The day I hiked the Pulpit Rock. Preikestolen was a breakthrough experience for me. O dia em que subi a Pedra do Púlpito foi um divisor de águas pra mim.

Pulpit Rock or Preikestolen is one of the most popular rocks in Norway. It has been crowned one of the most spectacular viewpoints by CNN Go and Lonely Planet. The rock is 640 meters over Lysefjord, a beautiful fjord in Norway’s Southwest coast. People from all over the world come specially in the Summer to hike Pulpit Rock. High season is April-October.

When I moved to Norway, I heard a lot about Preikestolen and its unique shape and breathtaking view. It seemed like normal people (non athletes) could hike it and come back in one piece.

Would I ever be able to hike to Pulpit Rock? There was an obstacle for me to achieve this new dream: my Achilles tendon injury (my ankle). Every year, the inflammation used to come back. Hiking to Pulpit Rock seemed like mission impossible. And actually Tom Cruise climbs the Pulpit Rock in Mission Impossible 6 Fallout. I remember hearing his crew’s helicopter in November 2017.

The turning point that changed my life was the amazing physiotherapist I found in Stavanger, Lene Authen https://www.linkedin.com/in/lene-authen-a22b084a/. She made me see my Achilles problem from another perspective. Instead of avoiding exercising and taking anti inflammatories, I’d build up my muscles’ strength. We had a plan and a long way to go. For the first time in years, I dared to go beyond.

In June 2014, my husband and I decided to hike Pulpit Rock.
Hiking up takes about two hours and the same on our way back. We had sandwiches, water and fruit in our backpack. We wore wool as first layer (as it is a good sweat absorber and regulates body temperature), windproof waterproof clothing and hiking boots. I had braids because of the wind. One more thing I learned form Norwegians: braids are a smart and popular choice when doing outdoor activities. Nobody wants to eat their own hair while making their way up to Preikestolen. And of course, as a good Brazilian, I had sunscreen.

We saw tourists from everywhere and heard different languages. There were people from all ages and all levels of hiking experience. Most of them had running shoes or hiking boots, but I was quite shocked to see people in flip flops. It was harder for them to hike, I could tell.

Somewhere halfway I felt tired and needed a pause. Many people did that too. The Juliana from 2014 thought it was hard. Some steps are high. Tough the hiking is not steep all the time. There are flat stretches along the trail. It’s narrow sometimes. It’s a big flow of people. Keep in mind to follow your own pace. Step aside and take a break whenever you need. Listen to your body.

My check list for you:

1. Good running shoes or hiking boots.
2. Light, breathable clothes under a windproof jacket. We wore wool because it was still cold in the Spring.
3. Sunscreen, sunglasses and caps.
4. Water and food (sandwiches, granola bars, fruits).
5. No hurry. Take breaks. Breath with your tummy.
6. Plan ahead, check the weather forecast for temperature and wind conditions.

Reaching the top was awesome. I had butterflies in my stomach when we were about to reach that famous top of the rock. I was afraid to fall and was unsure if I’d dare get closer to the edges. To my surprise, the closer I got, the safer I felt. What a beautiful view! More important than reaching the top, the whole experience gave me so much courage and confidence. Confidence in my muscles, my capacity to overcome obstacles. And I felt more integrated to the Norwegian lifestyle. By the way, I highly recommend you wear wool base layer and socks like these They are the best at regulating our feet temperature and absorbing the sweat. Perfect for hiking and keeping our feet warm when it’s cold. We have tons of them at home. 

We plan to go hiking Preikestolen this year. What about you? I’d love to hear you stories. Did you like this post? Please share with your friends. 🙂

A famosa Pedra do Púlpito fica a 604 metros de altura, à beira do fiorde chamado Lysefjorden, no meu estado Rogaland. Saindo de Stavanger, leva menos de uma hora de carro ou ônibus. Eu sempre tinha ouvido falar desse local, dessa vista maravilhosa, e que pessoas normais como eu poderiam subir e voltar inteiras. Daí comecei a sonhar. Sempre costumo criar sonhos novos pra mim, principalmente quando a vida muda de curso.

Curiosidade. A Preikestolen fez parte do filme Missão Impossível 6. Tom Cruise e equipe foram lá de helicóptero filmar, em novembro de 2017. Você pode ver a Pedra do Púlpito nas cenas finais do filme.

Minha missão impossível. Havia um impedimento para que eu fizesse essa caminhada. Meu calcanhar de Aquiles. Eu sofria com inflamações todos os anos. Jamais havia tentado uma caminhada desafiadora assim antes.

Divisor de águas. Conheci uma fisioterapeuta que mudou totalmente a minha maneira de tratar o tendão de Aquiles. Em vez de tomar antiinflamatórios e evitar exercícios, desta vez eu iria fortalecer meus músculos em volta e construir assim, uma proteção natural. Lene Authen é o nome da minha fisioterapeuta salvadora.

Em 2014, meu marido e eu resolvemos subir a Pedra do Púlpito. A caminhada completa dura umas quatro horas no total, ida e volta. Vimos turistas de várias partes do mundo pelo caminho. Adultos, idosos e crianças. De atletas com botas supersônicas de tracking a pessoas inexperientes que usavam chinelos. Ouvimos todos os idiomas que pudemos identificar.

O caminho não é inclinado o tempo todo. Há trechos planos pela trilha . Há também trechos em que as pedras são altas e lugares estreitos. O fluxo de turistas é grande. Importante não se deixar levar ou se sentir pressionado a seguir o mesmo ritmo. Ouça seu corpo, siga seu próprio ritmo. Lá pelo meio da subida, eu me senti cansada e sentei pra descansar e beber água. Muita gente fez o mesmo. Pra quem não é acostumado, é bom fazer pausas.

Chegar ao topo foi maravilhoso! Melhor do que eu imaginava. Quando estava quase chegando, senti um frio na barriga, medo de olhar pra baixo, de cair. Porém, assim que realmente chegamos no topo, o medo acabou. Foi só alegria e deslumbramento. Eu me aproximei da beirada, cheguei a deitar ali perto. Essa vivência me deu confiança em mim mesma, na minha capacidade. Trouxe também uma sensação de integração à cultura norueguesa.

Minha lista básica pra quem vai caminhar até a Pedra do Púlpito:

1. Use calçados apropriados. Bom tênis de corrida ou botas de tracking.
2. Roupas leves de algodão ou lã (nada sintético) e uma jaqueta à prova de vento.
3. Óculos de sol, protetor solar e boné
4. Água e comida. (sanduíches, barrinha de cereal, frutas)
5. Sem pressa. Faça pausas. Respire pelo abdômen.
6. Planeje com antecedência. Cheque informações e a previsão do tempo.

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