Arctic Challenge - FAQs

Q. What does the fee cover? Are there any additional costs?
A. The fee covers flights to and from London Stansted to Alta (flight change in Oslo), all expenses on the journey itself (sled/dog hire fees, food, accommodation, and guide), insurance (medical insurance, repatriation in the event of injury, helicopter rescue cover). The only additional costs you’ll have are alcoholic drinks and souvenirs if you wish to purchase any.

Q. How fit do I need to be?
A. There’s no easy answer to this question. We would recommend that you are as fit as you can possibly be allowing for your daily schedule. Dog sledding in arctic conditions is very demanding on the body and you will often have to help the dogs through difficult terrain and deep snow by “mushing” (i.e. running with the sled). We will be happy to offer advice on training and fitness to anyone wishing to participate in the journey.

Q. What happens if I get ill? Will I need any inoculations?
A. the Inspiring Journeys team are well qualified in expedition medicine. We carry a comprehensive medical kit with us on every journey to deal with everything from minor irritations to major traumas. We also have satellite phone contact with the nearest emergencies services and will be able to Casevac rapidly in the event of an emergency. Before the journey you will need to ensure that your basic inoculations for foreign travel are up to date. A list of these is provided in the briefing pack.

Q. What will we be eating?
A. Throughout the journey we’ll be eating vacuum packed gourmet food prepared for us by the talented chef in the Gargia guesthouse. All dietary requirements can be catered for. During our stay with the Samis there will be an opportunity to try such delicacies as smoked reindeer meat.

Q. What sort of clothing do I need to bring?
A. Temperatures in the arctic can reach as low as minus 40 degrees C. We will provide you with specially adapted arctic suits, gloves, hats, boots and an arctic sleeping bag. You will need to bring base layers to wear under your arctic suit as well as a change of clothes for the cabins in the evening. A full kit list is provided in the briefing pack.

Q. How well are the dogs looked after? Are they dangerous?
A. The dogs are working dogs and are very well trained. Your pet dog would probably not survive the first day of this journey. The dogs are trained daily during the summer months and are well looked after in kennels. During the journey the dogs sleep out on the snow at night and are fed between two and three times a day. It is estimated that a dog can burn as many as 8,000 calories in a day. Whilst appearing to be very friendly the dogs are not pets and can occasionally become aggressive (usually with each other). You will be trained in what to do if your dog team becomes aggressive.

Q. How do I book a place?
A. Register your interest with:

Mark Lindsay mark@inspiring-journeys.com