The emperor
Gaustatoppen has been a tourist destination for several centuries. The vast majority of the climbers who came to the area in the old days needed a guide to take them safely to the top of Gaustatoppen, and not least to get down again. There was a market for professional mountain guides, and many people earned a living helping tourists in the mountains. By far the most famous of these guides was Halvor Brynhildsen Kåse, also known as “the emperor”. He had picked up his nickname during the Danish-Prussian war, doing his military service in Denmark.
The emperor starting working as a mountain guide in 1871. At the time there were a lot of guides competing to take tourists to the top of the mountain, but the emperor’s good humour, helpfulness, lively chatter and ability to get tired tourist legs up rocky paths overcame all comers, and soon he was the undisputed ruler. Demand for his services was so high that tourists often waited several days to get him as their guide. The emperor would guide visitors summer and winter, through driving snowstorms and dense fog, and he encountered bears on several occasions. He climbed Gaustatoppen up to 135 times in a season, and he would often walk until his feet were bleeding.
In due course he also became an expert on the mountains between Rjukan and Rauland. By this time he was one of Norway’s most famous mountain guides, and a member of the Skien-Telemark Tourist Association. The newspapers sang his praises in long, illustrated articles.
In 1905 the emperor and his family moved to Mose, North Dakota, where he remained until his death in 1919. In his old empire, the tourist association is now talking about putting up a plaque in his honour. It would be well deserved, not just because he was one of the most colourful characters to have lived in the area, but also because he represents a period of local history that has been largely forgotten.
Taken from Helge Songe (2006), Gaustatoppen. Fagerstrand: Fagerstrand SP.