i n e - l i l l

Ine-Lill burst onto the Polar scene in 2005 with her and Rita’s extraordinary Mt Vinson / South Pole expedition. Their monster days towards the end were proof of both willpower and unique stamina.
Ine-Lill is her own master, has always gone her own way, and never sought fame! She has meticulously gone through all the grades to become what I would call the complete ‘outdoorer’. She genuinely loves being out there, and we are so happy she came on board!
— Børge Ousland

INE-LILL HJELM GABRIELSEN

• NORWEGIAN • POLAR EXPLORER • SKI & POLAR COACH •  GUIDE • GLACIER / SAFETY / CLIMBING / KAYAKING / LIFESAVER INSTRUCTOR •

Born with a spirit of adventure and a tendency to wander into the unknown, Caroline’s first expedition might have been to the back of her fridge, but she quickly graduated to far more ambitious terrains.

Caroline was born in Longueuil. That is just outside the slightly better-known Montréal and puts her firmly in the French-Canadian part of Canada. Thus, the exotic accent.

Before diving into the world of polar exploration, she developed as an ultra-trail runner, competing internationally in races ranging from 50km to 160km. 
She enjoyed a brief but fulfilling career in the sport, winning several long-distance events. It proved to be the perfect way to lay the foundations for later polar strength: pushing physical and mental limits in wild, remote terrains.

Alongside running, she worked as an adventure filmmaker, which is what first brought her to the polar regions. In 2014, she directed her first documentary during the Xp Antarctik expedition. From that moment, she was hooked. The vastness, silence, and raw beauty of the polar landscapes became a deep source of inspiration and ultimately, a calling..

 

In 2021 she married Vince. Both of them already having moved to Norway started on a new path, and lucky us, became an integral part of Team Ousland.

Today, she guides in polar regions with a strong focus on storytelling, safety, and sharing the powerful connection between humans and the wild.

 

Her love for the wild led her to, and was seriously tested in, the Arctic Svalbard, where she undertook a sixty-three-day unsupported expedition with her husband, Vince. It seriously stunned the polar community and firmly placed her and Vince at the top of our tradition.
She has also solo crossed a part of Antarctica and reached the South Pole from Hercules Inlet in thirty-three days, two hours, and fifty-three minutes (a record at the time and 43km pr day average :-• ).

Years before, she explored the Forbidden Plateau of the Antarctic Peninsula twice. She then guided a Greenland Icecap crossing. Her building, supporting, and leading teams was like a duck to water. She enjoyed it a lot! And so has everyone going with her.


She loves the Northern part of Canada. But she now lives in the Arctic Circle in Norway. Last year she became a mum. She named her son Leif because she thinks that Leif Erickson was the best explorer.  

Like you, she is in love with places where most people’s eyelashes freeze before they can say, “Pass the hot chocolate.”  

Caroline is very much part of own ‘Love-Story’

Her secret ADVICE:

Bring a really nice surprise for your team like a fresh pineapple 

Don’t bring your Ipad

Don’t bring your coffee machine 

All this translates to: if you care for the others, your reward will be massivly enhanced. The same applies if you leave your urban / digital life behind. And, this is your chance to live, take in, and savour the saying: you should only own 7 things in life.

Highlights

• New route from Mt. Vinson to the South Pole (1320km) – unsupported and unsupplied

• Five of seven summits

• Skiing Norway from end to end (2400 km)

• Rowing Norway from end to end (2250km)

• Cycling Norway from end to end (2800km)

• Climbed two-digits 4000m in Europe

• Climbed two-digits 2000m in Norway

 

Relevant background:

• 16 years as sports and outdoor activity teacher at high school

• Five years as sports officer, Norwegian Army and United Nations

•Glacier Guide

• Senior-level cross-country ski instructor (10 years as coach)

• Climbing instructor

• Hunter

• Polar Explorer

• Guided Greenland, Norway, Svalbard etc

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FOLLOW FOR MORE OF CAROLINE |
insta: no trace
homepage: no - not this girl

and on facebook? no chance

but you can find her rowing adventure on insta!!!: @baklengsmotnord

ENJOY SOME OF INE-LILL’S TRIPS: