1 x 4,444 stair set: Flørli, Lysefjord.
An abandoned power station, the worlds longest wooden stairs and a cute little cabin overlooking the fjord! We experienced all this and more at Flørli, a disused hydroelectric power station in a valley halfway along Lysefjord in the Ryfylke district of Norway.
To get to Flørli, we took the Lauvik-Lysebotn ferry from Stavanger along Lysefjorden. The ferry ride is beautiful and even though it was raining we couldn’t pass up the chance to stand on the bow and see one of Norway’s amazing fjords from the water. We also passed Preikestolen on the way, giving us a new appreciation of just how high the rock is (and how far we could have fallen!)
The Place:
Flørli is a tiny hamlet comprising of the ferry wharf, the old power station turbine and generator rooms and a dozen or so traditional wooden cabins. Since these cabins no longer house the power station workers, they’ve been turned into simple accommodation that overlooks the fjord below and provides adventurers like us a place to rest their heads.
After arriving at the ferry pier we headed to the hostel reception/power station museum/local store (the place really is that small) and were shown to our lovely cabin.
A cup of tea in front of the window would have to wait though... we were going climbing!
The Stairs:
The hike up the longest wooden stairs in the world begins at the old turbine room and follows the penstock and maintenance carriage way up to Flørlistolen and the dam above. The thin, wooden stairs, all 4,444 of them, climb straight up the side of the fjord and the enthusiasm shown at the start of the climb quickly changed to leg burn.
The stairs are only a foot wide and very steep, climbing a total of 700 vertical meters. This, combined with only a loose steel cable for a handrail and a dodgy step every now and then, means you really have to stay on your toes. Literally.
This was a great excuse (not that we needed any) to take advantage of the many rest stops and enjoy the view over Lysefjord.
Though we didn’t have the greatest weather for the climb, even with the cloud cover it's easy to appreciate just how beautiful this place is. It was a strange experience to be so exhausted climbing with backs to the view, only to have our breath taken away each time we stopped to rest.
The Walk Back:
We reached the top of the stairs and Flørlistolen just as the clouds started to fully roll in. Thankfully there is a loop trail back to the bottom, avoiding a dangerous climb back down the stairs, so after a quick packed dinner, we headed off through the mist and followed the little red T’s down into the fjord.
While hardly the magnificent views of the stairs, the walk back was amazing in it’s own right. With the cool mist making it’s way between the trees, the sound of bubbling water in the many streams and no one around for miles it was hard to shake the thought of Norwegian fairy tales and trolls hiding beneath every creaky, wooden bridge.
Now, where’s that cup of tea?
C.O’S
