Published: 30 Jan, 2018 | Last updated: 04 Jul, 2022
Why?
Well, because I
love it! I love my lifestyle! When others get up early in the morning on a
Monday, to make a living with a nice car and a nice big house, I get to lie
outside among the morning chirping and the sunrise and feeling the sun on my
skin.
Without a permanent
job and obligations, I can be in the western mountains at home in my village
one day, and the next day be on my way to Canada, Nepal, Russia, Alaska,
Chile... I would like to spread my sense of adventure. There is something that
gives me so much energy for life, that I decide how I want to live my life
without someone pointing and directing me where to go and what lifestyle I
should have.
On a steady course towards a new destination, a dream, and new experiences. Among the valleys in Chile, on the way to cross the arctic glacier in Patagonia.

My dreams and
desire for adventure take time away from family and friends, but again I get to
spend a lot of time with them when being at home at other times that most
people don't have the opportunity to. Climbing high mountains or walking among
predators presents risks and can lead to dangerous situations, but it brings
you closer to nature and closer to yourself. You have to trust yourself and
it's about working together with nature. Others could never imagine such a
weekday where they do not know what will meet them: A polar bear in the tent, a
snowdrift among vertical walls in the Himalayas or deep ice crevasses in
Greenland or in arctic regions. But this gives me a lot of excitement and the
eagerness to want more, to meet new people, destinations, and cultures. People
have become creatures of habit and want to be comfortable, but we are basically
animals who want to follow the rest of the "wolf pack". Bringing
others along on a climbing course, or an active holiday that is out of the
ordinary, reverses the trend and more people find joy in experiences rather
than relaxing on a beach. Experiences have become prestigious, which means that
more and more people want to experience new situations to have a break from
their everyday lives where you know exactly what will happen every hour, every
day and every week.

Without new challenges, there are no new experiences either. 8,000 meter mountains are one of those challenges that make you richer in new experiences. The photo was taken
just below the summit at Manaslu 8163m.
Most people focus on how hard and daring it is to walk on long expeditions, I like to focus on
the positive. What motivates me on such trips is how happy and grateful I feel for doing what I love, to have fun. There is little point in walking among vertical walls of ice if the smile does not come out every time. The smile is the most important muscle to be used!


Was it cold? The word cold is relative! I
learned, -50 degrees Celsius, not far from the coast in arctic Alaska, is quite cold! But various lessons from indigenous people around the world teach you how to keep your body warm.
I guess I need
material goods and security to live the way I do. It may sound super easy to be
an adventurer, but that's not what I'm experiencing. But the freedom, the
mountains and the world are worth every inconvenience. A more traditional
lifestyle is demanding too: Every week is full of children, school, work,
football training... I think that is impressive - that it is possible to drive
in high gear for such a long time.
I think it's super
cool that people can live the type of life they want, whether it's family life,
cycling pro, surfing pro or whatever it might be. It inspires me that people go
for what they are passionate about, even if it is not the easiest path. But it’s
always worth it when you achieve your dreams and goals in life. Because even if
others have prepared a future for you, it does not mean that it is the right
way out for you, even if the easiest thing is to follow where everyone else has
blazed a trail. My advice is to never give up, stand your ground and do what
you want! The most important thing is to believe in yourself and be ready to
sacrifice what it takes to live accordingly!
Brushing your teeth and laying down in your sleeping bag in the uncertainty of what you will
wake up to makes me happy. The knots in your hair are bigger every morning, but no one knows what nature experience is in store for the next day, when you reach your destination, what animals you will encounter, do you have enough chocolate for the next day… Just living in the moment.
