Børge Ousland is one of todays worlds most experienced polar explorers. Since 1986 he has ventured the North Pole, South Pole, Franz Josef Land, The Northwest passage, and is still doing expeditions to worlds remote corners.
With solo expeditions to both the South- and the North Pole as well as solo crossings of both the Arctic and the Antarctic, from coast to coast, Børge Ousland has firmly established himself as the leading polar explorer of our time.
He started his polar career by crossing Greenland in 1986, while working as a deep-sea diver in the North Sea. In 1993 he decided to challenge the great white silence as a full time explorer. Børge has managed to successfully complete his expeditions, as a result of thorough preparation with emphasis on training, teamwork and development of equipment and nutrition.
While planning new outings to remote places, Børge Ousland makes his living giving lectures, guiding trips, writing books (11 so far) and contributing to films from the wilderness. He has received several international awards for his expeditions, books and films and is one of the few speakers represented by National Geographic Speakers Bureau; a part of the National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.
IMAGES
EXPEDITIONS
2019 Crossed the North Pole with Mike Horn, from Nome in Alaska to Tromsø, August – December.
2019 Crossed Baffin Island with Vincent Colliard (Ice Legacy project).
2017 Crossed the Chugach Icefield in Alaska with Vincent Colliard. (IceLegacy project). Second largest in the US. From Columbia Glacier to Markus Baker Glacier.
2016 Crossing the St Elias ice field in Alaska with Vincent Colliard. (IceLegacy project). Largest ice field in US. From Novatak Glacier to Miles Glacier, April – May.
2015 Crossing Stikine ice field in Alaska, (IceLegacy project) with Vincent Colliard. From North Sawyer to Great Glacier and Stikine River, May. First north to south crossing
2014 (August) Crossing of Spitsbergen glacier in Svalbard as part of the Ice legacy project, with Vince Colliard and 2 other team members.
2013 (November) Crossing the Southern Patagonia icecap, this time as part of the Icelegacy project, together with Vince Colliard and 3 other teammates
2012 (July-August) Crossing Nordaustlandet, Svalbard. (First ski-expedition)
2010 (June-October) Circumnavigation of the North Pole in 4 months, with Thorleif Thorleifsson in the 31 foot trimaran ‘Northern Passage’. (First circumnavigation in one season and a historic feat).
2010, (March) Crossing Vatnajøkelen together with Erling Kagge and Haraldur Ørn Olafsson.
2009, (November) Crossing the Northern Patagonian Ice Field with Bengt Rotmo and Thorleif Nøkleby.
2007, (May-September) In the footsteps of Fridtjof Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen through Franz Josef Land, with Thomas Ulrich.
2006, (January-March) Completing the first ski-expedition during winter months to the North Pole, together with Mike Horn.
2003, (August-October) Crossing the Southern Patagonian icecap from Tortel to Puerto Natales, with Thomas Ulrich.
2003, (March-May) Mount Everest expedition (the South Summit).
2001, (March-May) Solo expedition across the North Pole from Cape Artichesky to Ward Hunt Island, Canada.
1999, (August-September) Ascent of Cho Oyu, Himalaya.
1999, (March) Ascent of Huayna Potosí, Bolivia.
1996–97, (November-January) Solo expedition across the Antarctic continent.
1995, (November-December) Solo expedition to the South Pole.
1994, (March-April) Solo expedition to the North Pole. (First unsupported solo ski-expedition)
1993, (April) Through Franz Josef Land with Agnar Berg.
1990, (March-May) The North Pole with Erling Kagge and Geir Randby. (First unsupported ski-expedition)
1986, (March-May) Crossed Greenland with Agnar Berg and Jan Morten Ertsaas.
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
- Il Solitairo dei poli (Italian Translation) 2005
- Winter without mercy, 2006
- Solo durch ewiges eis (German translation) 2007
- The great polar journey, 2009, (First price, category adventure, in Banff Mountain book festival)
- Northern passage (2011, Norwegian and English edition).
- Expedition handbook 2014
Films:
- The North Pole; Poles apart, 1991
- Alone to the North Pole, 1994 (First prize in Dijon Adventure Film Festival)
- Alone across Antarctica, 1997
- The big white, 2001 (First prize in Moscow Adventure Film Festival and in Torello Mountain Film Festival).
- Patagonia, A travel to the ends of the world, 2005 (First price in Bansko Mountain film festival, and Moscow adventure film festival).
- In Nansen ́s footsteps. 2009. (Jury special award in Bansko Mountain film festival).
- Northern Passage, 2011.
National Geographic Magazine articles
- National Geographic Magazine, March 1991. The hard way to the North Pole
- National Geographic Magazine, March 2001: Solo across the North Pole
- National Geographic Magazine, August 2004: Big Ice
- National Geographic Magazine, January 2007: Arctic dreams and nightmares
- National Geographic Magazine, January 2009: Chasing Nansen ́s ghost
