---
title: "Expedition Mrož – a winter journey beyond the Arctic Circle"
description: "Polar expeditions have always appealed to us, but at -20 °C you can't cheat your gear anymore. You need a seriously capable sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and a proper jacket, boots and so on."
canonical_url: "https://gramino.com/blog/expedition-mroz-beyond-the-arctic-circle"
last_updated: "2023-12-18"
---

# Expedition Mrož – a winter journey beyond the Arctic Circle

Authors: Martin Benc

Date: 2023-12-18

Polar expeditions have always appealed to us, but at -20 °C you can't cheat your gear anymore. You need a seriously capable sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and a proper jacket, boots and so on.

Our autumn trip to Jordan really kicked our backsides, so it was high time to make up for it. This time, though, we didn't rush into the heat – quite the opposite, an ice age arrived, and a proper one at that. Or at least that's what we were hoping for.

Polar expeditions had always appealed to us, but at -20 °C you can't cheat your gear anymore. You need a seriously capable sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and a proper jacket, boots and so on. Luckily, thanks to a partnership with [Montane](/b/montane) and [Therm-a-Rest](/b/therm-a-rest), new doors opened for us and getting our hands on truly winter-specific gear was no longer such a big obstacle.

One thing led to another, and by New Year's Eve we're putting our crew together. It wouldn't have happened without me – **Martin Benc** – either. **Kuba Jonáš** is a classic who I can't even go to the bathroom without. The DvaNaTahu duo was therefore an obvious choice. [Pája Adam](https://www.instagram.com/pavlina_adam/) is the rookie of the team, but she's probably the most experienced of us all out in the field, and honestly it would've been a bit silly not to bring her, since we picked the destination together. A couple more join us in the form of **Míša Krejčová** and **David Czempka**, one of the co-founders of Gramino.

All that's left is to nail down the date of our trip, which – thanks to David Limberský – we're naming **Expedition Mrož**. Or at least that's how I see it… everyone else named it after the popsicle. Everyone has their own obligations, so the only workable date falls in the first half of February. In Sweden, where we're headed, it's still fairly dark at that time of year, and more importantly, the whole mountain-hut and transport infrastructure doesn't start its season until March. Amusing for Central Europeans, but an annual reality for northerners. On the plus side, we appreciate that most people save their vacation days for later, so we won't be fighting for space on the trail.

**We start in the settlement of Nikkaluokta**, which is the trailhead for the climb up Kebnekaise, Sweden's highest mountain, which we're planning to visit. Our friend Ivet and her boyfriend, who've lived up north for a long time, drive us to the start of our route. Ahead of us is roughly **115 kilometers** plus another chunk of kilometers to the summit. We have **about 9 days** for it, so there's no time to waste.

There's no starting gunshot, but of course there's a photo. Then the trial by fire begins. **Sleet, strong wind, and water everywhere on the frozen lakes. If temperatures dropped to as low as -30 °C last week, now we're sitting around zero.** Snow is also in short supply, and we're starting to worry we'll have to carry our [painstakingly built pulks](/blog/building-our-first-polar-pulk) instead of pulling them. And we'd really rather not. We're not that fussed about weight this time, since each of us is hauling roughly 30 kilos of solid cargo. Add to that a bit over a liter of hard liquor per person, and there's nothing to complain about! We spend the evening in a hut that serves as a waiting room for the boat. Which, naturally, won't be arriving today, tomorrow, or even in a week. At most a snowmobile might make it through.

- [Fizan Compact](/p/fizan-compact.md)
- [Patizon G 1100](/p/patizon-g1100.md)
- [NEMO Tensor Extreme Conditions](/p/nemo-tensor-extreme-conditions.md)
- [Sea To Summit Premium Aeros Pillow](/p/sea-to-summit-premium-aeros-pillow.md)
- [EVA Foam Pad 3 mm](/p/eva-foam-pad-3-mm.md)
- [Gramino Ultralight Sit Pad](/p/gramino-ultralight-sit-pad.md)
- [Sea To Summit eVac Compression Dry Bag](/p/sea-to-summit-evac-compression-dry-bag.md)
- [Sea To Summit Lightweight Dry Bag](/p/sea-to-summit-lightweight-dry-bag.md)
- [Cumulus Protection Boots](/p/cumulus-protection-boots.md)
- [Montane Icarus Hut Slippers](/p/montane-icarus-hut-slippers.md)
- [Montane Dart XT Long Johns](/p/montane-mens-dart-xt-long-johns.md)
- [Montane Protium XT Hoodie](/p/montane-mens-protium-xt-hoodie.md)

**On day two the goal is clear – get to the foot of Kebnekaise, from where we'll attempt the summit the next day.** The day drags on and we realize we're definitely not going to manage 30 kilometers a day out here. Luckily that was never the plan, but it's still a very different kind of movement than we're used to. Shortly after noon we reach the settlement, where the last preparations for the season are underway. A strong wind is blowing, so we make do with an open shelter that, for a change, serves as a waiting room for a helicopter. We're not expecting that one today or tomorrow either. In the afternoon we play cards, have a drink, and mentally prepare for the morning.

A four a.m. wake-up call rouses the whole crew. **Except the ones with the resolve to crawl out of their sleeping bags don't have much resolve left to go for the summit. And the other way round, the ones with the resolve to head up don't have much resolve to crawl out of their sleeping bags.** It's foggy, an extremely strong wind is blowing, and on top of that it's drizzling. We push the alarm back an hour, since we haven't reached any conclusion. At five the same thing happens again. I don't even bother – going for the summit strikes me as a bad idea and an unnecessary risk, so I keep sleeping. At eight Pája announces whether we're actually going. Well, everyone already knows we're going, just further along the route. It's too late for the summit attempt, and even with a four a.m. wake-up it would've been touch and go. Over the course of the day we really do end up dragging the pulks over rocks in places, but at least the sky clears for a while. **We come across a big herd of reindeer, Kuba flies the drone, and that's about the only interesting thing that happens over the next 4 days.** In the evening, a **“snowstorm” arrives**, we make do with emergency bivvies, and white hell awaits us over the following days. **Often you can only see a few meters ahead of you, a strong wind is blowing, and above all it starts snowing heavily.** All it takes is 20 meters between people and tracks are instantly drifted over – nobody gets it easy, even though Kuba selfishly takes the lead every morning and sets the pace. We often sink in snow up to our knees.

**On the second-to-last day the weather starts improving and we're hoping to see the northern lights.** We're roughly 15 kilometers from the gates of Abisko, which guidebooks often describe as the best place in the world to watch the impressive lights. In the evening, though, we have to settle for a different kind of success, since the sky clouds over again and there's nothing to see. What does lift our spirits is that a Dutch expedition, who chose skis instead of our snowshoes, catches up with us, carrying along Kuba's lost GoPro. Or rather, we'd already gotten it back a few minutes earlier from a local supply driver who brought it to us on a snowmobile along with a recorded message. So the evening is spent chatting with each other, but honestly we're already looking forward to our sleeping bags. You settle into the typical hiking routine, so **we go to sleep around nine and get up with the chickens**. Or rather with the reindeer, who definitely get up later. On the last day all that's left is to solve the riddle of how to cross a frozen lake. In places there are a few dozen centimeters of water sitting on it from melting snow. After a short scout and a chat with the Dutch group, we set off. In the end it all goes fairly smoothly, even with dry boots.

[Flextail TINY Helio 600Z](/p/flextail-tiny-helio-600z.md)

In Abisko we storm the last five spots in the big hut and **start enjoying finishing the trek**. We buy inhumanly expensive beers, pick up more at the gas station, basically pouring drinks like there's no tomorrow. On top of that, sauna time. And you're probably wondering **how it went with the northern lights?** They do end up showing themselves in full glory after all. We run around outside, filming, taking photos, but our exhaustion still beats our excitement, and around ten we call it and go to sleep. In the room, all I hear is the “Frantíks” – as we call the Poles – saying it's a literal inferno out there, which the following photos on Instagram confirm too. Well, I'm not crawling out of bed for red northern lights – green and blue is good enough for me.

The next day we're just looking forward to the night train that'll take us back south to Stockholm, from where we fly to Poland and then drive home over the border. The last question that remains is whether we'll ever set off on another polar expedition. **It's dead simple – our pulks won't be sitting in the corner!**

- [Cumulus Protection Boots](/p/cumulus-protection-boots.md)
- [Montane Women's Anti-Freeze XT Hoodie](/p/montane-womens-anti-freeze-xt-hoodie.md)
- [Montane Anti-Freeze Mitt](/p/montane-anti-freeze-mitt.md)
- [Montane Respond Dry Line Glove](/p/montane-respond-dry-line-glove.md)
- [Snowline Chainsen Light](/p/snowline-chainsen-light.md)
- [DexShell Heathered Rib-Knit Beanie](/p/dexshell-heathered-rib-knit-beanie.md)
- [DexShell Running Lite Sock 2.0](/p/dexshell-running-lite-sock-2-0.md)
- [DexShell Hytherm Pro](/p/dexshell-hytherm-pro.md)
- [Montane Protium Glove](/p/montane-protium-glove.md)
- [Yate Alu Matte 190/60](/p/yate-alu-matte-190-60.md)
- [Montane Anti-Freeze Slipper](/p/montane-anti-freeze-slipper.md)

This post is also available as [HTML](/blog/expedition-mroz-beyond-the-arctic-circle).

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