Arctic Experience April 2025
This is a chance for you to experience dogsledding across the mountains and wild tundra of the Arctic. The sun is getting strong by this time of the year and the nights are fairly short. You will be in charge of your own dogsledding and dogs. We will carry everything we need for the week in the sleds – a true expedition. You will eat Scandinavian food, hopefully see the Northern Lights and build a true bond with your dogs
This is a short video from a previous trip.
Join me an amazing six-day experience in the Arctic
– Arrive in Tromso, Norway – Sunday 5th April 2020
– Depart from Kiruna, Sweden – Friday 10th April 2020
Your dogsled experience will be a true adventure as we head over the mountains, but it will be coupled with the luxury of arriving at warm and hospitable mountain huts and lodges each night. Totally suitable for your son and/or daughter or a friend? It is always fun and amazing bonding experience as many have found out. It is also a fantastic week for mindfulness and de-stress. You are so in the moment.
Price – £3,600 (ex VAT)
(If you have your own business, it counts as CPD training for Team Development, so the VAT can be reclaimed.)
About the Trip
We embark on a 6-day, 250km dog-sled experience across the wild and stunning tundra of northern Scandinavia, deep inside the Arctic Circle. We travel from the Arctic Coast in the West, across the high plateau of northernmost Norway to Kiruna in the heart of Sweden. Everybody drives their own team of dogs and sled. We travel between 25kms to 70kms every day, overnighting in comfortable mountain huts with saunas.
This is a very unique and special trip and the memories will linger with you long after you return from the Arctic Circle.
“This type of trip builds personal strength…a better understanding of myself…passing through one of the parts of the forest, where there was a view for hundreds of miles, that was a ‘wow’ moment…”
You will have the chance to experience the astounding beauty of the Arctic whilst driving a sled and team of dogs across the snowy and frozen hills. Feedback from the expedition has consistently described it “as the best thing I have ever done in my life!”
It is also a learning experience and we will be using the trip to teach you new behavioural, leadership and group skills. We give constructive feedback and use diagnostic tools to enhance personal development.
Learning to adapt is an important life skill and is particularly relevant in the Arctic while dealing with the extreme climate, people and dogs. The expedition is all about taking people out of their comfort zones into challenging situations where decisions have real and immediate consequences.
“I chose to join Sandy on his trip to the Arctic and it proved to be an excellent experience, not just because of the sheer beauty of the region but also because of the focus and determination it brought out in my 19 year old daughter with whom I went.”
Over the years, we have taken a broad mix of people: from different countries as far afield as New Zealand and Brazil; from seasoned entrepreneurs to individuals who wanted to try something new; from teenage siblings to their parents and grandparents, aged from 16 to 70.
Other Testimonials
Wonderful experience…the thrill of taking control of your own dogs…can’t fault the trip
It’s really important to go outside your comfort zone, otherwise you will never experience anything in life…the whole trip was enjoyable
Definitely do the trip…on a fun basis and as an experience…it was mind-blowing
About The Arctic
The Arctic Lapland is Europe’s northernmost wilderness. It is a truly stunning spectacle; the tranquil beauty, amazing scenery and interesting cultural history with four official languages in the area you will be dogsledding in – Swedish, Sámi, Mieänkieli and Finnish.
Tromsø
You will arrive and spend your first night in Tromsø, which is abut 2,200 km south of the North Pole, in the far north of Norway. It lies about 350 km inside the Arctic Circle. During the 19th century, Tromsø became known as the “Paris of the North”. How this nickname came into being is uncertain, but the reason is generally assumed to be that people in Tromsø appeared far more sophisticated than visitors from the south typically expected. The likes of like Roald Amundsen, Umberto Nobile and Fridtjof Nansen made use of the know-how in Tromsø on the conditions in the Arctic, and often recruited their crews in the city.
Climate
The Arctic Lapland has a subarctic climate with short cool summers and long cold winters. The snow cover generally lasts from October to early May, but snowfall can occur year-round. The polar night lasts from 11 December to 1 January, so by April, it will be getting dark around 10.30pm and getting light around 4.30am. If it is a clear day then you can feel the strong sun on your face. It can drop to -15 at night and then warms up during the day. If it is windy, it can feel a lot chillier.
Northern Lights
The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis is a spectacular phenomenon that occurs when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the earth’s atmosphere and collide with gases such as oxygen and nitrogen. There are certain phone apps that can tell us when there is a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights. By April, the short nights mean that the lights might be visible after midnight.
Wildlife
The Arctic Lapland is home to the bear, wolverines, lynx and the elusive Arctic fox. They are normally shy and do not cause any danger to humans. The animals you are most likely to see are reindeer and moose and birds such as the ptarmigan and eagle.
The Sámi People
The Sámi people (often known as Lapps or Laplanders) are Finno-Ugric people inhabiting the Arctic area of Sámi, which today encompasses parts of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. Traditionally, the Sámi have pursued a variety of livelihoods, including coastal fishing, fur trapping and sheep herding. Their best-known means of a livelihood is semi-nomadic reindeer herding.
On this trip, you will experience the arctic wilderness at its best. You will travel up on the high mountain plateau of northern Sweden and start to head south east across the frozen tundra of the Swedish Arctic. This route we travel along crosses right through the land which is occupied by the indigenous Sámis. We finally arrive outside Kiruna close to the famous Ice Hotel and the huge iron-ore mine.
Itinerary
You will fly into Tromsø, the capital of Arctic Norway and be able to relax and see some of the sights of Tromsø including the museum. In the evening, you will be given a briefing, issued various bits of clothing and kit, followed by dinner. The next day we transfer you out to the starting point for 5 days of dogsledding. Here you are introduced to your team of dogs. Before departure you will receive instructions on how to handle the dogs and how to pack and drive your sled.
“A fantastic experience… a trip of a lifetime… learning how different people are from each other but also how similar they can be… made some great friends… identified my own strengths and weaknesses… breathtaking scenery… I loved it all.”
After lunch, we will harness the dogs up, grab some lunch, then head up into the mountains. The trail climbs up to a mountain plateau where you will stay in a warm comfortable hut that was originally used by the Swedish Resistance in World War 2. From there, the next day you will traverse across the largest area of permafrost in Europe. Travelling over and round the magnificent mountains, we continue to the remote lake district of Råstojaure in the heart of indigenous Sami tribe country where we stay the night. The next day we start to drop down into the tree-line from the mountains to stay in a local homestead. Each evening and morning, you will be responsible for preparing food for the dogs and feeding them. Our final full-day will involve travelling 70 kms along a number of frozen lakes and rivers to the Wilderness Lodge, which is just an amazing place to spend the night, in fresh sheets! In the morning, you will have a short dogsled to the kennels before changing and heading to the airport via the Ice Hotel.
Useful Information
What level of fitness do I need?
You need to be of average fitness at minimum. Your trip instructions will give some advice on getting fit.
What sort of food will I eat?
You will be served porridge, meats, bread, cheese and eggs for breakfast. Lunch will probably be a meat stew or fish soup. Dinner will be a three-course meal with locally sourced food such as reindeer, moose or Arctic char fish. We can easily cater for vegetarians and other requirements.
How cold will it be?
Difficult to predict until a few days out. Expect the temperature to be between -1 to -10c during the day and a bit colder at night. You will be given excellent outer clothing that will keep you warm.
Will I see the Northern Lights?
At this time of the year, there is a chance you might see the Northern Lights but not until the middle of the night.
What clothing will I need bring?
You will be send a packing list, but in short you will need casual clothes for the evening and warm thermals for the day. We will provide boots, trousers, parka, fur hat, gloves and a few other accessories. The last few years have been quite warm (thanks to global warming) so I have started to bring T-Shirts.
Will my phone work?
Yes in Tromsø and then No for the first 2 ½ days of the trip and then Yes for the remainder of the trip. The last location has wifi.
Booking
Price £3,600 ex VAT
Please note that the group size will be a maximum of 12 people. Please note that if there are not a minimum of 5 people booked on the trip, it will be rearranged or cancelled.
What Is Included:
- Pre-expedition team dynamic assessment and debrief
- Transfer from Tromsø Airport to the hotel
- Loan of all Arctic expedition clothing and dog-mushing gear
- All meals including beverages
- All accommodation
- Transfer to Kiruna Airport
- A goody bag!
What Is Not Included:
- Flights to Tromsø and from Kiruna
- Single Room Supplement in the Tromsø hotel
- Any drink purchased in Tromsø and in one of the Lodges
- Personal Equipment
- Personal Travel Insurance – see our Partners – Columbus Direct for Insurance