What Jeanne Did On Her Summer Vacation
Jeanne Matthews was born and raised in Georgia, where owning a gun is required by law in certain places and “he needed killing” is a valid legal defense to homicide. Jeanne’s debut novel, Bones of Contention, published in June, 2010 by Poisoned Pen Press, features a conniving Georgia clan plopped down in the wilds of Northern Australia where death adders, assassin spiders, man-eating crocs, Aboriginal myths, and murder abound. Jeanne currently resides in Renton, Washington with her husband, Sidney DeLong, who is a law professor, and their West Highland terrier. Her second novel, Bet Your Bones, is available at bookstores everywhere.
The ascent of Preikestolen is not for the faint of heart. Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock, as it’s called in the English language guide books, is one of the most iconic images of Norway and one of the most spectacular sights anywhere in the world. It looks less like a pulpit than the prow of some monstrous ship. On three sides, sheer cliffs plunge 2,000 feet to the cobalt waters of the fjord below. There are no fences, no rails, nothing between you and the abyss. Acrophobes like me crawl to the edge on our bellies to peer off into space. This is a major photo op. We want proof of this feat plastered on the front page of the family album. But the sickly grins we show to the camera don’t convey the mingled feelings of 
triumph and terror. We gaze out at the luminous rock walls that enclose the Lysefjord and our hearts fill with awe. We gaze around at idiots perched on the precipice with their feet dangling over the edge and our blood congeals.
And then there’s the crack. The one right behind you where the rock joins the mountain. You tell yourself, I’m standing on solid granite. This rock will be standing for centuries to come. And then you peer through that heart-stopping crevice into the depths below and decide, quite suddenly, that it’s time to descend. You snap a hasty, final shot of the monolith and start down.
Unfortunately, the descent of Preikestolen isn’t for the faint of heart, either. To say that the trail is rocky assumes that there is an actual trail. There isn’t. There are rocks. Tons of rocks piled atop still larger rocks, and those piled atop boulders the size of Volvos. The large red T (T as in Trail) painted on the boulders is a cruel joke. You might find a foothold if you were a mountain goat. You might make the leap from ledge to ledge if you were a sticky-footed lizard.
I e-mailed a friend describing with great drama and high emotion the many breathtaking perils of Preikestolen. Her reply: “But did you get the shot?”
I got it.
September 30, 2011
Posted in: Guest Blogs
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9 Responses
OMG. Never. Ever. I can’t even look at the photo. Brave, foolish soul! So glad you survived the experience!
I love your photo and your description & I have the feeling of being up there, including the queasiness acrophobia gives me!!!! Me go? Um. They’d have to send a helicopter to retrieve me.
Thanks for sharing this. The picture is just totally breathtaking — as is the idea of coming back down.
That is amazing! Absolutely amazing!
Great picture but I wouldn’t want to be there in person.
Wow! My stomach dropped to my knees just looking at the photo! What an amazing wonder of nature, and equally wonderful description of your adventure. I can’t wait to see how/whether the Pulpit Rock figures into your next mystery!
All I can say is “EEK!”
Marilyn
I bow to Jeanne, bravest of the brave
There is no way on God’s green earth I would go up there, much less look over the edge!
Great shot. I’m proud
Wow, LauLau!!!!!
If you remember my agoraphobia, you will understand why I did not envy ANY of those folks in the photo . . .I would have to “rest up” from my “vacation”!!!!!!
shirley
am trying to clear my e-mail . . .haven’t got cable connected to my new computer yet and it’s driving me crazy . ..I’ll probably call the RoadRunner folks in the middle of the night (the only time you can get a person .. .and they’re in the Philippines . ..to get help on this . . .Mark is still in serious depression . . .did not come for my birthday or his (11/2). . .and am not sure how he’s driving to/from work . . .What a twist . . .His job as a counselor is to listen to the soldiers and line up the right services for them, depending upon their needs . . .and here he is sooooooooo depressed . . .Haven’t seen him in a while, but we talk over the phone a lot–just not at 1 a.m., when he used to call . . .when all of this first happened . . .
more later . . .can’t believe you’ve already gotten to the next book . . .incredible . . .Some days, I don’t even remember if I’ve fed Simbah and try and ‘grill’ him if he meows for food . . .hoping for a clue . . .a greasy chin . . .something to give me a clue . . .
so glad for your run with all of the ideas in your head . . .what a high . . .
I’m still having fun w/my book about my aunt during the Amer Rev and adding more twists to it . . .At present, I’m workinig with a dialog . . .a young girl whose grandmother tells her family stories on each visit, so I have the means of askinig questions to move the story and the sub-plots . . .The aunt remains the ‘lighted moving streetcar’ (a phrase I LOVE from an article in either Writer’s Digest or the other mag I’m not as crazy about) that moves the story on in various directions . . .
Next time we talk (I now have free long distance–I hope …by taking Hawaiian Tel’s offer . . .hope it’s been in effect as I’ve been having loooooong talks with Nancy at odd hours . . .I have to say Nancy has overcome a lot in her life . . .the painful surgery her first child (Becky . . .now in her 50′s. . .LITTLE BECKY! . . .had to go thru all those months . . .then losing her son and husband both in one day as they drove home from a worksite together shortly after Lee got out of the Navy . . .
I’m taking on another class next semester to keep from having to sub so much . . .I love teaching my eveninig students . . .students who pay for their own tuition do not misbehave and make weird faces and talk while you’re talking or run around the buildiing–waving each time they fly by . . .They sit in their seats and ask great questions .. .
I hope my 2nd course next semester is Forensic Botany .. .Finally, I have someone who understands me!!! My new coordinator teachinig Forensic Biology . . .Whew! How many years have I been asking the CUH folks for this . . .I have more students than any biology class on all campuses and they depend on my income . . .or rather the income I bring to them . . .to pull them thru the scarce deployment times . . .they did throw in $100 more on my contract this past semester . . .thanks to that new dept. chair who UNDERSTANDS what I’m doing . . .
more later . . .congrats on an incredible journey’s fruition!!!!
shirley
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