Norway: Arctic Survival Challenge

You will be accompanied throughout the challenge by a survival instructor, who (with his team) will provide full instruction for all the activities undertaken. You will also be accompanied by a Different Travel UK tour manager.

Between the months of January and April, temperatures vary from 0°C during the day to –30°C overnight. You can expect the temperatures during the survival experience to be colder than the Tromso so please do not rely on weather forecast websites for an accurate view of the conditions but an approximate guideline. Based on historical averages you can expect a maximum daytime temperature of -1°C and a minimum night temperature of –26°C.

In early February there are only around 5-6 hours of daylight in the day with the sun rising around 9am and setting between 2-3pm.

Despite the extremely cold temperatures, due to the dry atmosphere, the air is crisp and energising, quite unlike cold days in UK where you can feel very cold in relatively warm temperatures. The weather is variable so you should be prepared for a mixture of overcast days, bright sunshine and some snowfall.

Meals are provided as stated in the itinerary. Please ensure that you notify us of any dietary requirements at the time of booking. As part of the challenge there are chores to complete each day – collecting firewood, cleaning and assisting with food prep.

Dietary requests cannot be catered for without advance arrangement. The majority of special diets, such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc., can be catered for but please note that we cannot guarantee that food preparation will have taken place in a contamination free environment.

You will stay at a very basic remote log cabin but will spend one night in an outdoor shelter – utilising the skills you have learned through the week.

You must be aged at least 18 to participate unaccompanied. It may be possible for you to participate if you are aged 16 or 17 years old if you are accompanied by a parent or guardian – please contact us for advice. There is no upper age limit. An ideal candidate for the trip would be someone who enjoys being out of their comfort zone and trying something new.

he trip is rated ‘challenging’ for a person who leads an active lifestyle (e.g. someone who enjoys getting outdoors, taking part in sports, hill walking, running etc.). For someone who does not lead an active lifestyle this trip may feel even more of a challenge.

You’ll be exposed to sub-zero temperatures, you will stay in very basic accommodation sleeping in shared mixed-gender dormitories, and participating in physical activities such as digging your snow hole, collecting, carrying, chopping and sawing firewood, carrying large containers of water, cross-country skiing, cooking for your team and keeping the log cabin clean and tidy. There will always be tasks to do and you will be active for the majority of each day with only evenings as downtime.

You must take personal responsibility to ensure you arrive in Norway fit enough to participate fully in all of these activities and be willing to be a proactive, positive, hands-on and supportive team member. In addition to a good level of fitness, you must also be physiologically and psychologically well enough to cope with the extremely cold and basic conditions (temperatures can drop as low as -30°C). Please speak to your doctor for advice specific to your medical circumstances.

It is also very important that you are someone with excellent personal management skills such as knowing when to add and remove clothing layers to cope with the climate, knowing when to eat and drink if you are hungry or thirsty, ensuring your kit is organised so you know where everything you need is, being comfortable about informing your guide staff if you’re having difficulties with an activity or not feeling well, and so on.

This trip is not suitable for people unwilling to be part of a team or seeking a solo experience.

Your suggested kit list can be found here.