What to Bring to Kjerag
The things I would not set off without
What works
- Boots with ankle support and a sole that grips wet rock
- A waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers, packed even on a clear morning
- A warm layer for the plateau, which is colder than the car park
- Water and food for a long day; there is nowhere to buy either after you leave
Worth knowing
- Thin gloves for the chains, which are unpleasant on bare hands when wet
- A headlamp, because the second half of the day runs later than people plan
- A charged phone — the emergency number in Norway is 113
- A spare pair of socks in the car for the drive back
Why the footwear argument is not fussiness
I am opinionated about boots and I have earned it. The trail crosses steep slabs where chains are bolted for a reason, and the thing that makes those slabs treacherous is water rather than angle. A smooth sole on wet rock is how people arrive back at the car park in a bad state. I saw people summit in trainers and get away with it, in July, in the dry. I also saw the other version. The whole clothing question is on what to wear.
Pack for the descent
The walk out is uphill three times and the walk back is downhill three times, on legs that have done it once already. That is where the turned ankles come from. Everything in the list above is really aimed at the second half: the warm layer for when you stop moving, the headlamp for when the light goes, the food for hour seven when your judgement starts getting cheap.
The weather is the other half of the packing decision. Visit Norway’s own advice is to turn back for strong wind, heavy rain or fog, and fog sits on the plateau while the car park is in sunshine more often than visitors expect. See weather and rain.
What you do not need
Any climbing equipment. There is none at the boulder and none required: you step onto it from the side, onto a flat top, with rock on both sides. Nobody hands you a harness because nobody needs one. Out of season it is a different mountain, with the chains taken down and winter equipment and a guide required — that is on the best month to hike.
Put the headlamp in the bag in June as well as September. Midsummer light makes people casual, and the group that worries me is the one that starts at two in the afternoon in August with one phone torch between four.
What there is to book
Not the trail. Nobody sells a ticket to Kjerag and nobody could, because there is no gate and nobody standing at one. What you pay for is the ride out of Stavanger and the guide who walks it with you, and the road up is open for about five months a year. The options are laid out on the bookings page and compared on the decision page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need hiking boots for Kjerag?
I would not go without them. The steep slabs are chain-assisted and slippery when wet, and the descent is where people get hurt.
Is there anywhere to buy water on the trail?
No. There is nothing on the route at all. The service building at the car park is the last stop.
Do I need climbing gear for the boulder?
No. None is needed and none is provided. See the boulder page.