Trek the Arctic Circle Like a WWII Soldier with Ex-U.K. Special Forces

By Mike Richard July 10, 2019

arctic — Ariane Chan

For some, travel almost always involves a classic fly-and-flop style getaway with short flights, tropical islands, and neon fruity drinks. For others, it can mean a brutal, week-long ski trek along former World War II military insertion routes through some of the harshest terrain on the planet. For the latter — for the precious and crazy few who appreciate doing a hard thing for the sheer pride of knowing they did it — there’s Arctic Warrior 2020.

Trident Adventures has revealed little about its upcoming Arctic Warrior 2020 trip. We know one thing for sure though: It won’t be easy. In short, the journey is an eight-day, round-trip, hut-to-hut ski expedition from Sweden to Norway and back. The experience starts long before the actual trip with an intense training program in either Morocco or the Brecon Beacons mountains of Wales. The trip itself starts more than 100 miles into the Arctic Circle in some of the driest, coldest, harshest conditions in the world. Daily challenges are likely to involve shoveling snow holes, fording icy waters, ice-breaking drills, and lots and lots of hiking and cross-country skiing.

What truly sets this expedition apart from any other, however, is the team leadership. The group will be led by elite Arctic warfare experts who formerly served in the U.K. Special Forces. They’ll school members in extreme outdoor survival skills and also take the group on a tour of British Special Operations Executive (SOE) training bases used in World War II. Trident Adventures even promises that those who survive will be rewarded with cold beer and a sauna. With little light pollution and crystal clear skies year-round, the surrounding landscape also provides the perfect opportunity to catch the Northern Lights.

Pricing for Arctic Warrior 2020 has yet to be announced, though it’s expected to depart sometime next spring. The trip includes all necessary training, accommodations, and some food. Team safety gear, support, and patrol medics are also provided. But, team members will need to find transportation to and from the Arctic, their own ski equipment, and plenty of personal travel insurance. Hey, no one said this was easy.

If this once-in-a-lifetime trip isn’t disco enough, why not conquer the South Pole on the epic, 12-day Ski Last Degree journey?

Contributor

Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…

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