Embracing the Arctic Wilderness

In this blog post we get both a new update from @thetreehouseonwheels (formerly @perdidaVanVida) and a part 2 view into her travels in Norway and the beginning of her life exploring the world in a Van.

A Snowshoe Expedition: Embracing the Arctic Wilderness

By @thetreehouseonwheels 

After a week in a rental van in Southern Norway, it seemed a natural transition to explore this beautiful country by sea. I wanted to go as far north as possible. How far north can you go in Norway? The answer is Svalbard, a territory of Norway located deep inside the Arctic Circle, between latitudes of 74° and 81° North. That is really north, so far north that reindeer mainly populate the islands forming the Svalbard archipelago, and while there, you feel like Santa might appear at any moment.

The goals of this seven-day expedition were to snowshoe in the most pristine snow I have ever seen, and if we were lucky, observe and photograph polar bears. I, along with all 33 passengers and 10 crew members, had a third goal: to stay alive.

Our vessel, the Rembrandt Van Rijn, a 162-foot, three-masted sailing boat, was originally built in 1947 and refurbished several times. It is now equipped with all modern communication and navigation gear, according to the latest regulations. The vessel navigating these remote, icy waters was not the reason we feared for our lives.

 

Is it possible to embark on an expedition with the objective of finding polar bears and yet hope at all times to never see one? Sounds contradictory, right? But yes, that is the reality of visiting the land of these killer beasts!

While they look adorable in Coca-Cola commercials, polar bears are fast, aggressive, and enormous—the perfect killing machine. If they come after you, you don’t stand a chance!

 

 

Every day, we would gear up in layers, take the zodiacs, and land in different areas of the archipelago to snowshoe through untouched snow. The process, of course, was far more involved than this. Our certified guides would go first to explore the area and ensure it was safe to land. We had to always remain together, with one armed guide at the front and one in the back. These guns were only to be used in self-defense, and if it became necessary, the entire expedition would end, and all passengers would become witnesses in what is almost treated as a murder investigation.

It is also prohibited to follow bears from the boat or head in their direction if that wasn’t our original route.

 

 

The thrill of snowshoeing in polar bear territory, sometimes for up to seven hours, is beyond anything words can explain. All senses are on alert, always watching your back—hoping to see them in the distance yet hoping to never come across one. The immensity of the white wonderland, with rolling hills where no other humans have been since at least last season, creates an intense silence, only interrupted by birds, making it all the more eerie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler alert: we were not lucky enough to see polar bears, or we were lucky not to encounter one, however you want to look at it.

We did see plenty of wildlife. One early morning, we spotted an arctic fox. We stopped where we were, giving it plenty of space to avoid feeling threatened. We were rewarded with almost an hour of playful rolling up and down the hill, just like a puppy would do.

 

Reindeer were abundant. Both sexes have antlers, which they shed and regrow annually. At this time of year, the horns are either very small or just one, making them look like unicorns. Birds were also abundant, as were walruses and whales.

This expedition was one of the most nature-focused I’ve done. The purity of the air, the beauty of endless untouched snow, the effort of lengthy snowshoe excursions, the unpolluted air for stargazing at night, and the immense respect for wildlife displayed by the crew were passed on to us through nightly lectures and hands-on observation on land. We also got to help with the sails and other minor boat tasks as much as we wanted.

 

This expedition got me reflecting on something my older brother jokingly suggested on several occasions: that I should write a book titled “How to Travel the World and Still Get Promoted.” There is a bit of truth to that joke. When you experience a long break in nature and all your senses are on overload, you return to work with a far more creative and enthusiastic approach, and you definitely deliver more than you could accomplish after two weeks sitting in a cubicle. This was exactly the case after this trip of a lifetime!

You can find more of @thetreehousehonwheels’ amazing photos of the expedition here!

We are very happy with the partnership with @thetreehousehonwheels and her wonder dog Tango! Look for more blog posts soon as she travels and hikes multiple beautiful areas in the US and across the globe!

Up next: We will be highlighting the exciting new partnership with @Chris.Hikes.USA as he and his two dogs set out on the Pacific Crest Trail. Chris is another incredible human being who is on a journey of healing, self and societal discovery and overall path to overall health through getting out and embracing everything the outdoors has to offer. We know that you are going to be fully inspired by Chris and his journey.

We hope that these real life shared experiences from some of our community friends inspire all of you to Get Outdoors for the Health of it!!!

If you would like to share your experiences, please just send a note to TheMountainExp@gmail.com. We’d love to help tell your story of how you and your friends are benefiting from getting outside to help inspire more people.

Coming this week

Stay Tuned!!!