Arctic survival course in Northern Sweden

The Earth's poles are magical places with incredible sights. The Aurora Borealis is a celestial phenomenon of coloured light that regularly appears in the sky as solar winds interact with the Earth's magnetic fields. Add this to a vast expanse of white, infinitely expanding terrain and the Arctic does everything to get the adrenalin flowing. Yet this environment can present some of the harshest weather in the world, making survival training in it real and highly rewarding.

A place on this Trueways Arctic Course will immerse you in one of Nature's most stunning environments and teach you how to survive there. Living in shelters made from snow and ice, managing food and fluids in relative comfort and navigating through its wide expanse with limited resources. Participants are sure to take away a skill-set and set of experiences shared previously by only a select few.

Shelter:

First and foremost you need to protect yourself from the elements, and this means shelter. You'll learn how to best site and build shelter in a variety of Arctic environments with varying resources. Shelter in the Arctic may mean construction using resources from the world's largest forest, the Taiga, or beyond the tree line from ice and snow.

Beginning with Arctic forest shelters, you'll then move on to building shelters from snow and ice and keep your body within safe and comfortable limits. You'll build and sleep in Quinzhee, Snow Hole and Snow Trench shelters under the stars and beautiful Arctic skies.

Fire :

Clearly the need to keep warm and dry will be essential. That's why you'll be taught how to properly light and maintain a fire in Arctic conditions. Many of the same principles apply as in temperate climates, but you'll discover some vital differences in preparation, process and maintenance must be applied.

You will learn how to ensure your fire can be lit when it's needed most, and develop absolute confidence in your actions and abilities. This is something which will also make fire-lighting when you get back home like a walk in the park.

Signaling for Rescue:

Should you find yourself needing urgent assistance in extreme cold weather conditions, would you know how to maximise your chances of being located?

Being found can be more difficult than it sounds, so knowing how to be found and practicing these essential skills will open your eyes to the realities of prioritising with survival in mind in the Arctic.

Acquiring Water:

We can survive approximately three days without water under normal conditions, but we need far more water in cold, dry environments such as the Arctic. Simply getting water by eating snow can ensure you perish long before dehydration has an effect, so you will need to learn how to safely acquire water very early on during your trip. After all, it will be all around you, but you will be surprised at what you will learn about how to use it.

Food:

In cold environments our requirement for food increases dramatically. Yet for thousands of years mankind has lived and thrived in the Arctic. Learn how to survive using the same resources and techniques as used by the indigenous Arctic peoples of the world. Learning how to uncover edible plants, fish through holes in frozen lakes and trapping and preparing animals will ensure your continued survival in relative comfort, providing the necessary calories to keep warm and keep going.

Survival Navigation:

Retaining orientation when landmarks and distinctive features are limited or non-existent can be difficult. Unfortunately however, it's also absolutely essential if you plan to move anywhere in Arctic environments. Learn how to safely navigate and avoid becoming geographically embarrassed by learning and practicing Survival Navigation Techniques using the stars and the sun. Practice your new skills for real in the most challenging place to do so under expert supervision and guidance.

Movement:

When on the move in the an Arctic environment, we need to learn techniques to safely do so across snow pack, soft snow and ice along with emergency survival techniques. You'll make and use snow shoes and gain an introduction to cross country skiing, weather permitting.

Medical:

Understanding the psychological and physiological effects of being in the Arctic are essential to survival and to safely living or just being outdoors in cold climates.

You will learn about the potential problems to be encountered, such as mental withdrawal, hypothermia, frostbite and dehydration, and how to recognise them and treat them.

Your instructors will help you develop the vital routines which become second-nature for Arctic and high altitude explorers, avoiding serious medical dangers and ensuring your safety in cold environments.

What to Expect When You Book:

Once we receive your booking and payment, you will then receive a full information pack containing a comprehensive equipment list, specific details of the course location, links to and contact details for travel organisations which we believe can provide the most competitive pricing for flights, and last but not least, a specific instructor contact within Trueways to answer any questions relating to the course which you may have, by phone or by email.

Your Journey to the Arctic Begins:

Before setting off on your adventure, you will attend a pre-travel classroom course to take part in lessons and activities to ensure you are properly prepared and equipped for the course. You will also meet your travel companions and instructors. Experience tells us that understanding the risks and dangers before you arrive is essential in avoiding them. This fun and interesting day in the UK will also provide an opportunity to test your equipment with the instructors as well as checking out what goodies your travel companions have. Once everyone is happy with the safety elements of the course and all equipment is approved for use, you're all set for the trip, comfortable in the knowledge that you are properly prepared for what lies ahead.

Safety First:

In accordance with UK Health and Safety Executive guidelines, a full risk assessment has been carried out for this course detailing emergency evacuation procedures and procedures for dealing with any nature of emergency, including liaison with local medical facilities. All activities are within easy reach of a heated and well equipped cabin and skidoo transport will remain with the group at all times. Instructors will carry communications equipment and are all current first aid trained with years of experience in cold climates.

Arctic Course Prerequisites:

Due to the nature of our Arctic courses, certain prerequisites must be met. These are:

 All necessary kit and equipment as detailed on the equipment list issued when booking Required by the travel date of your chosen course

 Any necessary visas or documentation for authorised entry to Sweden during the dates of your course (EU residents do not require visas)

 Relevant medical insurance valid for the dates of your course or an EHIC card entitling medical treatment in Sweden

 Winter sports travel insurance valid for the dates of your course

 A valid 10 year passport

 A reasonable level of fitness

Environment & Location:

Trueways Arctic Survival Courses are run in a secluded area well within the Arctic circle and bordering a Saami reindeer migration route in Northern Sweden. The location offers a mixture of Arctic forest, open snow pack and frozen lakes and rivers. The course will begin from a well stocked wilderness cabin before moving on to forest shelters and then to a variety of snow and ice shelters.

What's included:

Course costs cover training during the UK-based pre-travel briefing and during your time in Sweden for your course dates. All food and accommodation in Sweden during your course is also included. Course costs do not include travel to and from both the pre-course briefing nor travel to and from Sweden. Accommodation if necessary for the pre-course briefing is also not included. Teas, coffees and lunch will be provided on the pre-course briefing. Within Sweden, transfers to and from the airport from the course location on the start and end date of your course is included. Transport to and from the airport in your country of origin is not included.

The Trueways principles and methods are based upon world renowned author and Trueways instructor John Wiseman. John “Lofty” Wiseman should need little introduction, but for those who are new to survival, it would be difficult to believe that there is a serious survival training specialist in the world today who hasn’t read and learned from John “Lofty” Wiseman’s The SAS Survival Handbook. First published in 1986, translated into 18 different languages and having sold over one million copies, it is undoubtedly the seminal work on survival available today.

It is our mission to become 'The Authority' in Survival advice, information and training. We aim to achieve this through making survival training and resources accessible to everyone through a portfolio of courses designed to take participants from basic principles through to advanced training. In addition, Trueways strives to keep survival simple and fun with an emphasis on the fundamentals. Our ultimate goal is to firmly instil the necessary survival tools in everyone's 'mental kit bag'.