Kjeragbolten
A five-cubic-metre boulder wedged in a crevice with a 984-metre vertical drop to the Lysefjord below. You step onto it unsecured, or you do not.
The facts
| Elevation | 1084 m |
| Coordinates | 59.0342, 6.5944 |
| Time to allow | 7 h |
What to see
- Kjeragbolten Hike
12 kilometres and 800 metres of ascent over three ridges, with chains on the steep sections. - Øygardstøl Viewpoint
- Kjerag BASE Activity
The wall down to the Lysefjord is 1,000 metres sheer, and one of the world's most used BASE-jumping sites.
The walk
| Time to allow | 6–8 h |
| Distance | 12 km |
| Ascent | 800 m |
| Difficulty | krevende |
| Season | June to September. The access road is closed in winter, and the hike needs a guide and winter kit out of season. |
6–8 hours round trip over three steep ridges, 800 metres of ascent in total, with chains to hold on to. Turn back in fog: the path runs along drops, and the last hundred metres are sloping rock. Start before ten.
In winter
The road to Øygardstøl closes for the winter, normally October to May, and the route over the three chain sections is an avalanche-exposed winter climb when it does go. Treat Kjerag as out for the winter.
Month by month
| Month | Daylight | Day high | Wet days | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7 h | -4.3 °C | 19 | Closed |
| February | 9.3 h | -4.5 °C | 16 | Closed |
| March | 11.8 h | -2.6 °C | 17 | Closed |
| April | 14.5 h | 1.1 °C | 15 | Closed |
| May | 16.9 h | 5.6 °C | 16 | Closed |
| June | 18.5 h | 10.3 °C | 16 | Open |
| July | 17.8 h | 12.9 °C | 18 | Open |
| August | 15.5 h | 12.2 °C | 18 | Open |
| September | 12.9 h | 8.6 °C | 17 | Open |
| October | 10.3 h | 3.6 °C | 18 | Closed |
| November | 7.7 h | -0.9 °C | 18 | Closed |
| December | 6.2 h | -3.4 °C | 19 | Closed |
Background
Kjeragbolten (English: Kjerag Bolt) is a boulder on the mountain Kjerag in the eastern part of Sandnes Municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The rock itself is a 5-cubic-metre (180 cu ft) glacial deposit wedged in a large crevice in the mountain. It is a popular tourist destination and is accessible without any climbing equipment.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
On these routes
- Stavanger–Bergen — The Pulpit Rock, Kjeragbolten and Trolltunga on one route — the three hikes people come to Norway for, and not one of them has a road to it.