Arctic Norway Expedition to the Lyngen Alps
Exposed, remote, and unpopulated! These were the requirements for avid cave explorer Ian Peachey
The eccentric Peachey only associates a true expedition with something still yet to be explored or achieved. The numerous trips up famous peaks such as the Matterhorn or Everest offer a great test of sporting fitness, however they are now littered with fixed lines and polished rock with almost guaranteed human presence in front or behind you. Ian was in search of something less glamorous, more desolate, and with a greater chance of misery. How about the scarcely populated far northern fjords of arctic Norway? Now there has to be an adventure to be had up there!
The Lyngen Alps are a mountain range situated on a prominent peninsular in the cold, far north coast of arctic Norway. At roughly 100km in length, the region is packed with steep peaks set in true remoteness, where tourism is null and Mountain Rescue distant. Documents show that an 11 day full traverse of the mountain range is possible, with the great Swedish mountaineer Åke Hedlund accomplishing the challenge in 1974, after an initial attempt in 1973 was abandoned due to bad weather. Thinking it a rather long way to go through an alpine region without topping out, Peachey will be looking to one-up the previous expedition by completing the traverse while ticking off all the major peaks along the way! Having not previously been achieved, this should give the trip the true expedition status that Peachey is in search of. With some convincing, Peachey found 3 previous expedition partners from the dark depths of the caving world to join him on his adventure…
- Chris Jones: Caver, Runner, Climber & Expedition Fashion Guru
- David Powlesland: Caver, Swimmer, Climber & Expedition Optimist
- Greg Kemp: Climber, Caver, tall person & Expedition Celebrity
With a route planned out, flights booked and the team in tiptop condition, the next step was to sort the kit logistics for a 12 day fast-paced attempt at the 100km traverse. With various previous trips having taken their toll on the team’s already limited gear, the boys would need some help…
Luckily this help was realised! Sidetracked Magazine rewarded the team with sponsorship money by electing them this years winners of the Adventure Fund! This has supplied the team with new ropes, a petrol stove, hardware and lightweight high-calorie food for the trip. The Adventure Fund was created to help support new adventures around the globe.
Further help was provided by Equip Outdoor Technologies Ltd, the UK supplier of Rab and Podsacs. With great generosity they have supported the team with new sleeping bags, soft shells, thermal ware, Podsac bags, a tent and 2014 hard shell jackets to review! This truly is quality kit and a worthy replacement for the team’s old battered caving ware, reducing our baggage by half (both in size and weight) while providing greater warmth and comfort.
Klymit are little known outside the extreme outdoor community, offering ridiculously lightweight gear for mountain runners and lightweight adventurers. They sponsored the team with the “world’s lightest, most compact, and most technically advanced 3/4 length camping pads ever”, fully utilising the sleeping bag down and so not compromising warmth. A truly innovative piece of kit which deserves to be recognised by the masses of the outdoor community, from hill walking to mountaineering!
Light-Trap Films are an action film company based in Cardiff. With customers all over the UK their business has grown quickly since staring out in January 2013. Known for their artistic production and flawless final cut, Light-Trap have sponsored the team with DSLR cameras, GoPros and advice (after a few pints) on how to record the trip. Light trap will be producing the high quality footage captured by the boys and turning it into an adventure film coming to a mountain film festival near you!
With the expedition team flying out on the 28th August the adventure is soon beginning. Keep your eye on Sidetracked for a trip review and see how the lads have done. You can also follow the team here on Facebook or follow the journey on Punkt.
Written by Chris Jones, 2013 Adventure Fund winner