Description of the Christmas Arctic holiday in Sweden

Have you always been in awe of those adventurers who ventured out on long expeditions and managed to get by with very limited food and in rather poor sleeping conditions?
Our Christmas Arctic Tipi Expedition is offering the adventurous component but is adjusted such that it is accessible and even comfortable for us modern day souls whose bodies have grown used to warm houses all year round.

This is a very unique experience with stark contrasts, and a back to the essentials approach. In an extremely remote and cold part of the world — the Arctic — during a very special time of the year — Polar Night and Christmas — we are sharing an experience that is powerful beyond measure but has become utterly rare for any modern day traveler:
connecting to the inspiring nomadic lifestyle the way Arctic indigenous people used to know it. “Being on the road is better than staying in one place (house)” is a deep rooted proverb from the Sami but runs counter to the well-known Western proverb East, West, Home’s Best.

Why you *want* to do this:

This is about essence, not about frills. The power of the Arctic is beyond comprehension. Back to the essentials. Back to nature. Back to connection. On the black canvas of Polar Night, it will be the snow, the stars, the moon and sometimes indirect sunlight that is shining a light on our path. This is powerful in and of itself. Yet, the northern lights may add sparks and spices beyond comprehension: granted, they are much more than the essentials. Polar Night may well be our best time of the year to see them.

We are likely to meet reindeer. Perhaps we’ll encounter a moose. A fox? Certain is that you will meet our dogs! They are part of the team as much as you and we are. They may join in when there is a fit. But our bond with them is such that they will not be part of a typical commercial dog sled activity.
The dogs do serve as powerful inspiration though — by being who they are: a pack, not a random collection of dogs. Anyone participating in this expedition will automatically become a member of the pack, too. Yes, the aim is to co-create a peak experience together. Not to chase fleeting highs, or to accumulate a max number of individual trophies (bucket list items?) to impress others. We will be a small team. Max 3 participants and your guides.

We will be spending time outdoors. As you understand by now, we will also pay attention to being comfortable “going inside”: in the tipi, in the mountain cabin, and in our heated basecamp. But also “truly inside”, each into our own world where all true powers reside — as strong and as beautiful as the northern lights indeed.
We do not aim to impose any explicit structure for that — this is not a retreat — but we are here to facilitate the total experience, and to provide comfortable spaces and places, outside and inside.

Why you *can* do this:

This is about presence, not performance.. We are venturing out, but this expedition is not a boot camp that requires you to hike 6-8 hours a day to just make it to the next overnight stay location. There is no need to be a professional explorer or even an experienced hiker. Making this accessible is key for us.
Which is why there is also the Cocoon of Comfort: a layer of comfort / warmth that is following us/you along the entire trajectory. From your very arrival in the Arctic (Lulea airport or train station) to the various places where we will spend the night, to any place in between.
It starts with the comfortably warm private shuttle in which we take you from downtown Lulea (East) to our basecamp in the West. Later, the Cocoon of Comfort will take the form of our heated basecamp with your personal bedroom; the stove in the tipi; the stove in the mountain cabin and Arctic tent; and special equipment to keep your feet warm during hike or ski sections.
You could think of the Cocoon of Comfort as a railing that is available as you are climbing stairs or even a mountain; you can use it anytime but you are also free to let go when that is what feels most comfortable.

To make this possible while keeping it real, we will (a) spend the first night in our basecamp with heating and regular modern day amenities (kitchen, bathroom, separate bedrooms, communal area), (b) have a wood-fired stove in each of our next sleeping locations, (c) venture out from our basecamp, and not sleep in the same location/bed during two consecutive nights, (d) increase the challenge level gradually and mentally so we can all adjust on our own pace; (e) even at the peak of the expedition we will have the comfort of a firewood stove in our tent (f) while being out there in the Arctic wilderness right by a mountain cabin, (g) with our basecamp only a 2 hour (not full day) hike away.
More details are in the itinerary section below, but the goal throughout is to let you experience the Arctic magic from an energy of calm and lucidity rather than from stress or duress.

Note: as did the nomadic indigenous people back in the days, we too will always be monitoring the weather conditions closely. We will venture out to the mountain cabin on day 3 only if and when the weather conditions allow for it.
If they don’t we will stay at basecamp, and assess our options from there: going up the mountain later, or changing our plans all together, for instance by now focusing on exploration of the enchanting Kamajokk river closer to the valley, or exploring the delta in the valley itself.
In addition, we will always make a decision that is best for the entire group. However, if for some reason you feel like staying at basecamp while weather conditions are fine, that is a possibility too. It is exactly one of the benefits of our particular format. The proximity and availability of our basecamp cocoon anywhere along the trajectory.

What to Expect

• Polar Night conditions around Winter Solstice
• Possible northern lights (best season for viewing)
• Wildlife encounters: reindeer likely, possibly moose/fox
• Meeting the sled dogs (not commercial dog sledding)
• Becoming part of the "pack" - team bonding focus

5-Day Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival & Transition

• 9am pickup in Luleå (bus station)
• Stop at Arctic Circle border
• Visit Sami museum in Jokkmokk + lunch
• Continue to Kvikkjokk basecamp
• Evening meal, sleep in heated bedroom

Day 2 - Acclimatization

• Breakfast at basecamp
• Explore Polar Night environment independently
• Meet the dogs
• Afternoon: guided hiking/skiing/snowshoeing around Kamajokk river/delta
• First big step: option to sleep in tipi (with stove) at basecamp

Day 3 - Christmas Day Ascent

• Wake up in tipi on Christmas morning
• Weather assessment and briefing
• Light lunch
• 2-hour uphill hike to mountain cabin (no climbing gear needed)
• Settle into Arctic tent with stove
• Christmas dinner, gratitude circle
• Sleep in tent

Day 4 - Mountain Exploration

• Breakfast at cabin
• Explore from mountain basecamp (customized to group abilities)
• Light lunch
• Afternoon descent back to main basecamp
• Final evening reflection: gifts from the experience
• Sleep at basecamp or tipi

Day 5 - Departure

• Sleep in, final breakfast
• Optional short delta hike
• Group sharing session on nomadic lifestyle insights
• Light lunch
• Afternoon shuttle back to Luleå or Jokkmokk