Not every company makes it to ten years. Even fewer do it with their values intact.
On 7 March 2026, Outdoor Norway turns ten! A decade of guiding people through some of Norway's most powerful and untamed landscapes. Through a global pandemic that shut down travel worldwide, through seasons of uncertainty and seasons of growth, the company held its course. What started in 2016 as one founder's bold bet on Voss has become something far greater: a trusted adventure brand that has welcomed over 35,255 guests from more than 100 nationalities — including 7,024 in 2025 alone. They have chosen to put their trust and their courage in.
They've stood on riverbanks before their first rapid. Summited ridgelines in deep snow. Cycled mountain trails with nothing but wind and valley views ahead of them. And somewhere along the way, in those moments, something shifted in them.
That's what ten years of Outdoor Norway looks like. Not just in numbers, but in people changed.
Outdoor Norway didn't start with offices, investors, or a five-year plan. It started near the lake — with limited infrastructure, a clear direction, and a founder willing to build something from the ground up.
Growth was not accidental. Every season brought deliberate refinements: sharper operational systems, deeper guide training, tighter safety procedures, and a relentless focus on the guest experience. What began with mountain biking, river SUP, and kayaking expanded steadily into a full year-round portfolio: whitewater rafting, e-mountain biking, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, fjord kayaking, and retreat-based experiences that attract guests in every season Norway has to offer.
The company matured from a founder-led initiative into a team of 25 dedicated professionals: guides, instructors, coordinators, strategists, and operational leaders, all working toward the same mission.
Today, Outdoor Norway stands as one of Voss' most recognised adventure brands. Not built on shortcuts. Built on consistency, season after season, guest after guest.
Ten years are never a straight line.
There were seasons of doubt and seasons of breakthrough. A global pandemic that brought the travel industry to its knees and tested every assumption the company was built on. Outdoor Norway adapted, restructured, and came back stronger. Not despite the adversity. Because of it. Resilience stopped being a word on a page and became part of the company's DNA.
The performance followed. Strong revenue growth in recent years, a safety record built on relentless standards, and a reputation that now travels far beyond Voss; these aren't vanity metrics. They are the result of trust, earned slowly and protected fiercely.
Trust from guests who come back year after year. Trust from international partners who stake their reputation on ours. Trust from the local community that watched this company grow from the lakeshore up.
But numbers only tell part of it.
The rest lives in the moments. The first time someone took on a rapid, they swore they couldn't. The backcountry ski tours where silence said everything. The strangers who arrived alone and left as friends. That is what a decade actually looks like; not on a spreadsheet, but in people.
Great adventures are made possible by great people. Outdoor Norway has built a diverse and skilled team, from expert outdoor guides and safety instructors to specialists and brand custodians who ensure the company continues to thrive. Every team member of our brand shares the same passion: delivering unforgettable experiences while fostering a deep connection with nature. What unites them is not only technical competence but shared purpose: helping people reconnect with nature in a safe and transformative way.
But beyond skills and passion, what truly sets our team apart is culture. At Outdoor Norway, we invest deeply in our people through structured training, by giving real capacity and ownership, and by actively pushing each team member forward in their development. This is not a place where people simply show up and do a job. It is a place where they grow.
The ones who align with this culture don't just stay longer — they thrive further in every aspect of their lives. We see it time and again: team members who arrive as guides leave as leaders, and many carry with them lessons that shape them personally and professionally long after their time with us. For that, they are genuinely grateful.
This culture doesn't happen by accident. It is the direct result of leadership with vision: A company founded and led by someone with 25 years of experience in outdoor adventure and extreme sport, who understands that the greatest thing you can give another person is the confidence and tools to go further than they thought possible. This is built into the DNA of how we lead, how we teach, and how we grow together.
An Evening with the Team
Voss is more than a location. It is the foundation everything is built on.
The DNA of the Outdoor Norway team was never built in a boardroom. It was forged in nature's playground. In the rivers that carve through the valley. In the winter storms that blanket the mountains. In the cycling trails that wind through open forests and drop into views that stop you mid-pedal. These landscapes don't just shape the experiences we offer. They shape who we are.
Over the past decade, Outdoor Norway has grown alongside Voss itself, a region that has steadily earned its reputation as one of Europe's most compelling adventure destinations. That growth hasn't happened in isolation. It has been built through deep collaboration with local partners, suppliers, and tourism stakeholders who share the same belief: that this place deserves to be experienced, protected, and shared with the world.
We live and breathe the elements of great adventure here. And after ten years, Voss still surprises us.
The story of Outdoor Norway is inseparable from the story of this valley. And that's exactly how we want it.
Whitewater rafting grade 3 on the Raundal River - Raundalselva (in Norwegian)
Outdoor Norway offers expertly guided adventure experiences designed to excite, challenge, and inspire. Whether it’s riding Norway’s some of the best mountain biking trails or exploring Voss’s scenic waterways, every tour is crafted with expertise, emotion, and a commitment to excellence.
Step into something unforgettable →
Adventure and responsibility are not opposites. At Outdoor Norway, they have always gone hand in hand.
As a certified Miljøfyrtårn (Eco Lighthouse) member, we hold ourselves to standards that go beyond the trail. Every season we actively evaluate our operations, asking where we can tread lighter, waste less, and give more back to the landscapes that make all of this possible. These are not gestures. They are commitments we return to every year, because the mountains and rivers we guide people through are not ours to spend. Only ours to protect.
But sustainability at Outdoor Norway runs deeper than environmental policy. It is about building something that lasts: a community where guests feel genuinely welcomed, where experiences are designed for connection as much as adrenaline, and where exploring Voss with friends, family, or loved ones feels like something truly worth doing.
Ten years in, that belief hasn't changed. If anything, it has grown stronger.
Marcio Franco, Founder & CEO
Ten years ago, Outdoor Norway started with a simple belief: that adventure changes people.
When I first arrived in Norway as a safety kayaker and whitewater rafting guide, I felt something powerful in these landscapes; it wasn't just beautiful. It was transformative.
Voss offered raw beauty, accessibility, and community spirit that deserved to be shared with the world. I believed it deserved an adventure company built not just for profit, but on professionalism, integrity, and a long-term vision worth standing behind.
So I built one.
The journey has been everything: challenging, humbling, and deeply rewarding in ways I never anticipated. From leading those first rafting trips down the river to building a team of 25 remarkable individuals, every step has reinforced one truth: people are everything. The guests who trust us with their fear and their courage. The team members who show up every day with passion. The partners who believed in us early. None of this exists without them.
To every single one of you: Thank you. You are the story!
But we're not done. If anything, the next decade demands more from us, not less.
The adventures are still calling and we continue to listen.”