Adventure Above the Arctic Circle in Norway
Epic. Magical. Pristine. Untouched. One of the highlights of my life.
These are words I’ve used to try and describe a truly amazing experience. Not only did I survive the 9-day cross-country skiing expedition above the Arctic Circle in Norway, but I had one of the best experiences of my life.
Here are some photos and a few videos to give just a glimpse into this winter adventure.
Northern Lights almost every night
The skies were clear and the weather gods smiled down on us because we saw the northern lights almost every night. The first night and the last night the lights were extra spectacular.
If you’ve never seen them, they look like bands of green and purple lights stretched across the sky that are slowly and constantly moving. For a moment they look like a flowing river and then the next moment parts start to jump up and down as if they are dancing. They only last a few minutes and they are surreal.
Finnmarksvidda – West to East – Highlight video
Will Shepherd, one of the team members on the trip, did an amazing job putting together this video that gives a glimpse of what this adventure was like.
Pristine & Untouched Views
During the 80-mile (128 km) journey, we saw many types of breathtaking views.
For most of the trip we were making our own tracks in the snow and using a map and compass to find our way. We skied through places where I felt like I was in a National Geographic Magazine.
The white plateau where the snow would sparkle when the sun was out, the snowy mounds and hills, the occasional black boulders popping up through the snow and the occasional patch of birch trees may not sound like much, but it was gorgeous.
Magical Ending to a Magical Adventure
Our epic journey ended just outside Karasjok at a one-of-a-kind place called, Engolm Husky Lodge.
This little slice of heaven has warm and unique, built from scratch, log cabins. They offer magical experiences to give you a taste of Norway such as dogsledding (with the option of driving your own sled), snowshoeing, visiting the semi-nomadic Sami people and learning more about their traditions around reindeer herding.