Backcountry Ski Touring in Sweden's Navar Valley

This trip is perfect for beginners. It's a great winter activity for beginners, like hiking but on skis! We start off at lower altitudes in the remote forested valley where we stay and cross frozen mires close by. We've specifically chosen these ideal locations for your first steps on cross-country skis. During the week, we practice our skiing skills and familiarity with subzero temps towards one or two nights of winter camping on a mountain plateau. We strap on sledges with everything we need to stay happy, warm, and fed. Then, we head out for a true winter expedition!

It can be quite strenuous to go uphill, but we take our time and always make sure everyone feels confident. If you can go hiking for a few hours with some uphill, you are fit enough to do this trip. During the day trips, we ski for appr. 2-4 hours with breaks. During the expedition, we pull sleds that weigh appr. 20-30 kilos and ski for 4-5 hours with breaks. Setting up camp includes some digging of paths in the snow and if it's windy, making small barriers of snow.

Shell jacket and trousers for wintertime if you have it (available to rent) Mid-layer top #1, warm sweater, wool or fleece (available for rent) Mid-layer top #2, reinforcement garment, synthetic down or down jacket (available for rent) Mid-layer bottom, fleece-lined sweatpants Base layers for skiing, 2 sets of thermals is recommended Thinner wool socks x 3 or more Thicker wool socks x 2 Beanie Gloves for normal winter use, nothing fancy needed (liners and thicker mittens for winter activities provided) Buff or scarf Cozy clothing for cabin chill time Sandals/crocs made of plastic, for sauna etc Swimwear for sauna Sunglasses with UV protection & toiletries Goggles (if you have) Camera/phone, battery packs (the cabin is off-grid, so no electricity, but it is possible to recharge in minivans)

We provide: - Åsnes Combat NATO Touring skis - Alpina Alaska BC Ski boots - Segebaden sled - Snowshoes - Day pack (Klättermusen) - Hestra mittens (Army Leather Patrol Gauntlet Mitt) - Hestra shell mittens and wool liners gloves - Hilleberg Staika tent, two persons share a tent - Exped Dura 8R LW insulated inflatable mattress, -40 degrees - Fjällräven Polar down sleeping bag, -30 degrees - Shared Hilleberg yurt for gathering, sheep skins, candles, lanterns - Food thermoses - Thermoses for water - Drinking bottle - Headlamp (Silva) - Goggles - Cooking gear - Shovels

It’s all about equipment and knowledge. You’ll use Hilleberg Staika free-standing tents, Exped’s inflatable Downmats, and Fjällräven Polar down sleeping bags. All made for way colder temperatures than you will experience on this trip. One trick you’ll use for warming up right as you go to sleep is to have a water bottle with hot water wrapped in a sock in your sleeping bag. When it’s cold out, you want to minimise time spent without warm gloves on. We’ll keep cooking to a minimum for this reason. But that certainly doesn’t mean that we won’t eat delicious food! Our wilderness chef has prepared an array of hearty soups and stews for us to reheat.  You may have heard of a yurt, a circular tent traditionally used by nomadic people on the steppes in Central Asia. We’ll use a modern style Hilleberg yurt, where you can all hang out and cook dinner in the evenings, protected from the elements.

Easiest is to fly into Stockholm Arlanda and then take a 3.5 hour train straight from the airport. The pickup and dropoff times are adapted so that you can fly in on the first day and fly out on the last.

We'll stay in an off-grid rustic wilderness lodge an hour northwest of Mora. In a remote valley completely surrounded by tall wooded hills, you find Lake Navar. On the banks of the lake are a charming grand cabin, a small cottage, and a sauna. We have the area all to ourselves, two guests sharing each room or the little cottage. It's a lovely rustic and cosy atmosphere. Wood-fired heaters will keep us warm. Lanterns and candles give us light. A sauna and melted snow is our “bath”. And a wild, magical winter landscape right on your doorstep.

Shared 2-person Hilleberg Staika tents with insulated Expeds and Fjällräven Polar Down Sleeping bags.

At the cabin, we cook meals together. There is a fully equipped kitchen that runs on gas. During the expedition and day trips, we mostly reheat meals made by our wilderness chef, often hearty stews or soups served with bread or similar. We can cater to most dietary requirements, please let us know in advance.

On this trip we team up as duos, sharing twin rooms at the cabin and 2-person tents during the expedition. We pair up women with women and men with men. Unfortunately, single rooms are not possible.

Houdini winter kit available for rent, 1,800 SEK (paid by credit card upon arrival): PowerHoudi Polartec® fleece hoodie. RollerCoaster Trousers Waterproof and breathable 3-layer shell pants. Mr./Mrs. Dunfri Primaloft® lightweight synthetic down (mid-layer or lighter reinforcement layer). RollerCoaster Jacket Mountaineering shell jacket. Extra reinforcement layer, 800 SEK Bouncer Jacket Primaloft® synthetic down. Provides incredible warmth.