Hazel’s Arctic Adventure in Lapland
(The Husky Sledding Trail 24th-31st March 2017)
I was feeling restless and saw the sledding trek promoted on a local charity web site. A small spark lit up inside me and without a conscious decision, I took a look at the details. In conjunction with wanting to do something out of the ordinary with challenge and excitement, now was the time to have a go. If you like, I want to feel ‘the great outdoors’ - a natural wilderness - a relatively unspoiled fresh landscape.
I am 60 and work all year as a professional gardener in the city of Worcester, Worcestershire and the locality. I may be fit and strong but the time would come when trekking days across the Arctic would be beyond me. I registered and started looking forward to March 2017.
I have briefly visited Norway before and as a teenager worked in Stockholm Sweden but Lapland is another world.
I will be journeying for five days by sled with my own team of Huskies for approximately 255km across Lapland within the Arctic Circle. This is a new departure.
With a small group of fellow participants we will fly to Tromso Norway. Our starting point in Norway is Signal Valley, where we continue to the Tri-Nations Border (between Norway, Sweden and Finland). Following the Swedish border at altitude before descending to Keinovuopio. Then we trek deep into the mountains of Sweden to Rostojávri (also known locally as Fish Camp), continuing into the tree line and the Swedish Forests. Then through the forest and down onto the lakes and rivers which will lead us to our final destination of Jukkasjärvi and The Ice Hotel.
On my sled will be all I need for those days to live and travel in this environment. This entails camping, cooking and caring for myself and my team of Huskies.
It will be Spring time in Lapland and the day time temperature should be just above freezing. At night it is very cold and can drop to below -20oC. The right kit combined with physical fitness and stamina are essential ingredients.
I have already embarked on a programme of fitness training with the help and encouragement of James Pearson from Bromsgrove School Sports Centre. This includes yoga, swimming, cycling, walking and some work in the gym. So I should be ready!
Now also a real challenge is to raise money for my chosen charities.
St. Richards Hospice, Worcester www.strichards.org.uk and
Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) www.msf.org.uk
I have chosen these two charities for the simple, but crucial reason that they administer care locally and internationally without discrimination, on the basis of human need.
My aim is to raise £1000.00 for each organisation, so please give what you can. It all adds up to make a difference.
Thank you. Hazel
