BØRGE OUSLAND
It feels daunting to write an intro on Børge at our website, with the likes of Sir Edmund Hillary and Reinhold Messner having done the same in his books.
I have never worked, stalked, and harassed anybody as hard to get to be his teammate. When I finally was rewarded, it opened up a world I could not, at the time, comprehend the extent of.
I, and we in the Ousland team, are so blessed by his depth of knowledge, curiosity, calmness, carefulness, and his bottomless willingness to share, inspire, and stand next to you at all times.
— Vincent Colliard
NORWEGIAN POLAR EXPLORER
• DIVER • ENTREPRENEUR • LECTURER
How does one summarize Børge Ousland?
He has gone deeper, longer, higher, and darker than almost anyone before him. Time and again, after completing what many believed was the final “impossible” journey, he found new challenges—always pushing the limits of exploration.
Børge’s contribution to polar history is difficult to fully grasp. His achievements span solo expeditions, pioneering routes, and ambitious team ventures. Yet, behind every record lies not recklessness, but rigorous preparation, broad experience, and uncompromising standards—both for himself and those he chooses to bring along. His success is measured not only in firsts, but in the fact that he is still here to tell the stories.
His journey began in a creative home just south of Oslo, where nature was always within reach. The sea, mountains, and forests shaped his childhood. When Norway entered its oil era, he was drawn to the high-risk world of deep-sea saturation diving, working at depths of 360 meters and living in pressurized chambers for up to four weeks at the time.
Later, he served in Norway’s elite naval special forces, honing skills in endurance, precision, and discipline — qualities that would serve as the foundation for his life as an explorer. Within the OuslandColliard team, what inspires most is not only his feats, but his mindset. He approaches every expedition with calm analysis and respect for risk, never allowing enthusiasm to overshadow safety. He values teammates who bring diverse skills and perspectives, believing strongly that true strength lies in collaboration and shared learning.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC STATED:
"BØRGE OUSLAND IS ARGUABLY THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED POLAR EXPLORER ALIVE!"
The scope of Børge’s life extends far beyond exploration. He is also a father of three, an author, a speaker, and an entrepreneur — each role reflecting his energy and vision.
His beloved island in Northern Norway, Manshausen, stands as a testament to this. Designed as a retreat close to nature, it offers strikingly crafted sea cabins that blend simplicity with beauty, allowing guests to experience calm and connection with Mother Nature in an extraordinary setting.
Combined with dramatic surroundings, a variety of outdoor activities, and exceptional food, Manshausen reveals another, equally remarkable side of Børge.
BØRGE’S SECRET ADVICE:
"SET THE DATE, BOOK THE TICKET, CHASE THE DREAM
— BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON LIFE, IT WON’T BE THE HOURS SPENT ON THE COUCH YOU REMEMBER."
Much more after the gallery:
Awards:
• Founders medal, Royal Geographical Society, UK, 2025
• Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, UK, 2024
• Expedition of the year: ExplorersWeb, USA, 2019
• Adventurer of the year, “Årets Eventyrer”, Norway, 2019
• Fellow of the Scottish Royal Geographical Society, Scotland, 2014
• Spanish Geographical Society’s International award, Spain, 2013
• The Tilman Medal, Royal Thames Yacht Club, UK 2010
• The Mitchemp Medal, The Mitchemp Trust, UK, 1998
• Adventurer of the year, Dijon, France, 1997
• Peter Byrd Throphy, Dijon, France, 1997
Books:
Le Gardien Des Pôles (French edition) 2023
Den Nordpol umsegelt (German edition) 2022
Allein über Nordpol (German edition) 2021
Allein über Antarktis (German edition) 2021
Allein zum Nordpol (German translation edition) 2021
Expedition handbook 2014 (Norwegian edition) 2014
Northern Passage (Norwegian and English edition) 2011
The great polar journey, (English edition) 2009, (First prize, Banff Mountain book festival)
I Nansens spor (Norwegian edition) 2008
Solo durch ewiges eis (German edition) 2007
Winter without mercy, (Norwegian edition) 2006
Il Solitairo dei poli (Italian edition) 2005
Skrubbsulten, (Norwegian edition) 2005
Alone across the North Pole, (Norwegian edition) 2001 (Preface by Reinhold Messner)
Alone across Antarctica, (Norwegian / English edition) 1997 (Preface by Sir Edmund Hillary)
Alone to the North Pole, (Norwegian and English edition) 1994
Umanak,(Norwegian edition) 1987
Films:
Exit Nordpolen 2020 (First price, Banff Mountain film Festival)
In Nansen‘s footsteps. 2009. (Jury special award in Bansko Mountain film festival).
Northern Passage, 2011.
Patagonia, A travel to the ends of the world, 2005 (First prize in Bansko Mountain film festival, and Moscow adventure film festival).
The big white, 2001 (First prize in Moscow Adventure Film Festival and in Torello Mountain Film Festival).
Alone across Antarctica, 1997
Alone to the North Pole, 1994 (First prize in Dijon Adventure Film Festival)
The North Pole; Poles apart, 1991
Some online articles:
The Guardian on the South Pole:
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/dec/13/borge-ousland-how-i-crossed-antarctica
Outside Magazine on the South Pole:
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/what-about-borge/
National Geographic on the North Pole:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/borge-ousland-mike-horn-epic-journey-across-north-pole
Explorersweb on the North Pole:
https://explorersweb.com/exclusive-borge-ousland-on-crossing-the-arctic-ocean-in-winter/
National Geographic on IceLegacy:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/borge-ousland-polar-explorer-ski-arctic-melting-ice-legacy-climate-change
Explorersweb on Børge:
https://explorersweb.com/legends-series-interview-with-borge-ousland/
https://explorersweb.com/100-great-explorers-last-100-years/
Expeditions
2025 Unsupported crossing of Ellesmere Island, with Vincent Colliard, (IceLegacy project), First unsupported crossing. April-June.
2024 Unsupported crossing of Juneau Icefield in Alaska, with Vincent Colliard, (IceLegacy project), September-October.
2023 Unsupported crossing of Kvitøya on Svalbard with Erling Kagge and Håvard Tjora. First unsupported crossing. September.
2022 Unsupported crossing of Devon Icecap, Nunavut-Canada, with Vincent Colliard (IceLegacy project), August.
2019 Unsupported crossing of the North Pole with Mike Horn in the darkness of winter, from Nome in Alaska to Tromsø, August – December.
2019 Crossed Penny and Barnes icecaps on Baffin Island with Vincent Colliard (IceLegacy project). March-April.
2017 Crossed the Chugach Icefield in Alaska with Vincent Colliard. (IceLegacy project). From Columbia Glacier to Markus Baker Glacier. August. First unsupported crossing.
2016 Crossing the St Elias ice field in Alaska with Vincent Colliard. (IceLegacy project). Largest icefield in the US. From Novatak Glacier to Miles Glacier, April – May.
2015 Crossing Stikine icefield in Alaska, (IceLegacy project) with Vincent Colliard. From North Sawyer to Great Glacier and Stikine River, May. First unsupported crossing.
2014 Crossing the Spitsbergen ice field on Svalbard with Vincent Colliard (IceLegacy project). From Verlegenhuken to Von Post breen, August.
2013 October – November. Crossing Southern Patagonia ice field, (IceLegacy project) with Vincent Colliard, and teammates. From Jorge Mont in Chile to Paso Marconi, October- November.
2013 Crossing South Georgia with Thomas Ulrich and teammates. Shackleton Route from King Haakon Bay to Stromness, March.
2012 Starting the IceLegacy project with Vincent Colliard. Crossing Nordaustlandet ice field on Svalbard, with teammates, August. First human powered crossing.
2010 Crossing Vatnajøkulen on Iceland with Erling Kagge and Haraldur Ørn Olafsson.
2010 Sailed through the northeast and northwest passages, with Thorleif Thorleifsson, Vincent Colliard and Stanislav Kostyashin. June – October. First circumnavigate of the North Pole in one season.
2009 Crossing the Northern Patagonia ice field, with Bengt Rotmo and Thorleif Nøkleby. From Laguna San Rafael to Fjord Steffen, November.
2007 Expedition in Fridtjof Nansens footsteps, with Thomas Ulrich. From the North Pole, to Frans Josef land, across the Barents Sea and to Oslo, May - September.
2006 Winter expedition to the North Pole, with Mike Horn. From Cape Arctichesky in Russia, January - March. First unsupported North Pole trip during the months of winter
2003 Crossing the Southern Patagonia ice field in Chile, with Thomas Ulrich. From Tortel to Puerto Natales, August – October. First unsupported crossing.
2003 Everest, South summit, March – May.
2002 Southern Patagonia icefield reconnaissance trip, Chile, with Thomas Ulrich. November.
2001 Solo crossing of the Arctic Ocean. From Cape Arktichesky in Russia, via the North Pole, to Ward Hunt Island in Canada. March – May (supported). First solo across both poles.
1999 Climbed Cho Oyu in Tibet, August-September.
1999 Climbed Huayna Potosí in Bolivia, March.
1996-97 Solo and unsupported across Antarctica. From the ocean side of Berkner Island , via the South pole, to Mc Murdo, November -January. With skisail. First solo and unsupported of Antarctica.
1995 Solo to the South Pole. From the ocean side of Berkner Island. November - December. First to ski solo and unsupported to both poles.
1994 Solo to the North Pole. From Cape Arktichesky in Russia, March - April. First solo and unsupported ski trip to the North Pole.
1993 Skied through Frans Josef Land with Agnar Berg. From Jackson Island to Alexandra Island, April.
1990 Skied to the North Pole with Geir Randby and Erling Kagge. From Ellesmere Island in Canada, March – May. First unsupported ski trip to the North Pole
1989-1991 Norwegian navy, marinejeger, naval special forces.
1986 Skied across Greenland with Agnar berg and Jan Morten Ertsaas. From Johan Petersen Fjord on the east coast to Umanak on the west coast, March – May.