Elisa Røtterud in Focus

Q: What is your ambition in life?
I want my life to be filled with enthusiasm, curiosity and small and big adventures.
I am a seeker of hedonism: A lifestyle of enlightenment and enjoyment.

Q: Best moment?
I find magical moments in the mountains.
One time i cried of exhaustion from the summit of an 8000- meter peak,
while i ate a chocolate bar back at base camp.
The exhaustion and the joy of eating the chocolate was such a comical and contrast field moment. I love contrasts.

Q: What motivates you to keep on challenging yourself on new journeys?
I get challenged by having dreams and goals. A dream that I must train for and while I train and dream,
I discover that my body works, and then I start to train my mind, our biggest muscle.
When my mind is ready I often buy a plane ticket to the Himalayas!
There i see that the reality is harder, cooler, more beautiful and painful than I could imagine! That motivates me.

Q: Any snobby habits?
Unfortunately, there are too many things…
– I prefer flying business class
– I enjoy staying 2 nights at a 5- star resort after 4 weeks with no shower in a tent somewhere.
– I love craftsmanship and a good story.
– Norwegian Raspberries and Strawberries. (They are the best!)
– Gucci and Gore Tex
– Tiffany and Tom Wood

Q. What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability to me means quality and traceability.
I like to know where my garments, accessories and furniture are made and who made them.
Are the conditions at the factories good? Do they have a good mix of men and women?
Quality means: buy less, a good story and longevity. You take better care of your stuff if you invest in quality.
You get emotionally attached to them. I prefer slow fashion.

Q: What is on your bucket list?
I really want a dog. I have chosen not to have kids, but I really want a dog. A Greenland dog.
The biggest you can get! Unfortunately, my husband has allergies. That really irritates me.
So, I guess this is more of a dream, than a bucket list. Right now, I’m recovering from an expedition in the Indian Himalayas,
so my bucket list this week is: Retoxing. The opposite of detox. I have been training for this expedition for the last 6 months.
Now I want to make a fire in my backyard, meet friends at a cool restaurant, do yoga, drink wine and laugh.
I cried a lot on my last expedition, but that’s a different story.

Q: Anything you collect?
I have a collection of stones that are heart shaped. Sometimes i need to carry them for hours down the mountains
and they are so heavy that I have to go to the chiropractor afterwards.
It really annoys me because an appointment in Norway is so expensive! Sometimes i find stones that are too heavy to carry,
and I almost cry when I have to leave them behind. I have around 50 heart shaped stones now. Each stone has a story.
They mean something to me. I never look for them they just appear!

Q: Nice to know but not need to know?
I’m a sucker for British Crime on TV.
From time to time, I dress up in a detective hat and smoke a pipe at home
while I talk and laugh with exaggerated British accents.

Q: Where in the world would you take us to and why?
I would really love to take you to Nepal. I would invite you to a fantastic and maybe a life changing experience.
Wow, what a country! My great Sherpa friends and their community is just amazing and the Himalaya mountains speaks for itself!

Q: If you could open a museum, what would it be filled with?
Oh, I love this question! It would be a great space to finally show my heart shaped stones
and tell the story behind everyone of them through audio and VR.
But to really attract people I might need to add Brancusi, Helmut Newton, couture Chanel and Saint Laurent,
some epic mountain films and an oyster restaurant. How cool would that be?! RSVP!