By the time early spring 2015 rolled around, Johannes started milling over the idea that it might be possible to guide guests to Preikestolen during the summer/high season in ways that would avoid the crowds of visitors that made their way to the plateau each day. His first idea was to offer twilight tours along the marked trail to Preikestolen with the goal of reaching the plateau just before sunrise. He also believed that it might be possible to reach the landmark by navigating along forgotten and/or non-existent trails. After some research and development, Outdoorlife Norway’s Preikestolen Sunrise and ‘Off the Beaten Track’ Hikes were a reality.
Simultaneously, Johannes realized he might be able to grow his business further by adding Kjerag tours to his portfolio. Though Kjerag was (and still is) a bucket list destination for many outdoor enthusiasts, reaching it is pretty challenging, both in terms of transportation logistics and in terms of safely hiking to the boulder. At the time, there were no other activity providers in the area, and many tourists struggled with just finding their way to the trailhead. Johannes was confident that he could design a guided tour to Kjerag that would fill the demand for a safe, hassle-free, authentic outdoor experience. Because it was the summer/high season, and he wanted to ensure that he avoided the crowds as much as possible, Johannes scheduled his Kjerag tour to start at a much earlier time. By being among the first visitors to reach Kjerag’s mountaintop, he made sure his guests enjoyed hiking in near-solitude and the advantage of not needing to wait in line before standing atop the boulder. As expected, the tour became an immediate hit with travellers.
The rest is history, folks! As of the beginning of 2019, after just five years in business, Outdoorlife Norway holds the place as the leading provider of ‘off the beaten track’ guided adventures in the Lysefjord, and boasts a year-round tour portfolio comprised of more than twenty unique, innovative hikes/treks to locations across our region. Our guides have safely led thousand guests to Preikestolen (more than 700 tours completed), Kjerag (more than 300 tours completed), Flørli, and Skomakarnibbå, among other locations. Demand for our services has steadily grown each year, and as such, so has the size of our team. We look forward to delivering exceptional nature adventures for years to come!