Full description
Build your own snow shelter in Lapland, go on a snowshoe hike through the wilderness and enjoy a hot lunch cooked over an open fire.
Forget the glass igloos: this experience invites you to live the Arctic actively, building a snow shelter with your own hands. After pickup from your accommodation, and guided by an instructor, the group builds a quinzhee-style shelter, piling and packing snow into a dome that can withstand Arctic winds while learning how snow works as a building material.
While the snow settles and hardens, the group straps on snowshoes and heads out along trails and frozen landscapes in the Kiruna and Abisko area, spotting wildlife tracks and enjoying the silence of winter nature. On returning, the most challenging part begins: hollowing out the inside of the shelter.
As the finishing touches are put on the dome, you learn how to light a bonfire, and the smell of woodsmoke announces lunch: a full, hot meal served by the fire, which you can enjoy inside or beside your hand-built shelter. Throughout the day, the guide takes photos of the group.
A demanding, hands-on experience, ideal for those who want to take home more than photos: real Arctic skills.
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Additional Information
● Please be at the pickup point 20 minutes before the pickup time provided by the supplier
● Minimum age: 12 years. For younger children, please contact the provider before booking
● This tour requires a minimum of 2 participants to operate. If the minimum is not reached or due to unforeseen circumstances, the provider may cancel the activity and offer an alternative or a full refund
● This is a physically demanding activity, carried out almost entirely outdoors. It is not suitable for people with limited mobility, claustrophobia, high blood pressure or other conditions in which physical activity poses a health risk
● It is recommended to bring spare socks and clothes in case you get wet while building
● You may bring your own snacks, but please refrain from drinking alcohol during the activity
● The activity may be affected by external causes beyond the provider's control
● The provider is not responsible for any physical injury or loss of or damage to personal belongings during the experience
Inclusions
✔ Pickup and drop-off at your accommodation or agreed points in Kiruna and surroundings
✔ Guided snow shelter building
✔ Guided snowshoe hike
✔ Professional gear (thermal overalls, heavy-duty mittens and safety helmets)
✔ Tools (large shovels, snow saws and excavation shovels)
✔ Snowshoes
✔ Full lunch
✔ Hot lingonberry juice, tea or coffee and high-energy snacks
✔ Photos taken by the guide
Exclusions
✖ Personal warm clothing (needed for the hike and as a change in case you get wet)
✖ Personal camera equipment
✖ Tickets, food and drinks unless expressly specified in the tour inclusions
✖ Other services not specified
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of the activity.
Cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance and no-shows are non-refundable.
Meeting point
Pickup and drop-off at accommodations in Kiruna and surroundings. When booking, you can indicate your pickup and drop-off location.
The provider will contact you a few hours before departure to confirm the exact pickup time and location.