Welcome to Hunting for Bliss!

So glad you’ve found your way to my little corner of the internet! My name is Pawel and I’m a trail runner, mountain adventurer and an all-around mountain activitiy enthusiast in my 30s. Calling the majestic landscapes of Norway my home, I’ve found my greatest passions in trail running, long-distance treks, hiking, climbing, and mountaineering. I pretty much crave to see what nature has to offer. And I guess if you’re here, you might be a bit like me. When I came up with an idea for this page I never wanted it to be just a blog. I like to call it a window into our shared love for the great outdoors, a place where we celebrate every step, climb, and run in nature’s playground 🙂

What to expect?

  • Hiking, Long distance trekking and Trail Running Guides: From detailed trail routes to tips on trail running, you’ll get the real deal based on my experiences.
  • Gear Tips and Reviews: I’ll share my honest thoughts on the gear that keeps up with our rugged adventures.
  • Personal Adventures: I’ll take you along on my personal experiences – the good, the challenging, and everything that brings the joy of exploring the outdoors.
  • God knows what else my compulsive mind comes up with but let’s make this blog as much yours as it is mine. Share your thoughts, your stories too!

Whether you’re here for some trail advice, looking for your next trekking destination, or just want to connect with someone who gets the thrill of the climb, you’re in the right place. Here in Norway, the mountains are a part of who I am and through this blog I hope to share a piece of that with you. Grab a cup of something nice, have a read through the posts and who knows, maybe you’ll find a bit of inspiration for your next outdoor adventure. And hey! I’d love to hear from you, so feel free to drop a comment or connect with me on social media!

THE BEGINNINGS..

Before we begin, let’s go back in time for a while.

It’s December 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic is driving everyone crazy, including myself. I’ve been working from home for over six months and lockdown restrictions in Ireland (where I lived in that moment) were getting worse and more annoying. Sounds familiar?

Many of my friends working in IT were lucky enough to have an option to work remotely. They pretty much ran away from their countries, deciding to base themselves in Spain, Portugal and other European destinations living their best life. Not gonna lie, I did envy them very much! Still remember asking myself the same question for a few months in a row: should I stay or should I go? Is it safe? Is it reasonable? It didn’t take long to make the final call as I kind of always considered myself an adventurer (after all, who the hell is moving countries every year or two?). Since traveling was always the main cause for my savings account to be empty (only in 2019 I visited over 10 countries) this “opportunity” of being able to work from another country felt too good to be true.  I told myself – now or never. The next step was to find a destination that soon would become my new temporary home. I chose Madeira, a Portuguese island close to Morocco and Canary Islands. Having my suitcase ready, I booked myself a one way ticket (god, I always wanted to say that!) and that’s pretty much how the whole thing started. Little did I know how much impactful is that going to be for my future life decisions..

Believe it or not, I never really thought that hiking or even mountains might become something so very important in my life. It’s quite an irony actually as my first “serious” job I had was a sales advisor position in a mountain gear shop in my hometown. During those 3 years, I learned so much about the gear but never fancied hiking, camping or mountaineering that much at that time. I guess the fact that I was a teenager, obsessed with football wasn’t helpful either. Who would have thought that almost 10 years later everything will be changed by 180 degrees.

I think It’s fair to say that I have reinvented myself in Madeira, later on deciding to start this blog so hopefully other like-minded people could follow me in my hunting for bliss journey.

Stay tuned!