Welcome to our Arctic Expedition 2025 Blog. Here, over the coming days, we will be publishing the exciting experiences that our pupils are having during this incredible trip.
Our Adventurers Arrive
Our Arctic Adventurers, after just arriving in Abisko
Day 1
In the early hours, an excitable coach set off for the much-anticipated Arctic adventure. Sweden, get ready, FSM are on the way!
On the flight to Stockholm, our new school mascot (a gorilla, but don’t ask why) was taken into the cockpit for photos with the pilots, and they chose his name… meet Captain Rolo!
From Stockholm, we made the internal flight North to Karona and the Arctic Circle. Whiteness greeted us, and we headed to Abisko National Park, where there was a chance to let off some steam and have a huge play in the snow. It was reindeer burgers for tea before fun and games in the hotel to finish a long day.
Day 1 Photographs
Day 2
Day two, and we hit the ski slopes. Fresh snowfall, near-empty slopes and blue sky peeping through meant for a perfect day, and it didn’t disappoint! Seasoned skiers and beginners alike absolutely had a blast, and even when the lift ground to a halt at the end of the day, the children hitched a ride with skidoos to zoom up the final hill and back into base. As all great ski days should, we immediately tucked into a hearty feast and then the apres ski party, joining locals on the dance floor for all sorts of funky moves! Weary bodies hopped onto the coach for the journey to the impressive ice hotel, which is where we head to now.
Everyone Arrives at The Ice Hotel
Day 2 Photographs
Day 3
Day three, and after a surprisingly sound night’s sleep in the ice hotel, we were given a guided tour of the amazing ice museum. There were magnificent carvings, sculptures, slides and tunnels to explore. After lunch, it was our turn, and we each tackled our own ice carving. There were hearts aplenty, rugby balls, mountains, cricket bats, initials and all sorts of wonderful designs that the children were fully engrossed in. After having created our own, it certainly made our appreciation of the professionals’ efforts into perspective! After this, we headed to the Reindeer Hotel, where the hot tub and sauna were put to full use! We feasted in the evening to tales from the local area before spending the evening around the fire roasting marshmallows. Tomorrow, we get to feed the reindeer and head deep underground at the mine.
Day 3 Photographs
How cool is this? (Excuse the pun!) Here are our Arctic Adventurers standing on the frozen Torne River in Jukkasjärvi. Another incredible experience for our pupils, creating memories that will last a lifetime! 🌟 So proud of their courage and curiosity on this unforgettable adventure!
Day 4
Day four started with an exciting 10-minute walk over the frozen river, where we stopped for a collective Mother’s Day shout-out to all our mums. Heroes, each and every one of you, and thank you all for everything you do. We headed to the Sami museum to meet and feed reindeer, learn about the local culture and jumped onto sleighs to race reindeer, which was great fun. It was reindeer kebabs for lunch before we headed to the LKAB mine in Kirona, the largest and most modern iron ore mine in the world. In our coach, we wound our way a whopping 540 metres beneath the top of the mine! The deepest part of the mine is 1365 metres!!! From there, we moved on to the stunning Aurora camp, where picturesque log cabins awaited and after tea, we sledged and had loads of fun until well after dark.
Going Down the Mine Timelapse
Day 4 Photographs
Day 5
Day 5 and after a tasty breakfast, we donned our Arctic suits and set off on ski doos (or being towed by them) and wound our way over frozen rivers and through forests. We drilled our holes in the thick ice of the river Torne and unleashed our fishing lines. It wasn’t long before they began to bite, and we caught several perch. The patience on show was impressive! Further ski doo rides were great fun and the day raced by. Back at camp, we were taught to make igloos, and there were some great designs on show. More sledging and time in the sauna rounded off another memorable day.
Day 5 Photographs
Skiing in The Arctic
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