. The forested slopes and farming landscapes looked beautiful from above and I was pleased to have braved the heat to enjoy a quiet moment away from the bustle of camp. So, with a smile on my face, I trudged back to the valley. I was just in time for dinner.. which is not really worth mentioning. If you doubt, just google 'Ukranian delicacies...' YUCK!

Carpathia is beautiful, but I miss bonnie Scotland...