Would You Climb This Ladder?

Imagine scaling a 120-step ladder dangling some 2,591 feet in the air. That’s the challenge facing thrill seekers who visit the small village of Loen, Norway.

Loen overlooks a fjord (fee-ORD)—a long, narrow waterway bordered by steep cliffs. Norway is home to more than 1,000 fjords, which were carved by giant glaciers long ago. The new ladder, called Stigull, lets visitors reach dizzying heights above the fjord.

The climb starts partway up Mount Hoven, a mountain in Loen. From there, people scale the ladder—hung at a 45-degree angle—to the peak. 

But the journey isn’t for the faint of heart, says Per Helge Bø. He helped design the ladder. “As you step up each rung,” he explains, “your legs might tremble a bit with excitement and a touch of nervousness.”

—Lisa M. Herrington