Into the Wilderness

Skiing 700 km through Canada’s wilderness in February with temperatures down to -40°C. That’s this winter’s great adventure for David Erixon and Niclas Bentzer. The goal is to enjoy the experience.

Yukon Arctic Ultra is an event often described as the world’s toughest ultramarathon due to its length and extreme temperatures. The journey goes through ancient forest, across lakes, and through mountain areas along the mighty Yukon River. The 700 km between the start in Whitehorse and the finish in Dawson City must be completed in 13 days.

Participants are divided into different classes based on how they travel. Most run. Since the start in 2003, many skiers have taken on the challenge. Only one has so far managed to complete the entire distance.

– Our focus isn’t on competing. For us, it’s primarily about the nature experience and the joy of skiing, not about performance. But the joy of getting to ski through a scenic area with outstanding environments, combined with the challenge of completing what only one person has previously managed, made us decide to participate, says David Erixon.

Above all, it’s the cold that will pose the biggest challenge, David and Niclas believe. They’re used to being outdoors in cold environments but have never lived outside in such extreme cold as may now become reality.

– We’re going to do this our way. We want to have it good during the trip. In these environments, you really need discipline and to take care of your body with nutrition, hydration, and sleep, and be alert to cold injuries. Too much focus on moving forward instead of taking care of the body is probably the reason so few manage the entire distance, says Niclas Bentzer.

Preparations for the trip are in full swing now with less than a month until start. Over New Year’s, the duo did a four-day trip in the Grövelsjön mountains to test their equipment.

– We had some beautiful days with stunning views and magical sunsets, but unfortunately it was only a handful of degrees below zero. Far too warm for our taste right now, says David Erixon.

On February 1, the plane lifts off to take David and Niclas to this winter’s great ski adventure in Canada. The race starts on February 8.

David and Niclas have previously completed several long-distance ski trips together. In 2013, they traveled 2,530 km through all of Norway from south to north. During the late winter of 2014, they skied through the Swedish mountain world from Grövelsjön to Treriksröset, 1,300 km in 29 days.

You can follow David and Niclas’ preparations for the trip on their website http://www.deluxeturer.se