It has been my dream to start an outdoor adventure company ever since I moved to Norway. My outdoor, tourism and guiding education in different regions of Norway were part of my preparation to realize this dream.
As a host at the Stavanger Tourist Information Office (2008-2014), I talked to 50,000 guests from all over the world. Most of them wanted to hike Preikestolen. No operator organized small group tours. So all tourists took the same ferry and bus, and hiked the same trail, at the same time in the same season. So I bought a 9-seated car, made a website, and did an effort to change this.
Outdoorlife Norway existed for 7 years. Me and my fantastic colleagues guided 11,500 guests from all over the world to Preikestolen, Flørli, Kjerag, and other hiking gems in the Lysefjord, year-round.
It was our personal goal to get more people out and closer to nature. Instead of “been there, done that”, it was our hope that people would say “been there, loved it, it changed me”. The concept focused on small-scale, personal, safe, high-quality nature experiences.
We introduced unique guided hikes to Preikestolen, during sunrise, in winter, or following a totally different “off-the-beaten-track”-route. We guided guests to the Kjerag Boulder and to Flørli, the world’s longest wooden staircase. Day-hikes and multi-day adventures. Summer hikes, as well as snowshoe-, and even snow cave tours.
Some of the many highlights were our multi-day adventures along the Lysefjord Rundt trail; the winter expeditions to Kjerag; facilitating a huge Panasonic tv-PR-stunt at Kjerag; producing content for a range (inter)national magazines, newspapers, radio and television media; being a partner in shooting Visit Norway’s hiking safety videos; ranking among the top 10 guided tour companies in Norway; participating in Visit Norway’s Global Growth Adventure program; and all those unforgettable moments with our guests and guides.
In 2019, I sold the company. During the corona crisis, the new owners decided to prioritize other tourism ventures and shut down the company, unfortunately.
It’s impossible to give proper credit by name. I want to thank all guides, colleagues, guests, partners, and other supporters for making this adventure possible. The memories of 2,200+ tours live on. I think we changed tourism at the Lysefjord, or at least showed some of its potentials, both in terms of natural beauty and guiding as a business concept. The experiences are documented. The expertise is out there among the professionals who have been on this adventure. The future will tell if anyone continues the dream.
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