I met Conor at one of the board game events he organized in Bergen. He’s the founder and driving force behind a Facebook group called Bergen Hiking and Social. It took some diplomacy—and a 10-kilometer hike—to convince him to do an interview for Meeples of Bergen. Bad for my knees, but great for the webpage.
Oh, and we absolutely nailed the pub quiz at Finnegan’s last night—first place, baby! Bergen Hiking and Social gathers some of the most brilliant minds out there… and me.
But let’s get back to the interview.
Q1: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into both hiking and board gaming?
Conor: I’ve loved hiking all my adult life but where I grew up near Birmingham there were very few good places to hike. It has become much easier to find good hiking spots since I moved to Bergen 5 years ago. The surrounding mountains are full of beauty throughout the year and are a great way to get some exercise and fresh air.
I have played board games with the family since I was young. I enjoy the competition and the tactical thinking involved in trying to succeed, though admittedly I used to be a very sore loser when I didn’t win. I like to think I’ve learned not to care as much about winning as i’ve gotten older and just enjoy the game as well as the time spent with friends.
Q2: What inspired you to start Bergen Hiking and Social?
Conor: The group began on the social events app, Meetups, by an Australian expat named Louisa. I first attended in my early days of living in Bergen. I had no friends in Bergen and the tight grip of Covid lockdown meant social activities were at a bare minimum. Hiking ended up being one of the few things people could do so I was eager to join and meet new people.
Over the years, the original founder needed to move back to Australia and left the group in the hands of me and a few friends and we started expanding the nature of the activities, including board games nights. Those friends have since also moved away and now it’s only me. I moved the group to Facebook in late 2024 because the Meetups group became too expensive to run and there were too few people using it. That is why Bergen Hiking and Social started.
Balancing Two Passions: Hiking & Board Games
q3: Your group focuses on both board gaming and hiking, but you keep them separate—hiking on nice days, board games when the weather isn’t great. How did you come up with that idea?
Conor: It rains a lot in Bergen, and I’m not so fond of walking in the rain. It’s therefore best to find an indoor activity to do now and then. Keeping variety in our activities also encourages a wider range of people to come along and meet each other in different environments.
q4: Do you find that members are drawn more to one activity over the other, or is it a good mix of both?
Conor: The indoor activities such as board games evenings and pub quiz nights tend to be more consistently popular in terms of attendance, whereas the hike can draw more people but only if the weather is good. Understandably, the cold, dark winters don’t often attract as many people to the mountains.
q5: Have you noticed any crossover—people who joined for one activity but got into the other through the group?
Conor: Some people only like to play board games and some people only like to go hiking but usually once they’ve met people in the group, they come along to socialise regardless of the activity.
Building a Small but Close-Knit Community
Q6: Your group currently has 131 members, which keeps it relatively small. How does that shape the dynamic?
Conor: The group on Meetups had around 900 members so we clearly lost a few in the transition to Facebook but the number of members doesn’t mean as much as how many people are actively coming along to board game events. Having a small group makes it easier to organise board games evening in public spaces as we require less space, but of course I love to see new people getting involved so the dynamic will shift as the group develops.
q7: What do you do to keep members engaged and active in both aspects of the group?
Conor: When I’m more consistent in organising a variety of events, we get more people coming along and more people coming along encourages me to be more consistent in organising events. Having variety, consistency and accessibility for new people are vital to encouraging people to come along.
Q8: Have you seen friendships form through the group?
Conor: Yes, from people who have met in this group, I’ve seen many friendships, some relationships and even a baby on the way. Most of my friends have come through this group too. Most of the time, once people start making friends, they organise activities privately and then they don’t feel the need to come to the group events anymore, so people come and go. I like to keep the group going so new people can come along and make friends because it was so valuable to me for making friends when I moved here.
The Iconic Yellow Rubber Duckie
Q9: You have a fun way of making sure new members can find you—placing a yellow rubber duckie while waiting. How did that start?
Conor: I’ve joined a few groups like this, where I don’t know anyone and I don’t know who to look for. I find it’s always easier for people to find you if you have something notable to highlight you.
Q10: Have you ever had any funny or unexpected moments because of the duck?
Conor: Not yet, Norwegians are surprisingly unperturbed by the duck. Hopefully one day a good anecdote will create itself.
Challenges & Rewards
q11: What’s been the biggest challenge in running a niche community like this?
Conor: The biggest challenge is probably finding the motivation to organise the events every week. Like everyone, I have busy periods of work or hectic social calendars, or simply just feeling tired or unsocial. But I know once I’m out chatting to people on a hike or over a board game, i’ll always have a fun time.
Q12: And what’s been the most rewarding part of it?
Conor: The best part is making new friends, meeting new people from interesting backgrounds and hearing their cool stories, and of course finding new board games to play or new hiking routes to explore.
Game & Trail Recommendations
Q13: For board game days, what are some favorites among the group?
Conor: It’s usually popular to start with Exploding Kittens as it’s easy to explain and easy to play. Codenames, Saboteurs and Secret Hitler are popular choices too.
Q14: What are your top three hiking spots that the group loves?
Conor: That’s a big question! It depends on the time of year but I think the trip to Blåmanen via Fløyen is a good route, Løvstakken is good fun too, and the Stoltzen stairway is often popular with people looking for a challenge.
Q15: Have you had any particularly memorable hikes or board game meetups?
Conor: Moments that are particularly memorable tend to be the unfortunate moments. Some hikes where we get lost, some where people forget to bring water or appropriate shoes, some where a storm comes out of nowhere and we all get drenched. I guess they are the more memorable ones. But most are casual chats about random subjects while climbing a mountain which is always fun, if not particularly memorable. I’m sure some memorable board games evenings will come up too but I’m glad they’ve all been pleasant enough to not be particularly memorable.
Looking Ahead
Q16:Where do you see the group going in the future? Any plans for special events or growth?
Conor: I take it as it comes, usually depending on how much time I have to organise something and how interested people are. Hopefully more pub quizzes, games nights like shuffleboard or pool/biljard and more adventurous hikes out of the city, but I’m always happy to get ideas from the people that come along and see what everyone is interested in.
Q17: What advice would you give to someone looking to start a small but dedicated community like yours?
Conor: It takes work to build anything up and consistency to keep it going. But if you enjoy meeting new people, then there will always be people who welcome it and join in. Social media and events planning apps are a great way to let people know about your group’s events.