Field Journal

The Fjällräven Polar is a dog-sledding challenge for ‘ordinary people’ across the Scandinavia Arctic. Dani and Nick, co-founders of Mountain & Co, have just returned from the latest edition. Here’s what they had to say about the experience.

Where are you right now, and how do you feel after the Polar?
I am now in Bristol back in work and will soon be flying out on a new filming adventure. After Polar it was quite difficult to come back into the ‘real world’ the one where I am used to getting water from a tap, ordering food out and getting from A to B via public transport. Life here is much easier but in some respect less satisfying. The main thing that I noticed were the sounds, everything in the city is so loud and busy.

What attracted you to the Fjällräven Polar? How did the idea come about?
I have been following the Fjällräven outdoor brand for a very long time and have always respect their ethos and love their equipment. Through this company, I first heard about the Polar and thought what an adventure! This was my second year of applying and I put all my efforts into making a fun and creative application film in hope that jury would choose me in my category.

What did you hope to achieve? What was the key aim?
For me, the key aim was to be able to survive in an environment that I am not used to and the Arctic seemed like the perfect place to take on this challenge! It was such a tough week but a satisfying one. I came away from the experience with many new skills – from making fire to dog sledding. The journey was tough both mentally and physically and nothing can prepare you for this experience. You must go with an open mind and be eager to learn as time flies so quickly. There will be ups and downs and it is very long days and tough work.

What were the scariest moments?
No scary moments for me! Just pure joy!

What surprised you most during your journey?
The most surprising part of my journey was coming to the realisation that even when completely sapped of energy you still soldier on to get things done. In these types of environments, any day to day activities can be extremely tiring and take much longer. Patience and persistence are the keys to success and the key to survival. When there are tasks to be done, you just keep calm and carry on!

What was the most important thing you learnt?
Persistence will always pay off. It is difficult but if you keep at it and practice, it will only get easier! Everyday we were out there, working against the elements, we were always learning something new and improving on our past mistakes. By the end of the journey, I think we had perfected our tents, had more energy, felt happy in the outdoors and probably for many had a lot more patience. I think living in the modern world with everything at our fingertips being consumed so quickly has created a world that is less patient. Going back to survival basics without the distraction of things like social media made me appreciate the simpler things. The moments of silence out on the tundra. That is something that I miss.

What was the most useful piece of kit?
That’s a difficult one as there are so many elements of the kit that work well on their own but also when paired up make for a stronger piece of equipment. Of course, the polar parka was great for many things. It kept you warm, could be used as a pillow as well as over the foot of our sleeping bags as an extra layer.

I must also say that the Mora knife and spark were lifesavers. Without this, making fire would be a lot more difficult and fire is one of the keys to survival.

To someone hoping to embark on the Polar, what advice would you offer?
My main advice is to know that if you want this experience enough then you have to work hard for it. Think of a creative way to show the judges how much you would love to try something like the Fjallraven Polar out. Get your friends and family involved! Campaigning is tough and I think over the next few years it’s going to get tougher.

Finally, if you could go back and tell yourself one thing before you started, what would it be?
Expect the unexpected. Expect to feel completely energy deficient but happy. Be mentally prepared to learn so much in a week because it is tiring but you will now have survival skills for life. To remember that yourself and the 23 other people are all in this together and with each others help you can get through anything.