Expedition report:

15 days solo expedition from Karasjok to Olderfjord in the high Arctic of Norway, as a part of the solo strategy training. It’s a beautifully remote area of Finnmark – I saw absolutely no trace of humans since day 4. I went through the plateau, forest, mountain range, frozen lake and river; I had the stunning Arctic landscape all to myself.

It was fantastic but also a tough challenge with 7 days straight with whiteouts and very deep powder snow, navigating around mountains when I saw nothing in front of me in the Northeast section. It was really heavy going at times, and the weather became unstable and erratic (which I was warned beforehand), rapidly changing wind and visibility as I got further North and closer to the coast. But I loved being a small existence in the vast white landscape. It also somehow felt like home. I reached Olderfjord a day earlier than I planned, and didn’t lose or break anything, and got no cold injury, so I’m happy about that.

I do enjoy the alone aspect of the expedition as much as being with a group of good people. It’s a completely different way of traveling. With a team, you take advantage of everyone’s strengths by collaboration while sharing experiences to bitch about or having nice conversations in the tent. When alone, you are a safety manager, a problem solver, a navigator, a trail breaker, a repair person, an entertainer, a cheerleader, all at the same time, while trying not to slip out of the self-accountability to stick to the routine like a Swiss clock. I was in touch with my mentor, Lars every day but decided to limit communications with others to focus on what was in front of me. I do love the self-reliant aspect of the solo trip. To me, polar expeditions are not only about athletic abilities. Rather, it is to challenge my own perception of what’s possible.