Backcountry Trekking, Canoeing & Overnighters

Are you a group of friends, a family, an individual, or an organisation that is looking for a custom adventure and mentoring in the Norwegian mountains? We offer ourselves to be booked by individuals for various activities or combinations of them.
Summer (spring, autumn) activities are possible from May to Oktober.
Our guiding is mainly focused on: canoe guiding on the rivers (sections) Otta & Finna and the Vågåvattnet, and trekking / hiking guides in the Jotunheimen, Reinheimen and Breheimen Nationalparks as well as the areas around.

Backcountry Tours – Skis, Snowshoes & Pulkas

Are you a group of friends, a family, an individual, or an organisation that is looking for a custom adventure and mentoring in the snow, ice, the cold?  We offer ourselves to be booked by individuals for various activities or combinations of them. Winter activities are possible from mid December – mid April.

Bushcrafting, Survival & Primitive Outdoor Living

Are you a group of friends, a family, an individual, or an organisation that is looking for a custom adventure, mentoring, training or a course?  We offer various activities in the segments of Bushcrafting, Outdoor-Skills and Survival skills. Read more below.

In Bushcrafting, it is about living primitive and practical with nature, and from nature. Often making something from what we find in nature.
Outdoor-Skills, it is more about moving effective, comfortable and energy efficient in nature, often using a combination of modern, traditional and nature materials.
In Survival, it is more about having an adversery of some kind. Either people, animals, the elements, nature, group dynamics or your own mind.

Thank you very much, Marie and Manuel, for an amazing canoe tour on the Finna River, a lively mountain river located in the midst of an impressive glacially formed trough valley in the Norwegian fjell. We thoroughly enjoyed both the exiting rapids and the relaxed picnic by the riverbank with you!

We had a really nice family experience with Marie and Manu! We got to try out pulling our baby boy in a fjellpulka sled with skis and make a proper winter camp in the beautiful unique dry Mountain landscape around Vågåmo. We slept in their hand sewn teepee (super impressed!) and we even saw the northern lights that night as we sat around the fire. They were really experienced and professional and created a lovely easy going and also inspired atmosphere. Pointed out a lot of species and their uses and talked about traditional handicraft and how different indigenous cultures have lived in the wilderness. Really knowledgable couple. Hope we can have another trip together one day and couldnt recommend Marie and Manu more as guides!

The way he (manuel) interacted and introduced us to his knowledge was very inspiring!

“On a winter day in December, I went into the mountains with Manuel. He had prepared the trip down to the last detail and knew how to navigate the snow-covered routes well, safely guiding me to our overnight spot. It was a beautiful trip and good company!”

In various ways, it has made a deep impression on me. Things that I was worried about turned out not to be difficult at all (like the lack of privacy and the cold), and things that were difficult I didn’t expect (like the fear I felt when I almost fell into the water). I would have loved to stay longer to get into a better rhythm that is more in harmony with nature.
An impressive and beautiful experience that I often think back to. It was confronting to see how accustomed I was to the luxury of modern times. I gained (even more) respect for nature and for the people who are able to live in harmony with it.

Manuel Sturm demonstrated remarkable competence in terms of his wilderness knowledge, both in content and methodology. It was evident and tangible that he not only possessed extensive and intricate knowledge but also tested, retained, discarded, or refined everything he shared with the group based on his own experiences.

Loved it! Extreme experience made special by our fab guides Marie and Manu.

Great mentoring! You listened, built confidence, and motivated us to surpass our own perceived limits. We learned a lot from you, especially when you sensed our eagerness to learn and showed us new things. I believe I could have learned even more, but even with the 14-day period, time still felt too short

Some magical back country skiing days in the Norwegian mountains with Manuel Incl. a hefty snowstorm visiting our tarp overnight. A good material ánd team test it was 🙂

We where guided by Manuel & Marie through a fantastic winter-landscape on skis. It was totally remote – we did not meet a single person in the 5 days. I learned a lot, mastered the cold, and we had excellent food too.

I have been into the European wilderness twice with Manuel. Both trips were during wintertime, amidst heavy layers of snow. They were both experiences I still cherish. One of the trips was in the Alps in a desolate valley. Manual is completely open about his considerations and knowledge, which made me feel safe all the time. He is very well prepared and makes sure all safety requirements are met. And what is also important, Manuel has great insight into interactions in his group. During meals and in the evening he creates an atmosphere in which beautiful conversations can emerge.

Thank you Marie & Manu – your organisation and guiding skills helped to see things differently. Complicated things got simple. Simple things became complicated. F.e. going on the toilet with 1,5m deep snow or making a fireplace that neither wind nor melting snow can kill easily. We learnt to articulate things, when tension was on. We returned safe, found peace and a way to take it back to our daily lifes.

Manuel has the ability to teach all his knowledge in a very humble way , this creates an excellent atmosphere to learn.

I received just enough knowledge to be able to learn by myself, inspiring mentoring!

Manu allowed us to learn by ourselves through trial and error, encouraging us not to be afraid of making mistakes and fostering self-confidence while connecting with nature. He also assisted us in uncovering our creativity.

Thank you very much, Marie and Manuel, for an amazing canoe tour on the Finna River, a lively mountain river located in the midst of an impressive glacially formed trough valley in the Norwegian fjell. We thoroughly enjoyed both the exiting rapids and the relaxed picnic by the riverbank with you!

We had a really nice family experience with Marie and Manu! We got to try out pulling our baby boy in a fjellpulka sled with skis and make a proper winter camp in the beautiful unique dry Mountain landscape around Vågåmo. We slept in their hand sewn teepee (super impressed!) and we even saw the northern lights that night as we sat around the fire. They were really experienced and professional and created a lovely easy going and also inspired atmosphere. Pointed out a lot of species and their uses and talked about traditional handicraft and how different indigenous cultures have lived in the wilderness. Really knowledgable couple. Hope we can have another trip together one day and couldnt recommend Marie and Manu more as guides!

Manuel has the ability to teach all his knowledge in a very humble way , this creates an excellent atmosphere to learn.

What are our guiding values?

Curiosity & Learning

We want all our clients to leave us having learned or tried something new. We encourage to be curious about nature and the environments we move through.

We focus on learning & development and building your individual resilience.

Appreciation & Respect

We encourage a conscious way of moving in nature when we are a guest somewhere. What do we take? How much? Can we vocalise gratitude? Do we leave no trace?

We focus on becoming one with the natural world.

Honesty & Integrity

Honesty and integrity has to do with being open and expressing ourselves. It becomes especially important when we go off the beaten track & into the unknown.

We move as one organism, as one group, listening to each other.

Authenticity & Mindfulness

Do we dare to slow down, focus on being – can we let go of being always on, always connected? Can we make space for being in the moment?

We focus on authentic experiences rather than the perfect picture.

Questions & Answers:

Day-rates for a guide start at 3500NOK/ day for up to 5 people. Every additional person is 600NOK more.
Extra fee for rental of equipment, for food and in some cases transportation.
Winter prices are higher, and also for special activities such as glacier tours and cave tours.
Insurance (travel, accident, medical, evacuation…) is not included and is an individual responsibility.
Call or write us with your wishes and we will give you a customised quote.

In general, yes! We are open to this and have done this before.
Sometimes it asks extra preparation, and not everything is possible with children.
Contact us with your specific questions and we will do our best.

You will need to bring your own personal equipment, usually clothes, backpack, sleeping mats, and if we stay out overnight, also camping gear.
Special equipment we usually have for rent (safety gear, fire cooking gear, canoes, skis…)
After we received the down-payment to reserve your booking, you will be sent a detailed packing list specified to the activity.

We agree on this when you make the booking.
Usually it is in Vågåmo, Lom or at a camping in Sjodalen, depending on the content.

We like to focus on the area around Vågåmo, Lom, Sjodalen and the Nationalparks around. Here we live and here we know it best. But we do work also occasionally in Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, and The Netherlands.
Do you have other wishes? Contact us with your questions.

Theoretically yes, but our focus is to guide you away from the usual tourist spots, ‘into the great wide open, into the wild’.
Our focus and strongpoint is not on glacier, high-alpine, climbing, caving, kayaking and rafting. There are other companies who specialise in this. We gladly recommend you some or connect you to them.

No.
Our focus and strongpoint is not on glacier, high-alpine, climbing, caving, kayaking and rafting. There are other companies who specialise in this. We gladly recommend you some or connect you to them.
Our focus is to guide you away from the usual tourist spots, ‘into the great wide open, into the wild’.

Usually not. You need to come with your own car and usually you follow the guide with your car to a parking spot at the trailhead.
Contact us with questions.

When we organise custom-trips, we can usually adjust quite well to most levels of fitness.
Often you do have to carry everything you need for the duration of the trip on your back, yourself, including sometimes extra group gear.
You do need to be able to confidently swim for canoeing or other river/ lake near activities.

In the winter months, that being December-April, the temperature range (absolute high and low) is between +10 and -30. Both +10 and -30 is usually only a few days. The average is more around -10 to -15 in February and around 0/ -10 in March for example. And in April it is more around 0c average.

The temperature can be very different depending on what month it is: January & February usually the coldest.
The temperature can be locally very different: depending on altitude, topographic features, cold sinks etc.
The temperature can be experienced very different: In our area, we have dry cold here usually, so it feels less cold.
Wind can  influence the temperature felt drastically, and make it feel a lot colder than it is.

So you see: It’s not an easy answer. We know that it is possible to handle the cold and we can learn you how if you are open to learn. Good clothing is important, but it only helps when you behave according to the rules of winter and the cold. If you do not follow basic principles, you will be cold. If you do follow our instructions, chances are high that you will be amazed at how much you can actually handle with joy.

Our goal is not that you suffer, or that you are freezing cold. The contrary. We want you to enjoy, and to enjoy, you have to sleep well, eat well, and have the control over your own body temperature regulation.
We do our best to help in all these points.

The dark can bring great focus inwards, the dark can be experienced also as a cozy blanket for some. And it brings much bigger possibilities to see the Northern lights! The snow reflects the light, also at night, and it does not feel so dark after all. The only downside, if one can say so, is that you have less time to move from camp to camp and build camp in light.
It is never all day long dark where we are as we are below the arctic circle.
In the darker days in December and January, the sun is really low over the horizon all day long and it is an amazing. light and experience. Like a permanent sun rise- sun set in a way. Dusk and dawn take a long time too.

That being said, it gets rapidly more light from February onwards. Then you have already light until 6PM.
Somewhere in March, the days are already longer than in central Europe.
In April and Mai, you can start to go around in the dark even without a torch as some light is still there long after sun set and before sun-rise.
It actually gets really bright on the snow then. You need sunglasses (a matter of safety even) and sunscreen.

We can adjust the activities to the level of experience in the group – therefore you are also welcome as a beginner, we are glad to introduce you step by step to exploring winter worlds on Ski’s & Snowshoes.

Both ski & snowshoe are great for different type of terrains and areas.
Mostly, skiing uses less energy and enables you to move more swiftly and elegant through a winter landscape.
For someone who never has been standing on ski’s, it usually takes a day or two to get into it. So if that is the total time of the trip, then we would recommend trying snowshoes instead.
We can adjust the route, area and type of activity to experience levels and wishes.
Even combinations are possible.

In the winter, rain is very very rare. It usually only snows.
In the summer season (and spring/ autumn), there can be rain, although we operate in an area with very little precipitation per year, it almost qualifies as a desert.
We always bring rain-clothes and will tell you to bring them too on any packing list. However, in our experience we do not use those so much. A good wind-jacket is much more important and usually sufficient.

We prioritize safety at all times. Here are some examples:

  • We meticulously plan and adjust routes and difficulty levels based on participants’ abilities. During trips, we continuously assess and adapt as needed.
  • We closely monitor weather conditions through various sources and on-site observations to ensure safe and informed decision-making.
  • Our routes are carefully planned in advance, considering evacuation options and alternative routes.
  • Safety gear, such as first aid kits, emergency transponders, and specialized equipment, is always carried as required.
  • For higher risk activities, we have two guides present.
  • We provide thorough instructions on how to use safety and emergency equipment to our clients and guests.
  • Our guides are certified in wilderness first aid.

We also expect responsibility from our clients and guests:

  • It is essential to bring the equipment listed on the packing list, as some items are safety-relevant.
  • Clients are expected to listen to and follow the rules and instructions provided by the guide, seeking clarification when needed.
  • If venturing off alone, clients must inform the guide or leader about their destination, duration, and items they carry.

Wild animals/ dangerous animals are usually never a concern. There are literally no bears and wolves left in the area we are in as many sheep and other animals graze freely in the mountains during the summer. Wild animals are usually very shy and avoid all human contact.

Contact us with your questions on 0047 969 19 523 or write us here:

BE WILD, BE REAL

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