Challenge level: 5 out of 5
Need a hand? Get in touch...
6 March - 13 March 2021 | On Sale | |
---|---|---|
Duration | 8 days |
flexible payments on all 2021 and 2022 dream challenges
For the whole of January, instead of paying your full registration fee at once, you can break it down into three easy installments:
Alternatively, you can pay your whole registration fee and challenge costs right away and enjoy a fantastic 5% off. Simply call us on 01590 646410 to get in on this special offer.
The Challenge
Join us in in the real-life Narnia of Northern Finland on a challenge like snow other!
Together, we'll navigate and snowshoe as a team through the wilderness, camp in the snow, build our own meal plans and even make an igloo.
We'll start with a day and a half of sub-zero survival preparation, acclimatisation and challenge training with our Arctic experts in Kuusamo. Then we'll transfer into the wild.
Left in the pristine middle of nowhere with our Arctic Experts and two doctors, it’s our task to navigate as a team to our finish point.
We'll head our compasses North and trek together through the gorgeous Riisitunturi National Park. Carrying all the gear we need in sledges, we’ll snowshoe by day and make our own meals and set our own camp at night and we may even see the Northern Lights!
We’ll also learn literal life lessons, like making meals sufficient to survive in the cold, a fire without matches and a home entirely out of snow.
At the end of our expedition, we’re transferred back to Kuusamo for a well-deserved sauna and an optional ice fishing tour on the biggest spring in Europe, Lake Kitka.
Please note, there's no down-hill skiing in our Arctic Adventure, but you have the opportunity to visit the Ruka Ski Centre on an optional excursion on Day 7.
COVID-19 - keeping you safe
As we hope you know, the health and safety of our participants is always - and has always been - our highest priority.
Our team of experts here at DC has created a brilliant 14-step initiative, to minimise the risk of coronavirus and maximise your safety. Please click here to see our ground-breaking plan and rest assured that you're safe booking with us.
Giving back to the planet
As a company dedicated to practising responsible tourism, we're delighted to assure you that we've designed this amazing itinerary especially to give back to the places we visit.
We have chosen local challenge leaders and Arctic experts that share our commitment to supporting the local economy, so that everyone benefits.
Sustainable travel
Both Dream Challenges and our Arctic experts believe nature is the most important thing on this planet.
Our amazing local challenge leaders for the Arctic Adventure do everything they can to ensure the lakes, forests and natural beauty can be enjoyed and preserved now and for generations to come.
free transfers for all 2021 challenges!
If you feel worried about travelling as your 2021 challenge draws closer, you can transfer your booking and registration fee balance to another 2021 or 2022 challenge free of charge, up until 12 weeks before your departure date.
$2,625
Pay the balance
Pay your registration fee and raise the minimum target for your chosen charity.
$5,250
Minimum sponsorship target
This trip is suitable for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. We do not recommend this challenge if you suffer from back pain, epilepsy or heart problems. By the time the challenge comes around, you'll need to be physically strong in order to set up camp. Once you have signed up for the challenge we give you a realistic training programme, which gradually builds up as the challenge gets closer.
Please don't be! The majority of people will sign up for this challenge on their own. Once you've registered, we'll send you a link to a private Facebook group for everyone taking on the Arctic Adventure 2021. Please feel free to use this space to swap questions, advice and updates with your fellow challengers on your training and fundraising. You may also want to reach out to the fellow participants in this group to see if there's anyone in your local area you can meet up to train and fundraise with.
Absolutely not! One of the amazing things about the Arctic Adventure 2021 is that people of all ages will come together to do something very special. Everyone over the age of 18 is more than welcome to join us for this extraordinary challenge.
The Adventure Apes team will have specialist winter gear ready for us all to hire upon arrival in Kuusamo. Skis, snowshoes, tents, sleeping bags, sleeping mattresses, sledges, backpacks, cooking gear and utensils, ice fishing gear are all provided and included in your challenge costs.
The gear hire is at an additional cost of 80€, so please make sure to budget for this. The hired gear includes:
We'll supply you with a comprehensive list of everything you will need to take on the challenge well before your departure date.
We'll spend our first and last two nights at the fab Adventure Apes Lodge in the countryside of Kuusamo. Once a public primary school, the guesthouse has been newly renovated to provide clean and cosy, standard-level accommodation. The dorm-style rooms have bunk beds with a maximum occupancy of six people per room with private bathrooms. Bed linen, towels and access to the traditional wood-heated sauna are included.
During our challenge, on nights 2-5, we'll be divided into small teams, who will share tents and sleeping with proper sleeping bags and sleeping mattresses in the tents. You may also have the option to spend one night in the igloo we build! All camping equipment is included and designed especially for Arctic conditions, to keep us warm and dry.
Yes of course! If you wish to extend your stay you will need to come out of our group flights. Please let us know if you decide to do this at least 14 weeks before our departure date, so we can take you out of our group flights and deduct the cost from your balance.
Your registration fee of £299 per person is used to administer the challenge and secure your seats with the airline.
Your challenge costs of £1,750 (ie. 50% of the fundraising target if you choose the Sponsorship option) cover:
Please note, the challenge costs do not include airport taxes and fuel surcharge (approx. £150) and winter gear rental (approx. 80€)
In addition to paying your registration fee, you will need to budget for:
You will need to take out your own personal travel insurance covering health, accident, loss and repatriation. Dream Challenges has a recommended policy, which we will send you details of. You can, however, take out your own insurance, providing it covers you for a trekking, snowshoeing and skiing challenge in Finland. Currently, UK nationals don't need a visa to visit Scandinavia. We'll let you know if this changes.
The optional Ruka Adventure on Day 7 is not included in your challenge costs and amounts to an additional 98€ per person (not including lunch or optional add-ons, like skiing/snowboarding and the ice pool). If you'd like to take part in the reindeer and ski centre visit, you'll also need to budget for this and book in advance.
When the Ruka Adventure is open for bookings, we'll put a link to the booking page here.
No, absolutely not! We don't expect you to have previous snowshoeing or skiing experience . There is likely to be both skiing and snowshoeing during the tour. It isn't down-hill skiing, but off-road skiing. We'll have some snowshoeing training during our orientation sessions on our first day in Finland. This will give us the chance to get used to the snowshoes before we set off on the adventure.
There's no down-hill skiing in our Arctic Adventure, but you have the opportunity to visit the Ruka Ski Centre on an optional excursion on Day 7. At the Ski Centre, you can choose to use their skiing equipment hire and facilities, as an optional extra.
As we're not medically trained, we're afraid we can't offer you advice on this. We recommend you contact your GP or your local travel clinic, who will have the latest travel health advice.
We also recommend you visit the NHS Fit for Travel website here, to keep up to date with current travel health news and advice on staying healthy abroad.
NHS Fit for Travel website: https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home