Across the arctic wilderness of steigen (january)
Adventure travels
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We are very excited about this new and adventurous trip in Arctic Norway! Imagine exploring a rarely visited area in wintertime with frozen rivers, scenic views and pure wilderness. Our research team worked hard to develop this new multi-day backpacking trip in the fantastic surroundings of our base in Steigen (100 km north of the Arctic Circle). To make it accessible to everyone, this trip is designed, so you don't have too much to carry. We will travel light as much as possible, but sometimes you will need a bigger backpack with a sleeping bag. As we are in the Arctic, weather and snow can make this trip challenging at times. We can shorten trails if necessary and make extra stops in between. This winter trip is about snowshoeing and hiking with sleds through valleys, fantastic views over the fjords, forests and plateaus. In the evenings, we keep an eye on the sky with the hope of a tremendous northern lights experience.
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Choose the version that fits you best
Facts, dates, costs and general informationHere are the facts of this outdoor adventure. Feel free to contact us if you have questions or if you want to discuss your plans. Check also our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for answers on general questions.
DATES AND BOOKING INFORMATION
DATES
23 January 2021 - 31 January 2021 (9 days) The shorter version starts also on 23 January NAME ACROSS THE ARCTIC WILDERNESS OF STEIGEN JANUARY COSTS
COSTS The costs of joining trip are: 1250 EUR Short version 1400 EUR Standard version 1650 EUR Slow-travelling version Included are all transports during the trip, guiding, rent of snowshoes, use of tents, use of sleds and cooking equipment. The short version includes 3 nights in cabins. The standard version includes 3 nights in mountain cabins and 1 night in a fjord cabin. The slow-travelling version includes all nights in mountain cabins and 1 night in a fjord cabin. NOT INCLUDED AND SHARED COSTS Flights and transfers to the point where the trip starts and ends are not included. Daily expenses like food and drinks are shared among the participants and the staff. Usually these costs are around 10/15 EUR per day. We love it if you bring some ingredients from your country! ADDITIONAL NIGHTS IN ACCOMMODATION (SHORT & STANDARD VERSION) If we (like to) stay more in (mountain) cabin or cottage, then these costs are shared and are around 30/35 Euro per night per person (shared space) and we pay this to the locals or owner of the cabin. Decisions about additional cabins are based on weather conditions and what we like. You are involved in that. LOCATION AND HOW TO GET THERE
LOCATION
This trip starts on our base in a small fishing village named Helnessund in the municipality of Steigen (Nordland) in the north of Norway. Our base is located 50 km north of Bodø and has a good ferry connection. In the standard version and the slow-travelling version, we take you on a road trip back to Bodø. In the short version you take the ferry back to Bodø. AIRPORT The nearest airport is Bodø. To fly to Bodø you usually change flights in Oslo. There are multiple flights daily between Oslo and Bodø. TRAVELING BY TRAIN IN NORWAY (OPTION) An option is to enjoy a 17 hours train ride from Oslo to Bodø. Check vy.no for more information about traveling by train. The so-called minipris ticket can be an economical way to travel (only online available and you have to buy it well in advance). FERRY There is a good ferry connection from Bodø to our base and back. This fast ferry (hurtigbat in Norwegian) takes you in approximately 1 hour from Helnessund back to Bodo. TAKE YOUR TIME We recommend that you arrive 1 day before the start of this road trip in Bodo and take some time to acclimatize and get rid of travel and work stress. We can give you suggestions for (budget) hostels or hotels in Bodø if you like. An overnight stay in Bodo after the expedition has ended is also a good idea. In case of bad weather ferries can be cancelled or delayed. MAP of steigenLEVEL AND SKILLS
This outdoor adventure is suitable for people that have a good basic shape and are able to walk with a medium size backpack for some hours or pulling a sled in sometimes rough terrain or up a hill or mountain. The walks are usually 3 to 4 hours, but for instance deep snow can make them longer. There are some options to shorten the distances or sometimes luggage and equipment can be transported so we can hike lighter. The days are short especially in December, January and February. We try to plan the hike in the hours that we have daylight. Some short trails can be done in the evening for fun or to get to a good viewing point for the northern lights. Our goal is not to get to the limits and keep it comfortable, but occasionally situations can be a bit out of your comfort zone. An open mind and be able to handle changing of plans, are essential qualities to have in the outdoors. If you do the short or standard version then preferable you have some previous experience with sleeping in tents before. If snowshoeing is new to you, we will teach you the basics. Occasionally this trip can be a bit though when we have bad weather or when temperatures get low. ACCOMMODATION
You will stay overnight in (mountain) cabins, expedition tents and a tipi tents with a wood stove. The days are short in wintertime, so there is a lot of time to relax, cook, read or do some wood work.
AVAILABILITY AND GROUP SIZE
AVAILIBILITY Yes NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS MAX 6 People that book this trip are single travellers, couples or are a group of friends. Usually, we have a mixed team from different countries. We have special arrangements when you want to make this trip with a private group or with a group of more than eight people. REMARKS
This trip is an excellent choice if you are attracted to explore remote wilderness areas that are off-the-beaten-track. You will visit pure Norwegian nature in wintertime and prepare for stunning views of fjords, mountains, wild rivers, forests and valleys.
Don't worry if some things are new for you. We like to teach you things about nature, building a tent camp, navigation and safety. Everybody has a comfort zone, and it always differs from the comfort zone of other people. It is a personal thing. Being in wild nature away from civilisation is adventurous, but can also cause stress or might scare you a bit occasionally. These feelings are natural and not a problem. Just be open and share things or ask questions. They say life starts at the end of your comfort zone. We believe that that is very true. You can learn a lot about being in remote areas and experience a back-to-basics lifestyle. There is no shower around, but we can teach you how to stay clean and comfortable. Your phone works in most parts of this trip, but occasionally it might not work during parts of this trip (for instance between mountains). We visit during this expedition great places to observe the northern light. We must be lucky (no clouds and enough sun activity). There will be hardly any light pollution around so that we can have intense experiences. Contact us if you doubt if this is a trip for you. Remember with a basic level of fitness and a flexible mindset you can join this trip. 
GEAR AND PREPARATIONS
This outdoor adventure is organized north of the Arctic Circle. So, you need warm clothing, good shoes and outdoor gear like sleeping bags and more. You receive a detailed packing list after you made your booking. This packing list tells you about the things you need to have and also gives you a lot of practical information. In case you do not have all the gear or if you do not want to invest, you can rent gear from us, like backpacks, sleeping mattresses and more.
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STEIgen aCROSS (NEW)
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Steigen is an area in northern Norway that covers 1000 km2 of nature, and that waits to be discovered. Our research team developed this trail for those who like to hike for multiple days in wintertime through a variety of landscapes on an accessible level. This trail is consists of parts that we do with day-packs, other parts we cross valleys with sleds, and on some, we take a bigger backpack with food and sleeping bags to reach a cabin up in the mountains. If you choose for a version with tenting then most of the time those are transported by car to a pick-up point or to a base camp that already has been build by our staff at the time you arrive there. We hike with or without snowshoes depending on the terrain and the (snow) conditions. There are existing paths that we follow, but at other times we take a cross-country route through the wilderness. If the ice is safe, we also cross some frozen lakes. During this trip, we go into the mountains with spectacular views of the coastline of northern Norway and the fjords. You will also wander through valleys with lakes, dense forests and over higher plateaus. We usually meet hardly people during the hikes. The cabins are small, simple and cosy. Water comes out of a stream, and wood chopping is a daily routine. Because the days are short, we will spend a lot of time in and around a cabin or our tent camp. We can have encounters with moose, foxes and reindeer. For sure we will see giant sea-eagles up in the sky because Steigen hosts the largest population of northern Europe.
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THE route in a nutshell
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After a 1-hour ferry trip along the coast from Bodø, you arrive at our base in the small fishing village named Helnessund in Steigen. Here we welcome you and take you our tent camp or accommodation (if you booked the slow-travelling version). Helnessund is located on the west tip of a peninsula overlooking the Steigen Archipelago and the mountains of the Lofoten wall. The trail that we are going the hike goes from the west to the east part of the peninsula. Because the trail is made out of modules, we can shorten or make parts longer, based on what we like and the weather and snow conditions. If you choose for the short version, then we take you back to Helnessund at the end, and you can enjoy the ferry back to Bodø. If you opt for the standard or the slow-travelling version, then we take you to a fjord cabin further inland where you can refresh (shower) and prepare yourself for a road trip through the Norwegian mountains back to Bodø.
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Some more things we like to tell
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PULK WORKSHOP
Suppose you choose the 9-days version of this trip. You will modify your pulk (sled) to suit your luggage, and you learn some about the background of sledding and the different options.
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NORTHERN LIGHTS
This trip takes place in the northern light season, and we hope we are lucky and have clear skies. There is not much light pollution during our travels. So if the lights appear, we have right conditions to get a clear view.
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LEARN NEW SKILLS
We like to teach you new skills or give you new experiences. You can learn more about navigation, maps, ice-fishing, fire-making or for instance wood chopping.
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OUTDOOR COOKING
We love good food, and we like to prepare it with just basic equipment. So if possible we cook on a fire, bake some bread or show you some Norwegian dishes. Of course, you are welcome to demonstrate your skills.
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Map of the area
Here is a map of the area in which this expedition takes place. Take a close look and you get an idea of the natural environment, distances and possibilities.
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