This is not your average leadership training. Be ready to transform into a powerhouse leader. You will grow true confidence and resilience in your abilities as a leader and learn new decision-making and problem solving techniques.

This leadership expedition will challenge and transform you on all aspects of leadership. Communication, resilience, decision-making, mental-strength and crisis management. All these competences will be brought to a next level in a unique and raw wilderness environment, whilst doing backcountry skiing and learning Arctic survival skills.

Are you ready to become a Powerhouse Leader?
Plan a free meeting with Awi to see if you are a match.

Note: This expedition is in high demand and there is a selection process. We’ll have a conversation to discuss your
expectations and desires, and to see if you fit within the team.

OVERVIEW

Date 3 March - 10 March 2024
Duration 06 days (4 days in the field)
Group size max 4 people (excl staff)
Amount 5500 euros
Deposit 1000 euros
Terrain Arctic
Level Competent
Guides Awi & Dan

Current team

Buddy slot available. You can join this team with a friend or family member.
Send me an e-mail or message on WhatsApp if you are interested in joining this team.

DESCRIPTION

This is a unique experience in one of the most remote wilderness area in Europe and my favourite Arctic expedition. This part Sweden is sparsely populated, and is also home the brown bear, wolf, lynx, moose, and wolverine. If you want to experience pristine wilderness in the Arctic circle and travel through scenic dynamic landscapes whilst learning arctic wilderness survival skills, then this is your adventure. The wilderness area has no road access, no marked trails or mobile phone connection.

On this five day adventure you will travel through one of the wildest parts of Europe. You’ll set up camp in the wilderness, sleep under the stars amongst wildlife, learn and practice Arctic wilderness survival skills, and enjoy fine communal dining around a fire.

SKILLS REQUIRED
This expedition is put together for everyone with a basic understanding of survival. It’s the ideal follow-up expedition if you have done the Wisdom of the Waters expedition or have attended one of my leadership days. If you haven’t done either of these, don’t worry. We’ll give you a basic survival workshop the day before we go into the field, help you with preparing your gear and clothing, and further practise survival skills in the field.

I have to emphasize that this is not a regular camping trip and not a bubble gum expedition. Yes. It will be tough at times. And It will be cold. But we will also be prepared for these situations and will adapt to make sure that we stay warm and hydrated. Like our ancestors, we’ll use our hand and tools to create a home in the wilderness. We’ll use different axes, knives, and other cutting tools, and will teach you how to create comfort with minimum equipment, and utilize materials that Mother nature provides. You will learn a variety of different skills which empowers you to travel safely through remote Arctic wilderness environments.

FITNESS LEVEL
This expedition can be both calm and intense. At one moment you a riding a dogsled and are giving commands to your pack whilst you navigate through the terrain, the other moment you are boiling water in front of a campfire. However, processing firewood, riding a dogsled, and walking and skiing through deep snow whilst pulling your pulk (sled) through mountainous terrain can be exhausting. We classify this expedition with a fitness level: moderate. If you are unsure about your current fitness level, please send me a message on WhatsApp.

If you have any injuries or you are unsure how fit you need to be to join this adventure, please reach out through the contact form. We could make some adjustments to this Arctic wilderness expedition to make it possible for you.

Pulling pulks on the Svalbard Expedition (Our pulks won’t be as big and heavy).

SURVIVAL SKILLS
You’ll learn how to prepare your gear for an Arctic expedition, responsibly make open fires (with and without a lighter), navigate trough uncharted mountainous terrain on both dogsled and skis, set up a base camp, use different tools, knots, and a variety of other outdoor and survival skills for Arctic environments. At the end of this expedition, you will be a competent Arctic Wilderness Explorer and know the basics of mushing. Yes. That’s right. You’ll be introduced to mushing: handling huskies and driving a dogsled. For newcomers, this is a intense experience as both the Alaskan and Siberian huskies we work with have a high-energy and are eager to pull you into the wilderness. At the end of this expedition, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to explore wilderness environments in winter conditions.

Our wilderness expeditions are unique and are the only provider that offers both adventure + survival in remote locations. We keep our groups small and offer exclusive and personalized experiences. Business leaders, entrepreneurs, nature enthusiasts and people from different backgrounds participate and share the same experience. It’s a fun, adventurous and challenging experience, but simultaneously a wilderness network gathering. Once your spot is reserved and we have received your details, we’ll start the expedition preparation and make sure you have all the necessary gear.

why travel with Berqana?

Which way do we navigate? Through the saddle and face dense woodlands, or around to the West and expose ourselves to the wind?

THE LOCATION

We meet at the Våladalen where we start the evening with a briefing about the expedition. The next morning, we practise with the BC skis and have a survival workshop.

Arctic foxes will be observing us from a distance when we are making survival shelters. This one is probably thinking: “Silly humans”.

AIRPORT
The closest airport to the wilderness area is Luleå

ITINERARY

Arrival day (March 3)
Arrive at Östersund airport and travel to STF Mountain Cabin.

Day 1: (March 4)
Practise with Back country skis.
Survival workshop
Travel to first Basecamp

Day 2-5: in the field (March 5 - 7)

March 7th evening: everyone finally had their first shower and proper meal. It was an energetic week with a lot of impressions. We will finish the day with guided breath work. A moment of reflection and information integration. A moment to land within ourselves.

Day 6 : travel back home (March 8)

What’s included?

INCLUDED IN FEE
- All accommodation (2 nights in a wilderness lodge)
- Communal / general outdoor gear needed for this expedition (excludes personal equipment)
- Professional guidance with preparing your gear, meals and clothing.
- Transfer from Östersund airport to location
- Arctic wilderness survival skills courses
- In the field tips & tricks
- Berqana gear bag that you may keep

NOT INCLUDED IN THE FEE
- Personal outdoor gear (you’ll receive a document for personal packing list). Outdoor clothing can be rented as well (down jacket, trousers, boots, etc.)
- Food. As food is often personal, we give the participants the freedom to choose their meals. We will guide you with meal preparation)
- Travel expenses from your location to Östersund Airport (airfares, car rental, etc.)
- Personal items (like your secret snacks etc.)
- Insurances and visa (we assume you have a health insurance).

Once your reservation is made, we will guide you with getting the right clothing and gear for you.

We will be in territory of the indigenous people inhabiting the region of Sápmi: The Sami’s. One our last trip, we spotted their reindeers.

Nothing is guaranteed. But there is a chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

Big moose on the middle of the road on the 395 road near the Arctic River Base Camp.

Frequently Asked Questions

This tour is all-inclusive. Which means that from day 1 (from arrival at the lodge) accommodation, main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), and non-alcoholic drinks are covered.

During the expedition, main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are provided. These meals are MREs (Meal Ready to Eat). Please bring your own snacks of choice. In the field, we mostly drink water by melting ice or snow.

General expedition gear will be provided as well. This includes lavvu (teepee) tent, fire-making equipment and outdoor tools, safety equipment, skis, etc.
Photos and videos will be taken by a professional content creator.
Excluded is personal outdoor clothing.

In the great outdoors, where sometimes we have to deal with unexpected weather changes, we have to be prepared to change our clothing system within seconds. We try to diminish sweating as your clothes will become damp and will affect your core temperature. Therefore, we have several layers which we can either put on or take off.
These layers often play their own part within this so-called ‘layering system’.
You don’t need the most sophisticated expedition clothing, but we can provide you a list with recommended items

”There is no bad weather. Only bad clothing”.
Some of our guides are also don’t eat meat. You are not the only one. Please communicate this when you reserve your spot.
As this expedition is all-inclusive, we will provide the necessary gear, equipment , and meals.

However, as garments are personal, you have to bring your own outdoor clothing. We will provide a list with recommended clothing and can assist you in choosing the right garments.

If you don’t have time to purchase these, we can assemble a personalised kit for you and send one to your home address.
Yes, it is possible to store your luggage in the wilderness lodge whilst we are in the field.
Yes. Many who join our expeditions come by themselves. It’s a great way to meet new people or expand your net work.
It’s It’s also possible to reserve a ‘buddy slot’. This is a reservation for two people.
Just like in an urban environment, you will have a place to sleep, a place to eat, and a place to relax. A basic toilet will be established on each camp.
We will provide a communal fire place where we can dry our clothes, stay warm, and eat our meals. You can find yourself a nice toilet in nature. Just don’t leave any toilet paper behind ;-)
In contrary to other expeditions where we only consume dehydrated meals in the field, we will also provide a few good quality and organic meals. For instance, smoked salmon, wild game, grilled potatoes with home-made fresh garlic sauce, fresh vegetables.

If you have any allergies, please let us know when you reserve your spot.
Yes.

The description on your invoice will include the term ‘leadership training’.

Depending on your business, this expedition might be deductible from your company expenses.
Yes. We also offer discounted buddy slots (for two people) but we can also organise a tailored trip for your colleagues and/or business partners.

Please reach out for a corporate team building event.
Yes it is. Please let us know in advance so we can inform our local partners.
It’s possible. Just send us a message and we’ll figure out a payment method that suits both parties.
The payment you make through the website by clicking ‘reserve my spot’, is a down payment of the total amount.
10 weeks prior the expedition, we’ll send you an invoice and provide a payment link to finalise the payment.

If you can’t make the down payment through our booking system, you can make a direct transfer to our account. Please send us a message and we’ll provide you with the details.
No worries. During this expedition, our experienced wilderness guides and survival instructors will teach you how to create comfort in the wilderness.

Sleeping outside is quite beautiful. You can hear the wind through the trees, the animals around you, and the fire crackling. We expose ourselves to the natural elements and has many health benefits. Something that we rarely do nowadays.

If you become uncomfortable or don’t know what to do, our guides will be there to help you.
I won’t bubble wrap it for you: this place is cold and it’s most likely that you will feel cold. But I’ll guide you and help you to prepare the right set of clothing and show you ways to stay warm in these cold weather conditions (internal and external heating).

My and my team will make sure you don’t get hypothermic and we’ll have a hot tent with a wood stove and hot drinks ready in case we have a critical situation.

Previous explorers

Please read our Terms & Conditions for all our expeditions and workshops.