nature – Wesam Taleb

If you’re looking for life changing and (slightly) life risking hikes, then hiking to Kjeragbolten and Preikestolen are for you.

Both located in Southern Norway, the closest major city to these hiking locations is Stavanger, Norway. To get there from Oslo, you could drive (7.5 hours), take a train (9 hours) or fly (45 mins). The city itself is beautiful, but that’s not our topic today.

Kjeragbolten: The hike to the boulder

Best time to visit: June-September
Equipment needed: Good hiking shoes
Total climbing time: 7-8 hours
Difficulty rating: Strenuous

Make sure you start this hike early so you can make it back down before it gets dark. If you’re using google maps, set your directions to “Kjerag parking”. The drive from Stavanger to the trailhead of the Kjeragbolten hike took a little over 2 hours. That sounds like a long drive but the two hours go by very quickly with the amazing views on the way.

Once you arrive, there’s a big parking lot and you have to pay a small fee for parking. There’s also a small restaurant/shop there that has snacks, jackets, beanies and anything else you might have forgotten to bring – but be warned the shop is a bit overpriced.

The hike took 7 hours total and was very strenuous so you have to be in good shape to do it. We went on this hike in September and there were light rain showers during most of the hike. Don’t care about actually getting on the boulder? you should do this hike anyway because the views are worth it.

Make sure to take plenty of water and snacks as well (only if you want to come back down consciously). Did I mention that the views are phenomenal? That’s one thing that will definitely help you survive this hike, the gorgeous views.

At the top of the mountain, you’ll reach the final milestone: the boulder. On the way up we asked people hiking back down if they went on the boulder, the ratio was about 50% yes to 50% no. When we finally made it to the top, we found out that it was true. There was 4 of us in the group, 2 of us went on the boulder and 2 of us didn’t. But again, we all enjoyed the hike and still highly recommend it.

If you want to go on Kjeragbolten but are afraid here are some things to keep in mind:

Go when it’s sunny, rain makes it scarier.
Watch YouTube videos of people who have went on the boulder.
Keep in mind that no one has ever fallen off the boulder.
And finally, don’t go on if you’re scared.

Preikestolen – Hiking Puplit Rock

Best time to visit: May-September
Equipment needed: Good hiking shoes
Total climbing time: 4-5 hours
Difficulty rating: Moderate

Make sure you start this hike early so you can make it back down before it gets dark and so you can catch the ferry back to Stavanger. The drive to the Preikestolen trailhead involves a ferry and takes a total of about 1.5 hours. This drive felt much shorter for me than the drive to Kjerag, probably because half of it was spent cruising on the beautiful Norwegian waters.

The hike took about 4 hours and when we reached the top, the views were breathtaking. The fjord looks unreal from above and we spent about 30 minutes up there despite the rainy weather. This hike is much easier than the hike to Kjeragbolten but you still have to be in decent shape to make it without feeling exhausted. The hike up takes 1-2 hours, people generally spend 20 minutes at the top then go back down.

To summarize, Norway has absolutely beautiful nature and is a must visit for anyone who loves the outdoors. The hike to Kjeragbolten is a strenuous hike that takes about 7 hours to complete. The hike to Preikestolen is moderate and takes 4-5 hours to complete, depending on how long you spend at the top. Visit Norway, you won’t regret it.

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”

I get the question “how do you travel so much?” so often that I decided to share my secrets with the world. You’re welcome fellow humans. If you’re rolling your eyes, you should know that I’m a Leo so I can’t really help how humble I am.

Let’s start with the most important secret:

1) Budgeting

Not trip budgeting, life budgeting. If you don’t have enough money to travel, one of the reasons could be where you generally spend your money.

Do you really need the latest gadgets as soon as they come out? Do you HAVE to have those fancy overpriced shoes? When you decide to spend, do it on experiences not things – experiences last longer.

2) Travel like a local

Wherever you’re going, seek the less touristy areas and spend most of your time there. Not only will you save money, you’ll also get a more genuine experience of the place you’re visiting.

What’s traveling if you don’t get lost in the weird part of town?

3) Pack light

Take only what you need, your chances of getting stranded for a year while on vacation are pretty low. And if that does happen, you can always find a job there and buy new things.

On most of my trips I only take a backpack packed with the essentials.

4) Find a trip package

Find out if there are packages on sites like Expedia that combine flights, hotels and car rentals. Sometimes these can save you a lot of time and money, but you really have to dig to find them.

5) Take your time doing research

Is it better to get a hotel or Airbnb? Are there any minimally sketchy hostels? Should I take the bus or the train? Should I use Uber or risk getting kidnapped by a cab driver?

Depending on where you’re going, these are things you need to consider. Every location is different, don’t assume that the whole world behaves the same way your hometown does.

6) Find the free activities

Nature. Nothing beats the beauty of nature. (Most of the time) nature is free since it’s a bit hard for most countries to charge you for seeing it. And if they do happen to charge, the prices are usually very low and usually worth it.

If you live in the US, a good idea for a cheap fun trip with lots of scenery is a National Park. There are 58 National Parks spread out across the US, find one and go!

7) Travel with a group

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Taking a trip with a group of friends can really help you cut costs while having an enormous amount of fun. Yes it can be stressful to please everyone in the group, but that’s part of the fun. It also gives you lots of stories you can tell when you get back!

8) Allow yourself to spend

Money comes back but your time won’t. Pushing off a trip you can take right now to a later time is probably worse than procrastinating in school.

The older you get, the busier you get and the harder it gets to travel. Your taste will also get more expensive as you get older so the same trip could cost you double or triple if you delay it.

Take as many trips as you can right now, future you will thank you for it. If this motivates you to take a trip, share your story with me!