Kjetil Kjernsmo was born on August 14, 1973, in Oslo, Norway, and has lived there his whole life. He holds a degree in astronomy and is currently studying for his master's degree at the Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Oslo. When he is not studying or going to classes, Kjernsmo loves to spend time in the mountains, especially at night. He is a very adventurous person. One of his favorite hobbies is to spend the night in the mountains, sleeping in tents or snow-caves. Kjernsmo, who is an expert at orienteering, wrote this selection "to let people have the same nice experiences" as he has when finding himself in places he's never been and "to help people enjoy and learn more about our beautiful earth." He believes that the compass is a necessity when traveling anywhere.