1994The Long Ride

A man in a red jacket is riding a bicycle through a shallow river. He is wearing a helmet and has a backpack on his back. There are rocks and trees in the background.

Between 1994 and 1995, Paul Olai-Olssen completed an extraordinary bicycle journey from the southern tip of South America all the way to Alaska.

Covering tens of thousands of kilometers across deserts, mountains, rainforests, and remote wilderness, the expedition took him through some of the most diverse and challenging landscapes on the planet.

Throughout the journey, Olai-Olssen relied on Norrøna clothing and equipment, putting the products through an exceptionally wide range of climates and conditions – from the windswept plains of Patagonia to the high Andes and the rugged terrain of North America.

The expedition became another example of how Norrøna gear was being tested far beyond Scandinavia, helping the company refine products through real-world adventures undertaken by some of Norway’s most dedicated explorers.

Related

1972The Noshaq expeditionIn the summer of 1972, five young climbers – the Norwegians Odd Eliassen, Ove Skjerven, Erik Boehlke, Per Gran, and the British David Isles – set out on an ambitious expedition to the remote Hindu...

1979The First Winter Ascent of Jubileum WallIn Easter 1979, four Norwegian climbers completed the first winter ascent of Jubileumsveggen, a nearly 1,000-meter wall on Store Midtmaradalstind in the heart of Jotunheimen.

1979The First Free Ascent of Rimmon Route in the Troll WallIn the summer of 1979, Hans Christian Doseth and Ragnhild Amundsen made climbing history by completing the first free ascent of the legendary Rimmon Route in Norway’s Troll Wall.

1979Europe’s First GORE-TEX Jacket: The trollveggenIntroduced in 1979, the first Norrøna trollveggen jacket was built for demanding mountaineering in Norway’s harshest conditions – and became the first GORE-TEX jacket made in Europe.

1980The First Ski Traverse of SpitsbergenIn the spring of 1980, Stein P. Aasheim and Tore Rolf Lund completed the first ski traverse of Spitsbergen, crossing the Arctic wilderness from south to north through glaciers, mountains, and vast...

1980The First Free Ascent of the Swedish Route in the Troll WallIn the summer of 1980, Hans Christian Doseth, Steve Bancroft, and Chouinard Brooks achieved the first free ascent of the legendary Swedish Route on the Troll Wall.

1980The First Winter Ascent of the Swedish Route in the Troll WallIn February 1980, three Norwegian climbers – Hans Christian Doseth, Håvard Nesheim, and Kjetil Svanemyr – completed the first winter ascent of Svenskeruta on the towering Troll Wall (Trollveggen).

1982The First Snowmobile Expedition to the North PoleIn 1982, the Norwegian adventurer Ragnar Thorseth and his expedition team reached the North Pole by snowmobiles, completing one of the era’s most ambitious Arctic adventures.

1982The First Winter Ascent of the Trollkjerring RouteIn 1982, Hans Christian Doseth, Håvard Nesheim, Sjur Nesheim, and Chouinard Brooks completed the first winter ascent of the formidable Trollkjerring Route on Norway’s Troll Wall.

1983The first ascent of the East Buttress of Thalay SagarIn 1983, the Norwegian climbers Hans Christian Doseth, Håvard Nesheim, and Frode Guldal, and the Polish climbers Janusz Skorek, and Andrzej Czok, achieved the first ascent of the formidable East...

1983The First Free Ascent of the Trollkjerring RouteIn the summer of 1983, the Norwegian climber Hans Christian Doseth completed the first free ascent of the legendary Trollkjerring Route in Norway’s Troll Wall – an achievement widely regarded as one...

1984The First Ascent of Great Trango TowerIn the summer of 1984, a Norwegian expedition led by the Norwegian climbers Hans Christian Doseth, Finn Dæhlie, Dag Kolsrud, and Stein P. Aasheim set out for Pakistan’s Karakoram Range with an...

1985The first Norwegian ascent of Mount EverestThe first Norwegian ascent of Mount Everest, marking a historic milestone in the nation’s mountaineering history.

1986The South Pole ExpeditionIn 1986, the Norwegian polar explorer and scientist Monica Kristensen led a Norwegian expedition to the South Pole, becoming one of the most prominent figures in a new generation of Norwegian polar...

1987The Broad Peak ExpeditionIn 1987, Ragnhild Amundsen became the first Norwegian woman to lead a Himalayan climbing expedition when she organized and led an ambitious expedition to Broad Peak (8,051 m) in Pakistan’s Karakoram...

1988The Yerupajá ExpeditionIn 1988, Trond Hilde and his climbing partners ascended Yerupajá (6,635 m) in Peru, one of the most spectacular and technically demanding mountains in the Andes.

1990The First Unsupported Ski Expedition to the North PoleIn 1990, Norwegian explorers Erling Kagge, Børge Ousland, and Geir Randby set out on an ambitious expedition across the drifting Arctic Ocean with the goal of reaching the North Pole without resupply...

1992The First Solo Unsupported Ski Expedition to the South PoleIn 1992, Norwegian explorer Erling Kagge completed the first solo unsupported journey to the South Pole.

1994The Great Across Alaska TrekBetween 1994 and 1995, the Norwegians Lars Monsen and Marit Holm completed an extraordinary 3,000-kilometer trek across Alaska, traveling entirely on foot through some of the most remote and demanding...

1994The Everest North Side ExpeditionIn 1994, Norwegian climber Jon Gangdal led a Norwegian expedition attempting to climb Mount Everest from the mountain’s challenging north side in Tibet.

1999The First Ascent of Trango PulpitIn 1999, Norwegian climbers Robert Caspersen, Per Ludvig Skjerven, Gunnar Karlsen, and Einar Wold traveled to Pakistan’s Karakoram Range to attempt the first ascent of Trango Pulpit, one of the last...

2006The Ulvetanna ExpeditionIn 2006, Norrøna ambassador Robert Caspersen joined Ivar Tollefsen, Stein-Ivar Gravdal, and Trond Hilde on a groundbreaking expedition to Antarctica’s remote Queen Maud Land.

2006The Winter Ski Expedition to the North PoleBørge Ousland and adventurer Mike Horn completed one of the most audacious polar expeditions ever attempted, skiing to the North Pole during the Arctic winter.

2007The Franz Josef Land ExpeditionIn 2007, Norwegian explorers Børge Ousland and Thomas Ulrich embarked on an expedition to Franz Josef Land, retracing part of the legendary route traveled by Fridtjof Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen more...

2010The Dracula Route on Mount Foraker, AlaskaIn 2010, Bjørn-Eivind Årtun and Colin Haley completed the first ascent of the Dracula Route on Mount Foraker (5,304 m) in Alaska.

2010The Patagonia Climbing ExpeditionBjørn-Eivind Årtun and Norrøna ambassador Robert Caspersen climbed demanding routes in Patagonia.

2011The Venas Azules Route on Torre Egger, PatagoniaIn 2011, Bjørn-Eivind Årtun and Ole Ivar Lied completed the acclaimed Venas Azules Route on Torre Egger in Patagonia, one of the world's most iconic and demanding alpine climbing destinations.

2013The Exocet Route on Aguja Standhardt, PatagoniaIn 2013, Robert Caspersen, Ole Ivar Lied, and Trym Sæland completed a new variant of the legendary Exocet Route on Aguja Standhardt in Patagonia.

2016The Greenland Ski Speed RecordIn 2016, Robert Caspersen, Ivar Tollefsen, and Trond Hilde set a new speed record for crossing the Greenland Ice Cap on skis.

2017The Gessnertind Expedition, AntarcticaIn 2017, Robert Caspersen, Ivar Tollefsen, Ole Ivar Lied, and Trond Hilde returned to Antarctica with the goal of climbing Gessnertind, one of the remote and little-visited peaks of Queen Maud Land.

2019The Winter Crossing of the ArcticIn 2019, the Norwegian polar adventurer Børge Ousland and Mike Horn completed one of the most ambitious polar expeditions of the modern era, crossing the Arctic Ocean during winter.

2023The Youngest Solo Unsupported Woman to the South PoleNorrøna ambassador Hedvig Hjertaker also made history by becoming the youngest woman in the world to ski solo to the South Pole.

2024The Speed Record to the South PoleNorrøna ambassador Vincent Colliard set a new speed record to the South Pole.

1972The Noshaq expedition
In the summer of 1972, five young climbers – the Norwegians Odd Eliassen, Ove Skjerven, Erik Boehlke, Per Gran, and the British David Isles – set out on an ambitious expedition to the remote Hindu...

1979The First Winter Ascent of Jubileum Wall
In Easter 1979, four Norwegian climbers completed the first winter ascent of Jubileumsveggen, a nearly 1,000-meter wall on Store Midtmaradalstind in the heart of Jotunheimen.

1979The First Free Ascent of Rimmon Route in the Troll Wall
In the summer of 1979, Hans Christian Doseth and Ragnhild Amundsen made climbing history by completing the first free ascent of the legendary Rimmon Route in Norway’s Troll Wall.

1979Europe’s First GORE-TEX Jacket: The trollveggen
Introduced in 1979, the first Norrøna trollveggen jacket was built for demanding mountaineering in Norway’s harshest conditions – and became the first GORE-TEX jacket made in Europe.

1980The First Ski Traverse of Spitsbergen
In the spring of 1980, Stein P. Aasheim and Tore Rolf Lund completed the first ski traverse of Spitsbergen, crossing the Arctic wilderness from south to north through glaciers, mountains, and vast...

1980The First Free Ascent of the Swedish Route in the Troll Wall
In the summer of 1980, Hans Christian Doseth, Steve Bancroft, and Chouinard Brooks achieved the first free ascent of the legendary Swedish Route on the Troll Wall.

1980The First Winter Ascent of the Swedish Route in the Troll Wall
In February 1980, three Norwegian climbers – Hans Christian Doseth, Håvard Nesheim, and Kjetil Svanemyr – completed the first winter ascent of Svenskeruta on the towering Troll Wall (Trollveggen).

1982The First Snowmobile Expedition to the North Pole
In 1982, the Norwegian adventurer Ragnar Thorseth and his expedition team reached the North Pole by snowmobiles, completing one of the era’s most ambitious Arctic adventures.

1982The First Winter Ascent of the Trollkjerring Route
In 1982, Hans Christian Doseth, Håvard Nesheim, Sjur Nesheim, and Chouinard Brooks completed the first winter ascent of the formidable Trollkjerring Route on Norway’s Troll Wall.

1983The first ascent of the East Buttress of Thalay Sagar
In 1983, the Norwegian climbers Hans Christian Doseth, Håvard Nesheim, and Frode Guldal, and the Polish climbers Janusz Skorek, and Andrzej Czok, achieved the first ascent of the formidable East...

1983The First Free Ascent of the Trollkjerring Route
In the summer of 1983, the Norwegian climber Hans Christian Doseth completed the first free ascent of the legendary Trollkjerring Route in Norway’s Troll Wall – an achievement widely regarded as one...

1984The First Ascent of Great Trango Tower
In the summer of 1984, a Norwegian expedition led by the Norwegian climbers Hans Christian Doseth, Finn Dæhlie, Dag Kolsrud, and Stein P. Aasheim set out for Pakistan’s Karakoram Range with an...

1985The first Norwegian ascent of Mount Everest
The first Norwegian ascent of Mount Everest, marking a historic milestone in the nation’s mountaineering history.

1986The South Pole Expedition
In 1986, the Norwegian polar explorer and scientist Monica Kristensen led a Norwegian expedition to the South Pole, becoming one of the most prominent figures in a new generation of Norwegian polar...

1987The Broad Peak Expedition
In 1987, Ragnhild Amundsen became the first Norwegian woman to lead a Himalayan climbing expedition when she organized and led an ambitious expedition to Broad Peak (8,051 m) in Pakistan’s Karakoram...

1988The Yerupajá Expedition
In 1988, Trond Hilde and his climbing partners ascended Yerupajá (6,635 m) in Peru, one of the most spectacular and technically demanding mountains in the Andes.

1990The First Unsupported Ski Expedition to the North Pole
In 1990, Norwegian explorers Erling Kagge, Børge Ousland, and Geir Randby set out on an ambitious expedition across the drifting Arctic Ocean with the goal of reaching the North Pole without resupply...

1992The First Solo Unsupported Ski Expedition to the South Pole
In 1992, Norwegian explorer Erling Kagge completed the first solo unsupported journey to the South Pole.

1994The Great Across Alaska Trek
Between 1994 and 1995, the Norwegians Lars Monsen and Marit Holm completed an extraordinary 3,000-kilometer trek across Alaska, traveling entirely on foot through some of the most remote and demanding...

1994The Everest North Side Expedition
In 1994, Norwegian climber Jon Gangdal led a Norwegian expedition attempting to climb Mount Everest from the mountain’s challenging north side in Tibet.

1999The First Ascent of Trango Pulpit
In 1999, Norwegian climbers Robert Caspersen, Per Ludvig Skjerven, Gunnar Karlsen, and Einar Wold traveled to Pakistan’s Karakoram Range to attempt the first ascent of Trango Pulpit, one of the last...

2006The Ulvetanna Expedition
In 2006, Norrøna ambassador Robert Caspersen joined Ivar Tollefsen, Stein-Ivar Gravdal, and Trond Hilde on a groundbreaking expedition to Antarctica’s remote Queen Maud Land.

2006The Winter Ski Expedition to the North Pole
Børge Ousland and adventurer Mike Horn completed one of the most audacious polar expeditions ever attempted, skiing to the North Pole during the Arctic winter.

2007The Franz Josef Land Expedition
In 2007, Norwegian explorers Børge Ousland and Thomas Ulrich embarked on an expedition to Franz Josef Land, retracing part of the legendary route traveled by Fridtjof Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen more...

2010The Dracula Route on Mount Foraker, Alaska
In 2010, Bjørn-Eivind Årtun and Colin Haley completed the first ascent of the Dracula Route on Mount Foraker (5,304 m) in Alaska.

2010The Patagonia Climbing Expedition
Bjørn-Eivind Årtun and Norrøna ambassador Robert Caspersen climbed demanding routes in Patagonia.

2011The Venas Azules Route on Torre Egger, Patagonia
In 2011, Bjørn-Eivind Årtun and Ole Ivar Lied completed the acclaimed Venas Azules Route on Torre Egger in Patagonia, one of the world's most iconic and demanding alpine climbing destinations.

2013The Exocet Route on Aguja Standhardt, Patagonia
In 2013, Robert Caspersen, Ole Ivar Lied, and Trym Sæland completed a new variant of the legendary Exocet Route on Aguja Standhardt in Patagonia.

2016The Greenland Ski Speed Record
In 2016, Robert Caspersen, Ivar Tollefsen, and Trond Hilde set a new speed record for crossing the Greenland Ice Cap on skis.

2017The Gessnertind Expedition, Antarctica
In 2017, Robert Caspersen, Ivar Tollefsen, Ole Ivar Lied, and Trond Hilde returned to Antarctica with the goal of climbing Gessnertind, one of the remote and little-visited peaks of Queen Maud Land.

2019The Winter Crossing of the Arctic
In 2019, the Norwegian polar adventurer Børge Ousland and Mike Horn completed one of the most ambitious polar expeditions of the modern era, crossing the Arctic Ocean during winter.

2023The Youngest Solo Unsupported Woman to the South Pole
Norrøna ambassador Hedvig Hjertaker also made history by becoming the youngest woman in the world to ski solo to the South Pole.

2024The Speed Record to the South Pole
Norrøna ambassador Vincent Colliard set a new speed record to the South Pole.