–This is my backyard, man! We hiked Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) with local influencer Espen Hatleskog, aka @pilotviking. Growing up and still living in the area, Espen has hiked this trail over 100 times. Join us as he shares his passion, insights, and memorable experiences on Norway’s most iconic hike. Read more Who is Espen, aka. @pilotviking? We have never actually met him before, having planned this trip over the phone. All we know is what we see on his Instagram-profile. He loves Norwegian nature, hiking, viking culture and off course his dog Fenris! He lives near here, and he often hikes Preikestolen, Kjerag and the other mountains around Stavanger and the South West coast of Norway. Luckily we hit it off as soon as we met on the Preikestolen parking lot, where the Go Fjords express bus dropped us off. As we hiked, we asked him some questions about his experiences and love for Preikestolen and the Norwegian nature. How many times have you been on Preikestolen?– Hard to say, but probably at least 100 times throughout my life. It usually turns out to be at least a couple of times a year still. Do you have any tips for first-time hikers to Preikestolen?– Wear good footwear, real boots. Don’t come here in sneakers—you might get twisted ankles, and that’s going to be a rough hike back down. What do you have in your backpack?– In my backpack, I pack a snack, a banana, some water, a raincoat just in case the southwest coast weather hits hard, and maybe some wool in the autumn season. How hard is the hike?– I would say Preikestolen overall is a moderate hike. It starts off a little rough down by the parking, but you see kids and everybody hiking this, so I think anybody can do it for sure. What’s your favorite part of the trip?– My favorite part of the hike is definitely this place where you break out of the woods and catch a glimpse of the fjord. You know you’re pretty close to your goal. As we arrive at the plateau, he exclaims, – This is my backyard, man! We ask him to describe the view:– The view from the top of Preikestolen is amazing. There’s a 604-meter tall cliff just smacked straight on this great mountain. It’s so iconic and unique. You can see all the way into Lysebotn, making it a truly one-of-a-kind view in Norway. What’s a memorable moment you can share from Preikestolen?– A memorable one would be a winter morning when I went up to see the sunrise. The thick fog was hanging just below the cliff of Preikestolen—that was pretty epic. What is “fjellvettreglene”, and what’s your favorite one?– Here in Norway, we have something called “fjellvettreglene”, or The Mountain Code, designed to keep us safe in the mountains. There’s nine rules, and my favorite is number four: Always be prepared for cold and bad weather, even on short hikes, so pack up with warm clothes in your backpack. Can you describe Norwegian hiking culture for foreigners?– Norwegians take great pride in outdoor hiking. For me, it started when I was a child, hiking with my mom in the local mountains where we lived. I picked up this interest again when I got my dog Fenris eight years ago. Now, hiking is a big part of my life. What’s on top of your travel list?– Top of my travel list is definitely Svalbard. I’ve never been there, and it would be awesome to see it in person. Generally, I want to travel and explore more places in the north of Norway. What’s your relationship to Norwegian nature like?– My relationship with the mountains and Norwegian nature is an open relationship—it’s not complicated at all. Thank you to Espen for a great hike to Preikestolen! Be sure to check out his popular Instagram account, and catch the GoFjords express bus to Preikestolen.