11 Dec Arctic Island Sea Kayaking & Sledding
Arctic Island Sea Kayaking and Mountain Dog Sledding
ARCTIC ISLAND COMBINATION EXPEDITION 2023
£3250
Dates:
24th April – 5th May 2023
Cost: £3250
(For Sea Kayak only price please email info@expeditionpaddler.com)
Expedition Summary
This expedition consists of two sections – Dog Sledding (24th – 28th May) followed by a rest & recovery/preparation day and then seven days of sea kayaking. The expedition starts on the island of Kvaløya where you shall meet your dog team and familiarise yourself with the equipment and techniques to become an effective musher, before heading inland to the 3 borders region of northern Scandinavia. The dog sledding offers an incredible opportunity to experience mountain travel through the Finnmark Vida, the Mountains of Sweden, Norway and Finland as you have never experienced it before. You shall then return back to Kvaløya to de-kit and prepare for the sea kayaking expedition (28th – 5th), where we shall explore the incredibly beautiful mountain/island archipelago of the Troms region of Norway.
BOOK YOUR EXPEDITION TODAY
This expedition will fill up fast!
You can secure your place with a 10% deposit (non refundable) and email me with a short personal bio of your paddling and outdoor related experiences and qualifications.
Expedition team members need to be fit and healthy, capable of paddling 20 kilometer days (in suitable conditions) and hold a recognised sea kayak proficiency award.
Email me at info@expeditionpaddler.com for more details
“Guiding people in this environment is unique. I’m always looking for that wow factor, that expectation that around the corner is something that is going to blow people’s mind. It’s an amazing honour and pleasure to be able to experience that as a guide.” – Jeff Allen
EXPEDITION DETAILS
SEA KAYAKING
This seven day sea kayaking expedition will be conducted in and around the islands of Senja, Someroya, Kvaloya and Rebbenesoya as well as many other smaller island groups to explore and shall be a wild camping expedition exploring this remote arctic region.
The expedition members will meet in Tromso, at Kaffebonne, on the 24th April 2023 where we shall then depart to Kvaloya to meet up with our dog teams and prepare to head out into the mountains.
After five days of exploring the mountains and forests of Finnmark, we shall return to Kvaloya for a short break and to prepare for the kayaking section. The expedition is a self contained expedition, meaning that team members will need to purchase their own freeze dried or fresh food prior to departing. There will be a supply run organised into Tromso for this purpose as well as further opportunities to resupply on route.
The seven days of sea kayaking shall shall take us through a mountain island archipelago like nothing you have ever experienced before. This region is one of my favourite paddling destinations and is exceptionally beautiful. To gain an understanding of what I am talking about, here are a couple of videos that describe the region in detail.
The route for this expedition will take advantage of the current weather forecast that is pertinent to the region, which then gives us the flexibility to maximise our exploring potential. As a team we shall agree an expedition objective and depart on the 29th April, returning to Kvaloya on the 5th May 2023. Team members will depart from Active Tromso that day to return home, or to possibly continue on with their own adventures in the Arctic North.
DOG SLEDDING
The dog sled expedition will start on the 24th May 2023 with a training day, familiarising yourself with your dog teams and the equipment which is provided for you, the expedition will last until the 5th may when we shall return to Tromso, to rest up the dogs and return our equipment.
Dog sledding is an incredible opportunity to experience mountain travel as you have never experienced it before. Team members will need to be fit and active.
You, along with the dogs are an integral part of the team, the dogs will look to you for guidance, support and commitment, you will become the alpha male/female and need to lead by example.
As a team you will travel through a remote and beautiful, wild mountainous area that stretches between Norway, Finland & Sweden.
The expedition guide is one of Norway’s top adventurers, an accomplished mountaineer who has also competed in the ‘Iditarod’ and ‘Yukon 1000’ dog sled races, he has also skied across Greenland and currently holds the record for the fastest solo traverse of Alaska, so you are in excellent company and safe hands.
EQUIPMENT
Expedition team members are welcome to bring their own personal activity/outdoor clothing and equipment but because of varying personal requirements, other equipment extraneous to the base equipment already provided and listed below, can be organized when booking.
SEA KAYAKING
Expedition Paddler will provide the following:
Sea Kayaks
Paddle’s plus spare paddle
Buoyancy Aids
Spray decks
Neoprene Paddle Mitts
Bilge Pump
Team members may wish to hire dry suits from the out fitter.
ACCOMMODATION
The expedition does not offer accommodation, there are local Air B&B’s and hotels that can be utilised, prior to our meeting in Tromso and from here all accommodation shall be in tents .
For Kayak hire, and for our Dog Sledding activities we work in proud partnership with Tore Albrigtsen of Active Tromso. Tore has been dog mushing for the past 40 years, but is far more than just a dog musher, Tore’s knowledge as an outdoor/wilderness guide is second to none.
OTHER ITEMS
For all of the activities it is recommended that you bring with you several pairs of base layers, I would recommend merino wool but there are other alternatives to this.
You will also need a lightweight pair of gloves as well as warm mitts, a buff or face mask, a warm woolly hat (or 2) a hot drinks flask as well as a water drinks bottle, a camera of course and a small ouch pouch (personal first aid kit) to include any personal medication and to treat any small injuries you may receive during the activities.
I shall be carrying a well equipped first aid pack but this will not take into account any allergies that you may suffer from.
