Bjarne Jørgensen, son of the founder Jørgen Jørgensen, took over the ownership and management of Norrøna in 1948.
In the post-war years, Norwegian outdoor life experienced significant growth. People in Norway's major cities gained better financial means and more leisure time – and often sought out nature. They ventured into the forests, local recreational areas (“marka”), and the high mountains.
The Norwegian Trekking Association (Den Norske Turistforening) continuously opened more cabins for public use in the Norwegian mountains – and the Norwegian Alpine Club (Norsk Tindeklub) became a gathering place for courageous and ambitious climbers. The cliffs at Kolsås – close to Norrøna’s headquarters – attracted climbers who wanted to practice for the high peaks and large walls in mountain ranges such as Jotunheimen, the Sunnmøre Alps, Romsdalen, Innerdalen, Lofoten, and Lyngen.
The Norwegian professor of philosophy and mountaineer Arne Næss Sr. brought bolt-climbing to Norway after a period of study in Vienna – and made the first ascent of the spectacular South Pillar of Stetind in Northern Norway with Else Hertzberg as early as 1936. In 1950 and 1964, Næss led the first Norwegian Himalaya expeditions – both to the Pakistani mountain Tirich Mir (7,705 m). We do not know for sure if Norrøna played a role in these trips, but they nevertheless speak volumes about the zeitgeist and the new opportunities and strong position of outdoor life – and mountain sports – in the Norwegian society. Amidst all these exciting events and initiatives, Bjarne Jørgensen and his skilled colleagues at Norrøna continued the work of creating outdoor and leisure products of the highest possible quality. The product range was greatly expanded under Bjarne Jørgensen’s leadership and ownership – and eventually consisted of outdoor clothing, backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, and other accessories, in addition to other related product groups such as camping products and garden furniture.
