What is it about Norway that breeds some of the world’s greatest explorers? Norwegians have racked up many of the most impressive milestones of exploration (particularly high-latitude exploration) even since a 25 year-old Leiv Eiriksson discovered America in ~1000 AD. But why? What allows this small country to punch so far above its weight?

I’ve been in the mountains of Norway for the last week trying to find an answer to this question. Ok ok, so I’ve actually been in the secluded town of Rjukan for some ice climbing, but I have gotten a sense of what makes Norwegians the Sherpas of exploration. First of all, to state the obvious, Norwegian winters are cold: just getting by in this environment is an accomplishment – one that selectively breeds the crucial qualities of endurance and fortitude. There are no “soft” Norwegians; complaining about a negative 20 degree wind chill or a foot of snow would make you a monotonous bore. More tellingly, people seem to not merely endure the elements but embrace them. Kids sled joyfully down hillsides, old women ski down the sidewalks, and every other store sells nordic skis and parkas.

The first step is endurance. The second step is appreciation. And the third step is to get on a well-built boat. I believe that a fervent appreciation for the outdoors almost inevitably leads to a desire to push the boundaries and peer over the next mountain, figuratively and literally. Given Norway’s historical arc, I think that’s exactly the model we’re seeing. Countries generally explore for because of imperial ambitions, religious evangelism, national pride, or curiosity / scientific knowledge. After the Viking age, it’s hard to make a case for a territorial expansionist motive. Other powers such as Spain and England were much more interested in converting other people to Christianity, and Norway doesn’t seem overly concerned with proving itself to anyone. So it seems that, more than most countries’, Norway’s brand of exploration is remarkably “pure,” inspired by a craving for a challenge and a desire to push the boundaries born from an appreciation for nature’s most difficult obstacles.

Rjukan winterscapes