Kjerag or Kiragg is a mountain in Sandnes municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The tall mountain sits on the southern shore of Lysefjorden, just southwest of the village of Lysebotn. Its northern side is a massive cliff, plunging almost straight down to fjord, a sight which attracts many visitors each year. Another tourist attraction, the Kjeragbolten, a stone wedged between two rocks is located on the mountain. The Kjeragfossen waterfall plunges off the mountain down to the fjord. It is one of the tallest waterfalls in the world. Kjerag is a popular hiking destination. Some go there because Preikestolen has become too crowded, some to jump onto Kjeragbolten and some BASE jumpers from all over the world go there to jump off the high cliffs. Kjerag is also a popular climbing destination, with many difficult routes going up its steep faces. The easiest ascent starts from the visitors center Øygardsstølen, with a 2.5-3-hour walk each way. From Stavanger, it is roughly a 2-hour drive. One can also take the tourist ferry from Lauvvik to Lysebotn in summer. The best season for walking is considered late June to September depending on snow conditions.
Kjeragbolten
Kjeragbolten is a boulder wedged in a mountain crevice by the edge of the Kjerag mountain. It is possible to walk onto the rock without any equipment, but there is a direct drop below and then another gradient down to the Lysefjorden. The name means "Kjerag Boulder" or "Kjerag Bolt".
Kjerag has become a popular BASE jumping destination. Since 1994, when Stein Edvartsen made the first officially registered jump, until 2016, a total number of jumps have been registered. During this time period there has been registered 131 accidents, of which 44 required the use of rescue helicopter and 10 cases where jumpers were rescued by other professional rescue climbers. According to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation there have been 11 fatal accidents involving BASE jumpers alone. A list of jumpers who perished at Kjerag is provided below:
In the Norwegian documentary filmLoop, Kristen Reagan climbs up the drop before BASE jumping off the same cliff. Rock Climbing Kjerag was first climbed in the spring of 1985 by Pat Littlejohn, Steve Jones, Dick Renshaw and Lyndsey Foulkes, who abseiled in without sighting the wall from below, and chose their route from photographs in the public domain.
Name
The name is possibly a compound of kje which means 'kid' and ragg which means 'goat's hair, shag'. The rough surface of the mountainside has been compared with the shaggy hair of a kid goat.
