Jack and the recruits experience extreme Finnish Lapland with Emagine UK Ltd.
As well as arranging holidays to Finnish Lapland to meet Santa, Lapland winter activity holidays and general travel to Scandinavia here at Emagine we are sometime approached to put our Arctic expertise to other uses. When Ginger TV, part of the Scottish Media Group, were looking for a cold location to challenge Jack Osbourne as part of the Adrenaline Junky 3 series they came to us.
We knew just the place and set about putting together a journey through one of Europe’s last true wildernesses, in north western Finnish Lapland. The journey was to use husky teams and would cover over 100km, setting up camp on fells and frozen lakes along the way.
Filming took place in late April 2007 to make the most of the already long Lapland Arctic days, when it stays light until after 10pm, when there is hopefully lots of sun and the area is still covered in several metres of snow.
The program, currently being aired on ITV2, shows Jack and the recruits experiencing some extreme conditions and taking in some breathtaking sights during the journey. Prior to arriving in Finnish Lapland they had already been filming in New Zealand and the steaming jungles of Sarawak so the Arctic conditions seemed even more extreme.
After kitting them out with essential cold weather clothing, suits, boots, mitts and hats they were ready to face the Arctic.
The journey started in Kilpisjarvi (Finnish Lapland), over 350 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. The region they travelled through is above the tree line so the only vegetation poking through the snow is shrub but certainly not trees therefore allowing vast breathtaking uninterrupted snowy vistas.
This really is the middle of nowhere so all equipment and supplies have to be taken in with you.
Jack and his recruits were put through their paces at Harriniva, one of Europes largest Husky farms. Experts gave them advice on handling their husky sleds and tips on motivating their team of huskies which would be essential once in the wilderness.
After a day of training in calm weather conditions they harnessed up their husky teams, loaded their sleds and set off towards the fells. It wasn’t long before they found themselves in the middle of a blizzard with strong winds swirling snow, limiting visibility and making going tough. The only option was to set up an emergency camp making the most of the limited shelter in this open terrain.
The team fought to put up their tents in gusting conditions. Once this was achieved all they could do was crawl into their sleeping bags, exhausted, and hope that mother nature would be kinder to them the following morning.
The following morning brought a spectacular cold bright Arctic day. Crystal clear blue skies, perfect visibility, a warming sun and never ending pure white snow.
For the rest of the adventure you will have to tune in to ITV2 next week to see how Jack and his recruits coped in the Arctic.
If you want a taste of what Jack and the recruits experienced, in possibly less extreme conditions why not join one of our husky safaris this coming winter. Click here for details.