North West Passage
Across the frozen sea from Cambridge Bay to Gjoa Haven
THE ULTIMATE MIX OF HISTORIC AND POLAR TRAVEL
Join us for a 400 km expedition along the route that made Roald Amundsen's name. For centuries, explorers had tried to find the sea way between the Atlantic and the Pacific, often with terrible consequences. When Amundsen and his small vessel Gjøa finally made it through in 1906, it was world news.
Now we invite you to experience this landscape first-hand. We ski the stretch that has it all — tundra, pack ice, pressure ridges, polar history, Inuit culture, and the people who live there. Cambridge Bay to Gjoa Haven.
And how do we know? Our own Bengt Rotmo was one of the first to ski the whole Northwest Passage. So yes — we know the beauty of this country through the eyes of a polar explorer.
Duration: 21 days on the ice, plus packing and travel days at each end
Distance: Approximately 400 km on skis with pulks
Group size: 1 guide and up to 6 participants
Departure point: Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada
End point: Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, Canada
Dates 2026: 25 March 2026 (meet-up date in Cambridge Bay)
Price: NOK 145,000 per person (deposit NOK 20,000)
EXPEDITION FACTS
Expedition Details
We start in Cambridge Bay, a village of around 1,600 people in the Nunavut territory of Canada. You may have heard of the place recently — in 2018, another of Amundsen's polar ships, the Maud, was raised from the bottom of the harbour and brought back to Norway.
We, on the other hand, leave town with sledges and skis in bright, cold polar air. The route follows the sea ice, crosses Jenny Lind Island, traverses real pressure ridges of the kind you find on the North Pole, and finishes on King William Island — the last stretch on tundra into Gjoa Haven. This is the place Amundsen and his men spent two winters frozen in the ice on the way through the passage.
Along the way: changing terrain, possibly caribou, muskox, and Arctic fox. A journey where the cold, the sea ice, the animals, the history, and the locals leave a mark for life.
A real alternative to the North Pole — and in some ways, more interesting.
The Route
The trip starts from Cambridge Bay — though depending on logistics, it may run the other way around.
The first days on the ice. We settle in. Learn the routine, adapt the gear, find the rhythm. Everything we do early sets up how well the rest of the trip goes. We walk through a valley before we reach the sea ice and head for Jenny Lind Island.
Jenny Lind Island. A natural celebration point. From here we move back onto the sea ice and prepare for the pressure ridges.
The pressure ridges. Expect at least three days through them, possibly more — you never know until you're in it. The ice does what the ice does. Some sections you ski around, some you cross over. It is slow, physical, and one of the things people remember most from the trip.
Towards Gjoa Haven. Long days, but on the ice time goes quickly. Working through the ice is a kind of slow chess game — Mother Earth is the opponent, and she plays well. Enjoyable, frustrating, rewarding, all at once. The evenings in the tent are social. Good food, good chat. After long days and so many impressions, you sleep like a child in a historic landscape.
Gjoa Haven. Arrival into the place where Amundsen wintered. The Inuit community there knows the story better than anyone.
TRAINING AND PREPARATION
How to prepare physically for a polar expedition varies from trip to trip and from person to person. We provide individual training advice where it's needed.
As a general benchmark: you should be able to carry a 20 kg backpack for 8 hours, several days in a row. That's an easy thing to measure. Actual training will be a mix of methods.
Plan on at least three sessions a week for an hour each, building to four sessions a week three months before departure, with one or two longer sessions of more than two hours.
A combination of cycling, jogging, gym work, hiking with a backpack, or pulling tyres is what we recommend. It isn't where you train that matters, but that you train. A cycling session in the gym or a hard session on the treadmill can be just as effective as time outdoors. The more hours, the better.
THE PRICE
The price is at the top of this page. The expedition fee must be paid in full no later than 90 days before departure (minus the deposit). Prices for 2027 onwards aren't yet set — plan for an increase, to be safe.
SIGNING UP / DEPOSIT / INVOICE
The sooner you sign up and commit, the longer you have to prepare. We see that as essential — we get to know each other, and we can build the team around your guide.
The Booking Form gives you a place in the queue. It isn't binding. It only becomes serious when you receive a deposit invoice (NOK 20,000). Once paid, your place is confirmed. We send the final invoice roughly six months before departure, or later if you book late. If the team fills up, we may ask you to commit earlier — to give those on the waiting list more time to prepare.
The deposit is non-refundable per our Travel Conditions.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
We handle all the paperwork and fees — applications, permits for the crossing, radio and communications, weapons. We provide food, sledges, tents, stoves, fuel, and all safety equipment: Iridium satellite phone, emergency beacon, VHF radio, GPS units, maps, and waypoints. We are responsible for the medical bag, spares, and repair kit. And we answer every question you have along the way.
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
Personal clothing, skis, boots, poles, sleeping bag, mattress, stuff bags, toiletries, thermos, drink bottles, cutlery, skin and face protection, books, camera, etc.
Flights, food, and lodging in the days before and after the ice.
Travel, cancellation, and medical evacuation insurance — these are required.
If you have allergies or intolerances, we may ask you to contribute so we can be sure you have enough safe, high-quality food. Any unforeseen delays or changes of plan may also lead to extra cost. We recommend return tickets that can be changed.
EQUIPMENT
Once you're booked and confirmed, we send a detailed equipment list and the expedition booklet. In short: you bring all personal gear for skiing and sleeping; we bring camp equipment, communications, safety gear, food, and the rest.