Fjällräven Polar
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What is Fjällräven Polar?
Fjällräven Polar is a dog-sled expedition that brings people from around the world to live for a week up north in the Scandinavian Arctic tundra. It’s been 30 years since the first expedition in 1997, and the next Fjällräven Polar will take place from March 31 to April 5, 2027. We welcome everyone who‘d like to explore life outside their comfort zone to apply. If you earn a spot, you’ll learn to drive your own dog sled through vast frozen landscapes, experiencing a world completely different from your own. You’ll also learn essential survival skills and adapt to life in a place where temperatures often drop to minus 30°C.
Fjällräven Polar is a dog-sled expedition that brings people from around the world to live for a week up north in the Scandinavian Arctic tundra. It’s been 30 years since the first expedition in 1997, and the next Fjällräven Polar will take place from March 31 to April 5, 2027. We welcome everyone who‘d like to explore life outside their comfort zone to apply. If you earn a spot, you’ll learn to drive your own dog sled through vast frozen landscapes, experiencing a world completely different from your own. You’ll also learn essential survival skills and adapt to life in a place where temperatures often drop to minus 30°C.
Cold, windy, dark, and far away from home... and I’ll enjoy it?
We believe you will. Following the Fjällräven mission to inspire people to move with nature, this expedition demonstrates thatwith the right knowledge, equipment and support, anyone can explore the Arctic. No previous experiencerequired.
We believe you will. Following the Fjällräven mission to inspire people to move with nature, this expedition demonstrates thatwith the right knowledge, equipment and support, anyone can explore the Arctic. No previous experiencerequired.
What to expect during Fjällräven Polar 2027
The 300 km expedition starts in the Jukkasjärvi area of Swedish Lapland, around 17 km east of Kiruna, where participants are given all the training and essential survival skills they need. Here, they also meet their team of six dogs whom they look after for the duration of the journey. Then, they set off, driving their dog sled across barren tundra, frozen lakes, and mountain forests.
The 300 km expedition starts in the Jukkasjärvi area of Swedish Lapland, around 17 km east of Kiruna, where participants are given all the training and essential survival skills they need. Here, they also meet their team of six dogs whom they look after for the duration of the journey. Then, they set off, driving their dog sled across barren tundra, frozen lakes, and mountain forests.
The route takes participants through Sevujärvi, Kattuvuoma, Råstojaure and Pältsa – one of Europe’s largest areas of permafrost – before finishing at the edge of the Norwegian fjords in Signaldalen. Teams spend several nights sleeping in a tent or under the open sky. They learn to feed and manage their dogs, set up a winter camp, cook outdoors, live in temperatures as low as minus 30°C, and adapt to constantly changing winter conditions which can be harsh and unforgiving. Though most of the work is done by the participants throughout the expedition, they receive support from an experienced Fjällräven team and mushers.
Inspired to inspire others: A short history of Fjällräven Polar
The seed for Fjällräven Polar was planted back in the early 1990s when FjällrävenFounder, Åke Nordin, met one of Sweden’s leading dog-sled drivers who had participated in the world’s most famous sled-dog competition, the 1,700 km Iditarod in Alaska. When Åke heard about this adventure, he got an idea. Why not make it possible for ‘everyday’ people to get a taste of something similar to the Iditarod? He decided to develop his own version, with professional backing, in the Scandinavian Arctic. It would challenge participants and provide an opportunity to test Fjällräven products in the extreme Nordic winter conditions for which they were intended. From 1997, for almost a decade, Fjällräven Polar followed the Iditarod example: it was a race.
The seed for Fjällräven Polar was planted back in the early 1990s when FjällrävenFounder, Åke Nordin, met one of Sweden’s leading dog-sled drivers who had participated in the world’s most famous sled-dog competition, the 1,700 km Iditarod in Alaska. When Åke heard about this adventure, he got an idea. Why not make it possible for ‘everyday’ people to get a taste of something similar to the Iditarod? He decided to develop his own version, with professional backing, in the Scandinavian Arctic. It would challenge participants and provide an opportunity to test Fjällräven products in the extreme Nordic winter conditions for which they were intended. From 1997, for almost a decade, Fjällräven Polar followed the Iditarod example: it was a race.
Eventually it was determined that the competition and glory of winning could overshadow the inspirationalelements of the event. In 2012, a reconceived Fjällräven Polar was back and this time the focus was not on racing. It was simply for people curious about the experience. Though taking a group of relatively inexperiencedpeople into one of the world’s harshest environments may have felt unwise, we believed this adventure was for everyone. Happily, we were right. The updated event was a success, most notably because of the spirit of the first participants. They showed that with guts and gusto, guidance and support from experts, and high-quality cold-weather gear, anyone could take on the challenge of Fjällräven Polar.
Since 1997, the lucky folks who have participated in Fjällräven Polar have faced everything from blizzards and minus 35°C temperatures, to witnessing the beautiful, sun-drenched landscapes of the Arctic tundra. So have the hundreds of thousands of people who have followed the journey from home. Every year, thousands visit the Fjällräven Polar website, apply for the chance to join the all-expenses-paid journey, and experience the highlights and challenges alongside the participants on our social media feeds. After all, at its core, Fjällräven Polar is far more than a dog-sled expedition. It’s an opportunity to inspire peopleto move with nature – no matter the weather or the conditions.
Become an Arctic explorer
How to apply to Fjällräven Polar
How to apply to Fjällräven Polar
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Discover Fjällräven Polar 2027
Discover Fjällräven Polar 2027
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Fjällräven Polar
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Everything you need to know about Fjällräven Polar, and applying to be a participant in the next expedition, is right here. From key dates to what you need to bring if you earn a place on the team.
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