UPDATE MARCH 2023: The expedition team is full, please do not apply.
I am beyond grateful for the opportunities EC has given me. I was able to assemble a fantastic team for my small scale expedition in Norway. I was able to connect with so many interesting people who share a similar dream.
UPDATE 1st Jan 2023: Hi everyone. The response has been great for this trip. I'm still looking for one other person. Sense of humour essential, failure: a daily reality, no supermen or women wanted, just a sense of adventure, an understanding of cold and difficult days that often won't work out well, and a willingness to get involved. It's 2 months thereabouts, heading north from near Junosuando in Sweden and turning right somewhere into Finland, this is a collaboration: I'm not the leader...! Ben
Do you want to join a polar training expedition next March or April?
Right now, I am in the midst of planning two long-distance ski expeditions, one in the high Swedish arctic, the other in central Norway.
Tour 1: Ten days in northern Sweden, following the Kungsleden Trail in winter. No camping, just sleeping in nice warm wooden huts that are along the way, skiing around 20 km a day on well-marked trails, it’s freezing cold, but absolutely stunningly beautiful.
Tour 2: The one getting closer to real polar expedition conditions. The Hardangervidda in central Norway. This is where people come to train for Greenland or even the South Pole. Crossing the Hardangervidda plateau north to south will take approximately eight to nine days. It contains high winds, extreme cold, pulling your own sled across a gigantic field of drift snow. Setting up a tent, melting your own water. On the other hand, emergency huts close by, well-staffed rescue services, an once in a lifetime experience and a real achievement.
A little bit about the requirements for becoming a team member. It all sounds very extreme but it really isn’t. If you are able to do a moderate eight-hour hike, have slept in a tent before (and enjoyed it) and are generally a reasonable and trustworthy person you should be fit for a winter tour in the arctic.
Both tours are completely noncommercial. All on the basis that costs are shared, except personal gear, transportation and food. A lot of the necessary gear can be rented, but in total I would say incl. flights 1500€ for tour 1 and 2300€ for tour 2. However, I am happy to give more detailed information by email.
About me (28yo from Germany). I am on my way to becoming a certified polar expedition guide. I have been planning expeditions for years, and completed my first own arctic expedition last year. I am certified in wilderness emergency medicine (WFR). The reason for offering these kinds of tours, free of any charge, I want to share the experience and the beauty of the arctic and find fellow enthusiasts along the way.
Reach me at hamacher.thies@gmail.com for further information and application (just a short letter of motivation with prior outdoor experience is sufficient).