EXPEDITION NORDKALOTTEN | MARCH & APRIL 2028
Everything you need, you pull yourself
A crossing on skis with a pulka through Norway, Sweden and Finland, with one night in the snow cave you dig yourself.
The story of this expedition
You fly from Brussels to the far north of Scandinavia. On arrival we drive to the starting point, and there all infrastructure ends. You harness your pulka, put your skis in the snow and set off in one direction. This is not a round trip with a base to return to: you travel from point A to point B, straight through an area where three national borders meet without the landscape noticing at all. Everything you need lies behind you on a sled.
Tent, sleeping bag, food, fuel, stove: you pull it all yourself. You travel across frozen lakes, through birch forest and over open plateaus where the wind has free rein. No mountaineering required, but the endurance to keep moving day after day with weight behind you. Somewhere along the way you cross the border between Norway, Sweden and Finland at a place where there is no barrier at all.
The highlight of this expedition is one you dig yourself. Under guidance you learn how to build a snow cave that keeps you warm while it is twenty degrees below outside. Inside it stays around freezing, completely windless and so quiet you can hear your own breathing. Anyone who has slept a night in one looks at snow differently forever. The other nights you sleep in a tent, with at most one hut along the way as a stopover.
In March and April the light is back in the north. The days lengthen quickly, the sun stands low and warm over a landscape that is still entirely white. You can travel for hours without darkness falling, and the snow is at its firmest and most workable of the whole season.
We deliberately choose March and April: the classic window for a pulka crossing, with long days, hard snow and temperatures that are demanding but workable. In midwinter it is too dark and too cold here to make a crossing worthwhile.
The story of
this expedition
You fly from Brussels to the far north of Scandinavia. On arrival we drive to the starting point, and there all infrastructure ends. You harness your pulka, put your skis in the snow and set off in one direction. This is not a round trip with a base to return to: you travel from point A to point B, straight through an area where three national borders meet without the landscape noticing at all. Everything you need lies behind you on a sled.
Tent, sleeping bag, food, fuel, stove: you pull it all yourself. You travel across frozen lakes, through birch forest and over open plateaus where the wind has free rein. No mountaineering required, but the endurance to keep moving day after day with weight behind you. Somewhere along the way you cross the border between Norway, Sweden and Finland at a place where there is no barrier at all.
The highlight of this expedition is one you dig yourself. Under guidance you learn how to build a snow cave that keeps you warm while it is twenty degrees below outside. Inside it stays around freezing, completely windless and so quiet you can hear your own breathing. Anyone who has slept a night in one looks at snow differently forever. The other nights you sleep in a tent, with at most one hut along the way as a stopover.
In March and April the light is back in the north. The days lengthen quickly, the sun stands low and warm over a landscape that is still entirely white. You can travel for hours without darkness falling, and the snow is at its firmest and most workable of the whole season.
We deliberately choose March and April: the classic window for a pulka crossing, with long days, hard snow and temperatures that are demanding but workable. In midwinter it is too dark and too cold here to make a crossing worthwhile.
Self-sufficient,
but never alone
From the first day you are completely self-sufficient. There is no resupply and no base to return to. We melt snow for water, cook in the tent and pitch camp again every evening wherever the landscape allows.
You learn to haul a pulka day after day, melt snow for your water and dig a snow cave to sleep in, guided by an experienced X- Guide whom you meet well in advance during the preparation programme.
Safety & guidance
Safety is the foundation of every Element X expedition. Our X Guides are professionally trained, hold WFR certificates and have years of experience in extreme conditions.
Every expedition has satellite phones, GPS tracking, safety procedures, an evacuation plan and local support in Scandinavia. Cold injury prevention and recognising hypothermia are covered extensively during the preparation and monitored daily.
Before departure we also carry out a thorough risk analysis and prepare everything down to the last detail.
Guided by real expedition leaders.
You step into nature, away from the
beaten track, but always with the certainty of experienced guidance
and safety first.
Safety & guidance
Safety is the foundation of every Element X expedition. Our X Guides are professionally trained, hold
WFR certificates and have
years of experience in extreme conditions.
Every expedition has satellite phones, GPS tracking, clear safety procedures, a detailed evacuation plan and local support in Scandinavia. Cold injury prevention and recognising hypothermia are covered extensively during the preparation and monitored daily.
Before departure we also carry out a thorough risk analysis and prepare everything down to the last detail.
Self-sufficient,
but never alone
From the first day you are
completely self-sufficient. There is no resupply and no base to return to. We melt snow for water, cook in the tent and pitch camp again every evening wherever the landscape allows.
You learn to haul a pulka day after day, melt snow for your water and dig a snow cave to sleep in, guided by an experienced X-Guide whom you meet well in advance during the preparation programme.
We let no one step into the unknown unprepared.
An expedition of this calibre starts months in advance. The preparation programme consists of an individual phase and a group phase.
Individual phase
Starts immediately after registration. You receive an inspiration pack with practical tips, insights and exercises to start moving like an expedition member. You gather your expedition gear using the packing list (do not buy anything yet: bring what you already have to the kick off). And you share your medical information, because the best preparation is a plan for when things go wrong.
Group phase
Starts 3 to 6 months before departure with the kick off: a full day on which you meet your team, taste the expedition atmosphere and take the first steps as a group. There we plan the follow-up moments together and the WhatsApp group starts. Training includes, among other things: getting to know the group and roles, physical screening and analysis, a personalised training schedule, technical and resilience training, gear, nutrition and sleep setup, and a final check.
Accredited service provider for the KMO-portefeuille
To help entrepreneurs and KMO leaders grow as much as possible, a leadership programme/training is linked to this expedition, which closely aligns with the adventure. This programme falls under the theme Business strategy and is eligible for subsidy via the KMO-portefeuille.
As an entrepreneur, you can receive up to 30% subsidy on the training costs of this programme. Important (!): only the training itself is eligible. Travel, accommodation, and expedition costs are not covered by the subsidy.
Accredited service provider for the KMO-portefeuille
To help entrepreneurs and KMO leaders grow as much as possible, a leadership programme/training is linked to this expedition, which closely aligns with the adventure. This programme falls under the theme Business strategy and is eligible for subsidy via the KMO-portefeuille.
As an entrepreneur, you can receive up to 30% subsidy on the training costs of this programme. Important (!): only the training itself is eligible. Travel, accommodation, and expedition costs are not covered by the subsidy.
As seen in
Imagine: a pulka hissing over hard snow, a horizon that does not change for eight days, and a night in a cave you dug yourself that afternoon.
On Expedition Nordkalotten you learn what self-reliance in winter really means: no resupply, no stopovers, only your team, your sled and a landscape that crosses three countries without ever changing character.
Imagine: a pulka hissing over hard snow, a horizon that does not change for eight days, and a night in a cave you dug yourself that afternoon.
On Expedition Nordkalotten you learn what self-reliance in winter really means: no resupply, no stopovers, only your team, your sled and a landscape that crosses three countries without ever changing character.
Frequently asked questions
No. We use wide touring skis with skins, so you walk rather than glide. We teach you the technique and how to work with a pulka during our preparation programme . What counts is endurance, not skiing technique.
On flat, hard terrain a pulka feels lighter than a backpack of the same weight. On soft snow or uphill it becomes noticeably heavier. That is why pulka training is explicitly part of the preparation programme: you get used to it before you leave.
The full expedition programme, gear including skis and pulkas, workshops, guidance, all local costs and meals are included, plus the full 3 to 6 month preparation programme. Flights, personal clothing and insurance are not included.
Frequently asked questions
No. We use wide touring skis with skins, so you walk rather than glide. We teach you the technique and how to work with a pulka during our preparation programme . What counts is endurance, not skiing technique.
On flat, hard terrain a pulka feels lighter than a backpack of the same weight. On soft snow or uphill it becomes noticeably heavier. That is why pulka training is explicitly part of the preparation programme: you get used to it before you leave.
The full expedition programme, gear including skis and pulkas, workshops, guidance, all local costs and meals are included, plus the full 3 to 6 month preparation programme. Flights, personal clothing and insurance are not included.
Ready to dig your own
snow cave?
Taking an option is free and without obligation; your spot is only confirmed after the intake.
Koen De Leeuw
Expedition leader | Element X
“A pulk changes everything. You carry nothing on your back, but day after day you drag your entire life behind you. Those who keep that up know afterwards exactly what they can handle.”
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