Børge Ousland
For more than 30 years, Børge Ousland has accomplished many Arctic and Antarctic expeditions – pioneering treks that have pushed the boundaries of what was thought possible.
In 2019, together with Mike Horn, he carried out one of the most groundbreaking polar expeditions in modern times: a trek across the frozen Arctic Ocean via the North Pole during the months-long arctic winter night.
In 2010, Børge purchased Manshausen and soon decided to share his island in this pristine and little-visited part of northern Norway with others. The award-winning architect Snorre Stinessen, renowned for his ability to integrate good modern design with the surrounding natural scenery, was commissioned to design the Sea Cabins. The core idea was to be as close to nature as possible, while creating a protected, warm and comfortable interior. We also insisted that they be highly functional.
Movies:
North Pole: Poles Apart: NRK 1991
Alone to the North Pole: NRK 1994 (first prize in the Dijon Adventure Film Festival)
Alone Across Antarctica: TV2 1997
The Big White: NRK 2001 (first prize in the Moscow Adventure Film Festival and in the Torello Mountain Film Festival).
Patagonia – A Journey to the Ends of the World: TV2 2005 (first prize at the Bansko Mountain Film Festival, and Moscow Adventure Film Festival).
In Nansen’s Footsteps: NRK 2009. (Jury’s special prize in Bansko Mountain film festival).
Northern Passage: NRK 2011
Exit Nordpolen: NRK 2020
Books:
Umanak, 1987
Alone to the North Pole, 1994
Alone Across Antarctica, 1997 (Preface by Sir Edmund Hillary)
Alone Across the North Pole, 2001 (Preface by Reinhold Messner)
Skrubbsulten, 2005 (Norwegian)
Il Solitairo dei Poli (Italian translation) 2005
Winter Without Mercy, 2006
Solo durch ewiges eis (German translation) 2007
The Great Polar Journey, 2009, (first prize, category Adventure, in Banff Mountain book festival)
Northern Passage, 2011, (Norwegian and English editions).
Expedition Handbook, 2014
National Geographic Magazine:
March 1991: National Geographic Magazine, The hard way to the North Pole
March 2001: National Geographic Magazine, Solo across the North Pole
August 2004: National Geographic Magazine, Big Ice
January 2007: National Geographic Magazine, Arctic dreams and nightmares
January 2009: National Geographic Magazine, Chasing Nansen’s ghost
Expeditions:
1986: Børge and two of his diving colleagues, Agnar Berg and Jan Morten Ertsaas, skied across Greenland. In 37 days between March and May, they journeyed 800 km from Johan Petersen Fjord on the east coast to Umanak on the west coast. Only a few people had travelled across the inland ice since Fridtjof Nansen first made the crossing in 1988.
1990: Skied to the North Pole, with Geir Randby and Erling Kagge, from Ellesmere Island in Canada without receiving any supplies underway. March–May.
First unsupported ski trek to the North Pole
1993: Ski expedition through Frans Josef Land, with Agnar Berg, from Jackson Island to Alexandra Island. April.
1994: Solo trek to the North Pole, from Cape Arktichesky in Nothern Siberia. March–April. First unsupported solo expedition to the North Pole.
1995: Solo trek to the South Pole, from the ocean-side of Berkner Island. November–December. First unsupported solo expeditions to both geographic poles.
1996–97: Solo trek to the South Pole and across Antarctica, from the ocean-side of Berkner Island in the Weddell Sea to McMurdo, without receiving supplies. November–January. First unsupported solo crossing of the Antarctic continent.
1999: Climbed Huano Potosi in Bolivia. March.
1999: Climbed Cho Oyo in Tibet. August–September.
2001: Solo trek across the polar ice of the Arctic Ocean, via the North Pole – from the Arctic Circle in Sibera to Ward Hunt Island in Canada. Supported, March–May.
First solo crossings via both geographic poles.
2002: Reconnaissance expedition to Patagonia in Chile, from Puerto Natales to Tortel, with Thomas Ulrich.
2003: Everest expedition, South Peak. March–May.
2003: Expedition across the southern Patagoniann Ice Field in Chile, from Tortel to Puerto Natales, with Thomas Ulrich. August–October. First unsupported Patagonian crossing.
2006: Winter expedition to the North Pole, with Mike Horn. From Cape Arctichesky in Siberia. January–March. First unsupported winter expedition to the North Pole.
2007: Expedition in the footsteps of Fridtjof Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen, with Thomas Ulrich. From the North Pole to Frans Josef Land, across the Barents Sea and to Oslo. May–September.
2009: Crossing of the northern Patagonian Ice Field, with Bengt Rotmo and Thorleif Nøkleby. From Laguna San Rafael to Fjord Steffen, November.
2010: Sailed through the Northeast and Northwest Passage, with skipper Thorleif Thorleifsson and team-mates. They set out from Oslo, crossed the North Atlantic, sailed both passages and returned to Norway. June–October. First circumnavigation of the North Pole in one season.
2010: Crossed Vatnajökull ice-cap in Iceland with Erling Kagge and Haraldur Örn Ólafsson.
2012: Initiates the IceLegacy Project together with Vincent Colliard, aiming to ski across each of the world’s 20 largest glaciers – and bring attention to global warming. On their first expedition they cross the Austfonna and Vestfonna ice-caps on Nordaustlandet Island in Svalbard. August. First ski crossing of these glaciers.
2013: Shackleton’s route across the island of South Georgia, from King Haakon Bay to Strømness, with Thomas Ulrich and team-mates. March.
2013: Crossing the southern Patagonian Ice Field, with Vincent Colliard and team-mates. From Jorge Mont in Chile to Paso Marconi. October–November.
(IceLegacy Project)
2014: Crossing of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, with Vincent Colliard. From Verlegenhuken to the Von Post Glacier, August.
(IceLegacy Project)
2015: Crossing of the Stikine Icecap in Alaska, with Vincent Colliard. From North Sawyer to the Great Glacier and Stikine River. May. First north-south crossing of the Stikine Icecap. (IceLegacy Project)
2016: Crossing of the St Elias Icefield in Alaska with Vincent Colliard. Largest ice field in the United States. From Novatak Glacier to Miles Glacier. April–May.
(IceLegacy Project)
