Manshausen Island is a remote hideaway owned by polar explorer, writer and photographer Børge Ousland.
The 55-acre private island is situated high above the Arctic Circle in the Grøtøya strait, close to the small village of Nordskot. Access to the island is from the city of Bødo from where the Hurtibåten (speed boat ferry) sails to Nordskot daily taking approximately 1.5 hours.
Manshausen’s location offers a rich year-round environment for adventure enthusiasts and explorers. The award winning seacabins designed by Snore Stinessen offer chic Nordic design, spacious accommodations and stunning views over fjord and mountains. The main house serves as the social hub featuring open kitchen and dining room, lounge to relax, library, plus the expedition loft and conference room.
Fresh seafood is abundant with seasonal produce sourced from local fishermen, farmers and organic producers whenever possible.
Manshausen is an adventure paradise. Offshore there’s sea kayaking, snorkelling, scuba diving in the protected local waters and island hopping is possible sailing on Børge’s 31-foot trimaran ‘Northern Passage’. Fishing has always been important to Manshausen with migrating cod, Halibut, Mackerel and Pollack being the most common species found in around the islands.
On land there’s climbing on red granite at Nordskot (vertical walls are typically 20-30 meters), rappelling, caving at Resshola (the 180 meter long Troll Cave), target shooting, hiking from Nordskot and on the islands of Måløya and Grøtøya. From March through April alpine skiing is possible in the mountains surrounding Steigen (700-1000 meters) including ship-to-shore access for more remote island summits.
For pre-arranged groups it’s possible to arrange lectures from Børge, enjoy bespoke cooking courses led by expert local chefs, or enjoy yoga classes. Cultural tours can also be arranged along with local music and dance experiences.
Manshausen Island was featured on 26 of the Best Trips to Take Right Now on Outside Magazine.
Tour operators in Manshausen Island
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Børge Ousland
Adventures in Manshausen Island
Map
3 days Husky tour
Enjoy the challenge of mushing a team of huskies through the majestic mountains of mid-Norway. On this short-break you’ll rapidly gain confidence as you discover the thrill of the connection between you and your team of huskies. As your bond with the dogs builds the huskies respond and you’ll soon begin to feel at one […]
Polar Expedition Course
Want to know how it is to be a polar explorer or participate on an arctic expedition? Now you have the chance to give the polar explorer in you the knowledge and skills he or she deserves!
Autumn Photo Adventures in Flatanger
Autumn brings you a great array of colours in a changing landscape. The daylight is shorter but the light is simply magical. Join Ole Martin Dahle, the Eagle Man, to get close to nature and wildlife. Stay comfortably at Ole Martin’s guesthouse in Flatanger, photograph the Sea eagle, moose and more. Or join him to Dovre […]
Enhanced Polar Expedition Training
This is the ultimate test for would be Polar Explorers. The Enhanced Expedition is designed to mentally and physically prepare expedition team members to reach their goal of successfully completing Polar Last Degree or Greenland Icecap expeditions. The course will hone your Nordic ski technique and help you master your arctic camping skills. Experienced instructors […]
Expedition skiing course in Norway
Do you want to master Nordic skiing? This course is a great introduction for those who want to learn the basics of Nordic skiing before signing up on a real expedition or on one of our expedition training courses. We usually set up the expedition skiing courses two days prior to our arctic expedition courses. […]
Family Wilderness Week in Lierne
Family time is precious. Today’s hectic, urban lifestyles mean that we’re often too busy to spend quality time with those we love and care for. We’re increasingly becoming disconnected with nature and rarely find the time to appreciate the simple pleasures that outdoor experiences provide.
Crossing Greenland in Spring
This is where Polar Exploration really started with Nansen’s crossing in 1888, and this being the inspiration for many expeditions, also this crossing going from the west to the east coast. And till today it stands out as the most important expedition you can take on. If you have conquered The Inland Ice you are […]
Crossing Greenland, Fall
This is where Polar Exploration really started with Nansen’s crossing in 1888. And till today it stands out as the most important expedition you can take on. If you have conquered The Inland Ice you are ready for everything! In fall we cross Greenland from east to west.
Hotel Spruce – 5 (thousand) stars hotel
High in the mountains of mid-Norway there’s pop-up hotel that is so secret and exclusive that its location shifts with the seasons. Our impact on the pristine environment is minimal, and we prefer to travel light trekking and paddling in using human power. Welcome to Hotel Spruce – our 5 (thousand) stars hotel!
Husky Adventure in Norway
Bodil Bakken, and guide owner of Norway Husky Adventure offers a variety of dog sledding experiences from an exciting day tour to a full-on expedition week mushing a husky team through the forests and mountains of mid-Norway.
Ladies Dogsledding Week in Norway
Enjoy the luxury of a women only dogsledding week in the wonderful mountains of mid-Norway. If you love adventure, want to challenge yourself, learn new skills and meet new friends then this is the trip for you.
Ladies Husky Weekend
Bodil Bakken, owner, guide and musher at Norway Husky Adventure, invites you to join her on a weekend of dog sledding and ‘friluftsliv’ in the beautiful and remote mountains of Trøndelag, mid-Norway. Send an enquire if you are looking for other weekends than the one in the calendar!
Lighthouse Multisport Adventures
The Ellingsråsa Lighthouse is the ultimate hideaway and ideal for a wide range of island based adventures such as sea kayaking, snorkelling, fishing, climbing and rappelling. Live comfortably in the rebuild ligthouse 10 meters from the Atlantic ocean. In this place you can catch and enjoy your own fresh seafood or off course get a chef […]
Muskox winter photo expedition
This tour is carefully selected for photographers who want to experience these amazing animals in their right element, winter & snow. We like to call it a photo expedition as we carefully enter their territory “expedition style” with back country skis, pulkas and the the same equipment that we use on the north- or south pole expeditions. You never […]
North Pole Last Degree
This is the real way to the North Pole. In about 10 days you will experience everything the Polar Sea has in it’s armour: The cold, the pressure ridges, the leads, the drifting ice, the stunning light, the team spirit, how to survive and conquer the harshest environment on earth! To reach the 90° North […]
South Pole Last Degree
To be able to reach the Geographical South Pole, on the least accessible, the coldest, the most windswept, the highest and the most unique continent on earth, you know you have done something extraordinary. With the dramatic and historic fight between Amundsen and Scott as an immense backdrop, we feel both humble and impressed as […]
Spring Photo Adventures in Flatanger
Join The Eagle Man for exceptional photo adventures in beautiful Flatanger! Everybody loves Spring! This is when nature wakes up from its long winter hibernation. The migratory birds are returning and are greeted by resident species to put on an impressive nature show to delight the senses. This is the time when Capercaille and Black […]
Summer Photo Adventure in Flatanger
Experience Flatanger in the summertime. The Flatanger archipelago hosts approximately 20 pairs of nesting sea eagles annually. This high concentration of Sea eagles creates a perfect opportunity to observe and photograph pairs working together to protect and feed their hungry eaglets. Summer season: 1st of May – 1st of October
To the summit of Newtontoppen, Spitsbergen
Newtontoppen (Newton Peak – 1713 masl) is the highest peak on Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. You find it in the heart of Atomfjella (Atom Mountains) surrounded by a breathtaking landscape of glaciers, snow and mountains.
The Northwest Passage Expedition
Challenge yourself on this 400km cold trek on historic ground from Cambridge Bay to Goa Haven! Our North West Passage expedition has everything a polar explorer are dreaming of: Twice as cold as your freezer, breathtaking landscapes, dramatic history and great wildlife. We are skiing across tundra, pack-ice and pressure-ridges and will possibly meet caribous, muskox, arctic foxes and even polar bears. We will also experience the Inuit culture and meet beautiful people on our tour.
Trekking and Wild Food in Børgefjell National Park
A wilderness experience in Børgefjell National Park with unique fishing and stunning landscape
Whales and Northern Lights photo tour
Kaldfjord near Tromsø is a great spotting location for both whales and Aurora Borealis. Join in for stunning photographic and wildlife moments in our Rib that will take you out into the fjords to meet and greet with the whales!
White tailed eagles
Norway has a wealth of wildlife riches contained within pristine habitats and spectacular scenery. Flatanger is best known as the premier destination for photographing white tailed eagles.
Wilderness living in Børgefjell national park
Remote, rugged and wild are three words that perhaps characterise Børgefjell best. The park’s remote and rugged landscape of granite peaks, tumbling waterfalls, birch clad valleys, marshland and lakes provide a dramatic, varied and rugged terrain. The National Park is home to the rare Arctic Fox, European Brown Bear, Lynx, Wolverine, moose, Golden eagle and […]
Winter Photo Adventures in Flatanger
Want a great photo location? Come to Flatanger and The Eagle Man will take you on an unforgettable tour! As photographers we love challenges and the nature of Flatanger can provide a big variety of such. The coastline of Trøndelag can offer anything from spectacular winter light to snow blizzards, calm falling snow and also some challenging […]