3 Countries Ski Challenge
Overview
| Time of year: | March |
| Duration: | 8 days (incl. travel) |
| On snow: | 5 days |
| Max group size: | 8 particpants |
| Fees: | €2,590pp/£2,350 |
| Additional costs: | Flights + travel insurance |
Highlights
- Arctic Exploration
- Awe-inspiring Arctic tundra
- Hanging glaciers and granite rock walls
- Frozen lakes and deep snowdrifts
What`s included
- All bus transfers in-country
- Accommodation
- Specialist equipment hire
- Specialist cold-weather equipment
- All meals
- Expert tuition
3 Countries Ski Tour In The Arctic Tundra!
Taking Charity Challenges to the next level. Join us on a 5-day backcountry ski circuit through Finland, Norway and Sweden. Including travel, this is an 8-day trip. 3 Countries Ski Challenge.
Aimed at those who have overseas expedition/trekking experience and idealy have cross-county skied this charity challenge is a step up from the normal trekking challenges.
Travelling as a self-sufficient team, we will be skiing hut to hut across the bewitching and awe-inspiring Arctic tundra. This stark, unforgiving, yet beautiful landscape gives us the opportunity to enhance our backcountry winter skills, where each person plays a vital role in the team’s success on our 3 Countries Ski Challenge.
Along the way we will ski past hanging glaciers and granite rock walls, across massive frozen lakes and deep snowdrifts.
Your sense of space, distance and time will get distorted as the incredible clarity of the light leads to a false sense of perspective. Learn to embrace the meditative rhythm of breaking new trails on fresh snow, as the silence seeps into your consciousness as we continue on our 3 Counties Ski Challenge.
3 Countries Ski: Who’s for it
Fit outdoors people who are looking for the next step! Those who want to dip their toes into Arctic Exploration, preparing for one of the major crossings. Maybe you’ve done a big trek or one of our other expeditions and feel there’s more out there calling you…
We also include a briefing/training day in Britain/Wicklow and ongoing support in advance of the course before departure on our 3 County Ski Challenge
There are no hidden extras – all specialist equipment hire is included: sleeping bags, down jackets, skis etc.
3 Countries Ski: Accommodation
The first two nights and the final night will be in basic comfortable cabins. The remainder of the nights will be spent in remote huts. These huts vary in their level of comfort, all are shared accommodation/dorms. There may be other people using the huts. We’ll cook communally as a group each evening.
We will provide you with all the specialist equipment as follows:
- Sleeping bag
- Down Jacket
- Mitts
- Sled
- Backcountry ski equipment
We’ll provide you with a full kit list. All participant receive a 15% discount on purchases in our store in advance of departure.
We also include a briefing/training day in Britain/Ireland and offer ongoing support in advance of the course.
3 Countries Ski FAQs
This expedition is 8 Days in duration. The first day will be spent travelling to Northern Finland, 150km north of the Arctic Circle. The first full day is spent getting everyone up to speed on the skis and packing our sleds for departure the following day. We then have 5 days on the snow in Finland. The last day is spent travelling back to home.
Yes, participants need to have some experience having completed a long trek or expedition in the recent past. Cross-country/Back-country ski experience is desirable.
Included in expedition fees is the hire of specialist cold weather clothing and sleeping bags. Participants need to bring thermal clothing, warm fleeces, hat and gloves, boots etc. More details will be provided on our training sessions, however, we are endeavouring to cover as much of the costs as possible in the expedition fees so participants won’t have to invest in specialist equipment.
We have space for 8 participants on this 3 Countries Ski Challenge.
As we are limited on the number of participants we can take on this expedition we are unable to provide a free charity place. In this instance, we can be your representative on the expedition and ‘fly the flag’ for your charity. You can also travel with the group to the Arctic and be there for their departure and return from the 5 day expedition.
The 3 Countries Ski expedition fees are €2,590/£2,350. This includes:
> All in-country transport
> Accommodation
> Catering
> All equipment hire
> PL insurance
> Expert tuition and highly skilled guides
Daytime temperatures will vary from -4 to -12 and night time will vary from -12 to -25. As we’re travelling through the Arctic Tundra we are very exposed to the weather, especially wind. If winds pick up then temperatures we feel will drop and it may make progress very slow and result in very long days on the skis.
They are similar but with the following differences:
– Skis are a little wider with metal edges to help turn
– Boots are bigger- like a chunky trekking boot
– We don’t ski in the tracks like Cross Country, instead we make our own!
Being caught in an avalanche is a problem, avoiding one is a skill. Our guides hold the professional International Mountain Leader (IML) qualification and have considerable experience of reading avalanche terrain and avoiding it.
Flights, you can use your own travel agent or we can have our travel partner take care of them for you.
Each participant will require specific travel insurance, see below.
It is essential that all participants take out additional insurance for the trip. This should cover repatriation to UK/Ireland and rescue fees. Your insurance must list guided backcountry skiing. Let us know if you need details on insurance companies. We also advise that you apply for your EHIC (formally E11): Irish residents. UK residents.
This expedition is provided by our sister company in German: Sustainable Adventure Experiences WHR UG.
All images @catvinton
