Polar and winter expeditions, frozen lakes

Entry requirements vary by destination and by your nationality. For Finland, a member of the Schengen Area, travellers from most countries require a valid passport or national ID card, subject to applicable visa requirements for their specific nationality. For Svalbard, which lies outside the Schengen Area despite being a Norwegian territory, a valid passport is strongly recommended as it may be required by border police on departure or arrival flights to the archipelago. For Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory outside both the Schengen Area and the European Union, a valid passport is required. For Mongolia, entry conditions depend on your nationality; many nationalities benefit from visa-free tourism stays of up to 30 days, check current requirements with the Mongolian embassy in your home country or your national foreign affairs authority before booking. For Antarctica, no individual visa is required as the continent is governed by the Antarctic Treaty System; the expedition operator holds all necessary regulatory authorisations on behalf of participants.

No individual permit needs to be obtained by participants. The expedition operator is responsible for securing all prior authorisations required under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (Madrid Protocol) and the relevant national regulations. For the sailing expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula, the rules of the IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators) apply: these cover biosecurity protocols, landing management and authorised access zones. For the expedition to Queen Maud Land, access is via the Wolf's Fang private airbase in the Drygalski Mountains, with air logistics handled by a specialist operator. All permit-related formalities are managed as part of the expedition organisation.

No compulsory vaccination is required for any of these destinations. For Mongolia, it is advisable to be up to date with routine vaccinations and to consult a travel health clinic for recommendations tailored to your itinerary. There is no malaria risk in the areas covered by these winter expeditions. For Svalbard, Greenland and Antarctica, no specific vaccination is recommended. The primary health challenge on these expeditions is not infectious in nature: it arises from sustained exposure to extreme cold, frostbite risk, and physical exertion over multiple days in polar conditions. A pre-departure medical consultation focused on cardiovascular fitness and cold tolerance is strongly recommended.

The primary risks are frostbite (hands, feet, exposed facial skin in wind and sub-zero temperatures), hypothermia, cumulative muscular fatigue from manhauling a sled over several consecutive days, and rapidly deteriorating weather conditions that may require unplanned bivouacs. These risks are managed through strict bivouac and equipment protocols, daily monitoring of participants by the guide, and a 24-hour medical helpline available throughout every expedition. Guides are trained in emergency management in remote environments. Prevention starts before departure: appropriate physical conditioning, carefully selected personal equipment, and disciplined hydration in cold conditions are all essential prerequisites for expedition safety.

Standard travel insurance policies generally exclude extreme-environment activities. Specialist insurance is required, covering emergency medical evacuation and repatriation from remote locations, medical expenses abroad, and the specific activities involved (cross-country skiing, winter camping, sled-pulling). For Antarctica expeditions, evacuation costs can be very high given the remoteness and the logistical constraints involved; coverage must explicitly mention Antarctica and polar expedition activities. Always confirm with your insurer that the policy covers intervention in areas without immediate access to medical facilities.

Medical evacuation in polar regions does not follow the same logic as in alpine terrain or urban settings. Helicopter access is not always available or feasible, depending on weather conditions, distance and geographic zone. For northern expeditions (Svalbard, Greenland, Mongolia), evacuation by land, sea or air can be organised depending on the nature and severity of the incident, with support from the 24-hour medical helpline. For Antarctica, response times may be significant due to the continent's remoteness and the seasonal availability of logistics flights; a dedicated emergency response protocol is established for each expedition before departure. These constraints make it essential to hold insurance that explicitly covers evacuations from hard-to-access areas.

Travel to Russia is currently advised against by many national foreign affairs authorities, including for non-emergency purposes, owing to the geopolitical situation. The Lake Baikal expedition currently shows 'next departure: on request' in the catalogue, reflecting uncertainty about the feasibility of this programme. For all nationalities, we recommend checking current travel advisories from your national foreign affairs authority and contacting us directly for the latest status of this expedition before making any enquiry or booking.

These expeditions require good general physical fitness, prior experience of camping in sub-zero temperatures and familiarity with ski touring or cross-country skiing. Previous experience of a long polar traverse is not necessary, but some exposure to winter self-sufficiency in cold conditions is expected. Polar training courses are available through the Adventure School for participants who have not yet camped in arctic temperatures. Physical difficulty ratings across the catalogue range from challenging to difficult depending on the itinerary; technical difficulty is consistently rated easy across all programmes: no mountaineering skills are required.

For a first polar experience, the expeditions to Svalbard (9 days) or Lake Inari in Finland (8 days) provide a natural entry point: they are shorter, rated at the challenging level, and run with groups of 4 to 7 participants led by an experienced guide. For participants already practised in winter camping and multi-day cross-country skiing, the Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland (13 days, difficult) or the Lake Khovsgol crossing in Mongolia (17 days) offer a longer and more committing immersion. The Antarctic expeditions are intended for participants with confirmed polar experience and a strong capacity for physical self-sufficiency. A direct conversation with our team will help identify the most suitable programme for your background and goals.

Yes, a medical fitness certificate is required for registration. It must be issued by a doctor and confirm the absence of any contraindication to cross-country skiing and winter camping in extreme cold conditions. For Antarctic expeditions, additional medical requirements may apply given the distance from medical facilities. Specific requirements are set out in the registration documents for each programme.

The catalogue covers five geographic zones. In Europe, Lake Inari in Finland is visited in March. In the Arctic, Svalbard/Spitsbergen is accessible in March, while the Greenland Arctic Circle Trail from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut (150 kilometres of ski manhauling) departs in February or March. In Central Asia, Lake Khovsgol in Mongolia runs in February, and the Lake Baikal expedition in Russia remains subject to availability, please enquire. In Antarctica, the Queen Maud Land expedition via Wolf's Fang and the Antarctic Peninsula sailing expedition from Ushuaia both take place during the southern summer, from December to February. All programmes are scheduled within precise seasonal windows that provide access to frozen lakes or polar zones in operable conditions.

Duration ranges from 8 days (Lake Inari, Finland) to 20 days (sailing expedition, Antarctic Peninsula), with most programmes falling between 9 and 17 days. Accommodation on the ice is in expedition tents erected each evening by participants and guide. A few nights in a hotel or lodge typically mark the beginning and end of the trip depending on the programme. Bivouac is central to the expedition experience: mastering polar camp routines, from equipment management to cooking in extreme cold, is one of the core skills these expeditions develop.

Prices observed across the catalogue range from €2,900 (Lake Inari, 8 days) to €7,500 (Lake Khovsgol, 17 days) for group expeditions on ice. The Queen Maud Land expedition in Antarctica starts from €42,500 (3 to 4 participants), and the Antarctic Peninsula sailing expedition from €75,000 as a private charter. The price generally covers guide leadership, meals during the expedition, shared equipment (tents, sleds), local transfers and on-site accommodation. It does not include the international flight, personal insurance, personal technical gear or individual expenses before and after the expedition.

No, the international flight is not included in the listed prices. Participants arrange and pay for their return flights independently. Departure airports vary by programme: Longyearbyen for Svalbard, Kangerlussuaq for Greenland, Rovaniemi or Ivalo for Finland, Ulaanbaatar for Mongolia, and Ushuaia for Antarctic expeditions. Practical guidance on flight connections and ground logistics is provided in the preparation materials for each programme.

Group sizes are deliberately small: from 3 to 4 participants for the most committed Antarctic programmes (Queen Maud Land) to 4 to 10 participants for the Greenland Arctic Circle Trail crossing. This format ensures individual attention and a leadership ratio suited to demanding conditions. Guides are French-speaking with recognised expertise in polar regions; several have trained under leading figures in world polar exploration. The Antarctic sailing expedition pairs a polar guide with an experienced skipper. Full guide biographies and expedition backgrounds are available in each programme's technical sheet.

A 24-hour, 7-day medical helpline is available on all expeditions, enabling participants to reach a qualified medical team directly from the field at any time. Risk management protocols are defined for each expedition based on the geographic zone, potential evacuation timelines and expected conditions. Each participant's medical file is reviewed before departure. The helpline complements solid pre-departure medical preparation: it is not a substitute for the participant's own physical fitness and personal equipment.

Antarctica is governed by the Madrid Protocol on Environmental Protection, which prohibits any deposit of waste on the continent, any introduction of non-sterilised organic material, and any disturbance of wildlife. Expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula comply with IAATO biosecurity protocols, including equipment decontamination before every landing. In the Arctic (Svalbard, Greenland), national parks and nature reserves impose their own access rules and wildlife protection requirements. Across all programmes, Leave No Trace principles apply on the ground: no waste is left on the ice or in the polar environment, and bivouac sites leave no permanent trace. These requirements are covered in full during each expedition's pre-departure briefings.