Image Credit: Visit Norway
In the town of Gjøvik, Norway, a very unique recreational activity got its start. The activity is known as Stolpejakten or “the pole hunt” in English. Pole hunting consists of finding poles that are located in municipalities throughout Norway. In Gjøvik, during its inaugural year in 2013, there were 50 poles placed in the town that people would look for and cross off their list.
Since 2013, pole hunting has gained much momentum. The activity is appealing to many as it’s free and inclusive to young and old, regardless of ability. In fact, one participant of the sport is 74-year-old Olav Egen, who unfortunately had to stop his hobby as an ultrarunner after undergoing open heart surgery. Fortunately, he has been able to continue exercising through pole hunting and has visited 30,000 poles since he began in 2014. He takes advantage of his days out pole hunting and averages between 50 and 70 poles during his five-to-six-hour excursions.
There are now 190 municipalities that participate in pole hunting. It is easy to join in; all you need is a physical map with the pole locations or the Stolpejakten app. If you have the app on your phone, you can scan the QR code on each pole to keep track of all the poles you have visited. There are four levels of difficulty for the poles: Green is very easy, Blue is simple, Red is medium, and Black is difficult. The more poles a person visits, the more chances they have to win prize drawings.
Things have come full circle since the creation of Stolpejakten, with the world’s tallest pole hunting pole being unveiled in Gjøvik in June of this year. It is 15 meters high and registered around 500 visitors on the first day.
The next time you find yourself in Norway, keep your eyes peeled for the poles. Who knows, the activity might lead you to something new and unexpected.