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Have you ever wondered what it takes to embark on a polar expedition or how to master snowkiting? For many people, learning the skills needed for such adventures seems intriguing yet unattainable. But 57hours created a trip that lets you learn from polar experts, implement the skills they teach you, and get a taste of what a remote expedition entails, all while exploring a remote region of Norway.
If you’re looking for the trip of a lifetime, 57hours has you covered. The company’s mission is to help you find outdoor adventures and make booking them simple and easy. Their trips are led by highly trained guides, who ensure you stay safe while exploring the mountains. What’s behind the name 57hours? There are exactly 57 hours from 3 pm Friday to midnight Sunday. That gives you 57 hours to pack as much adventure into your weekend as possible.
57hours is leading a series of trips to the Hardangervidda Plateau in Norway. This six-day trip takes adventurous participants to this remote region to simulate a polar expedition. Once there, guides share their knowledge and teach you how to snowkite, also known as cruising the ice on skis, and how to safely winter camp in such rugged conditions. A week among a snowy plateau provides just a glimpse of what a true polar expedition entails.
Participants fly into Oslo before heading to the remote region of Haugastøl. After learning from the expert guides, the next three days are spent developing your skills in the Hardangervidda Plateau. This section of Norway offers ideal wind conditions and lots of snow where you practice kite skiing. You learn how to set up camp in the extreme conditions and use your new skills to travel across the snow and ice fields of the plateau. Snowkiting helps explorers travel faster and more efficiently across polar conditions. On this trip, guides teach you how to launch a sail, upwind and downwind kiting, how to control your speed, how to use the wind windows, and various other skills. At the end of each day, participants sleep beneath the stars in their winter camp.
This multi-day excursion is no easy feat. While 57hours offers trips for all skill levels, exploring the Hardangervidda Plateau is not something to take lightly. While no prior kite skills are necessary, have some experience makes learning how to kite ski much easier. The polar-like environment of this trip means participants should be prepared to handle extreme conditions. Due to the quickly changing weather of this remote region, the trip guides may have to cancel, shorten, or change the trip’s itinerary. This six-day course requires you to be extremely physically and mentally fit. Once out on the plateau, participants will practice their newly learned techniques anywhere from 5 to 7 hours each day, depending on the weather. Temperatures will be well below freezing throughout the day and night.
For the first day, participants arrive in Oslo, where they are greeted by their trip guide. Groups for this trip tend to range from 4 to 8 people per guide. From there, the group travels to Haugastøl, near the Hardangervidda Plateau. The second day of the trip is all about preparation and getting familiar with the gear needed for the days ahead. On the third day, guides take the group to the Hardangervidda Plateau to learn the basics of kite skiing and how to safely camp in the polar conditions. The third night ends with sleeping in a tent under the stars that participants set up themselves. The fourth and fifth days are perhaps the highlight of the entire expedition. Long hours are spent implementing the kite skiing skills and learning how to nail these new maneuvers. The final day of the trip retouches on all the new information that participants learned as the group travels away from the remote region and back to Oslo.
To guide such a unique and challenging trip, it requires someone who has extensive polar experience. This course is led by none other than Dixie Dansercoer. Known for his polar explorations and kite skiing, Dixie is also an IPGA Master Polar Guide, making him more than qualified for this unbelievable trip. Dixie has led polar expeditions for over 30 years, broken numerous world records, and has explored the Poles over 40 times. Needless to say, he knows what it takes to lead a trip like this. He is also one of only four people ever to cross the Arctic Ocean and the entire continent of Antarctica. On this trip, you learn from one of the best explorers in the industry and truly understand what it takes to embark through some of the most remote territories in the world.
Along with being physically fit, participants of this trip must also be flexible with their plans. Weather near the Arctic can quickly change, with storms rolling in without warning. Being in great physical health, and listening to the guides, helps ensure that every participant gets the most out of this trip. If the weather worsens, the extremely experienced guides know what to do.
Snowkiting is no easy feat, which is why attending a course on learning the necessary skills is a great way to get started. Learning from one of the most knowledgeable IPGA Master Polar Guides in the world ensures you receive some of the best advice and training. 57hours works diligently to ensure that all participants who attend the trip have an experience of a lifetime. From cruising across the Hardangervidda Plateau to sleeping in a winter tent or swapping stories with Dixie Dansercoer, this trip is sure to be one you won’t soon forget. If traveling across the globe seems a bit out of reach, 57hours offers trips that are perhaps a bit closer to home. In the United States, there are snowkiting trips led in both Utah and New York. Explore which option is best for you, and learn the skills necessary for your next adventure. Afterward, you may just want to begin planning a polar expedition of your own.
Does the idea of gliding across the ice or snow being pulled by the power of the wind sound like fun? Find out how you can begin your snowkiting journey with IPGA Master Guide, Dixie Dansercoer. With the right gear, a little preparation and some tips from this snowkiting expert, you’ll be ready to start snowkiting in no time. Joined by his former client turned adventure partner and avid snowkiter, Matthieu Tordeur, you’ll hear his journey of how Dixie helped him progress from a beginner to snowkiting in Antarctica. For backcountry skiers looking to climb faster and further, to kiteboarders looking to practice throughout the winter, to outdoor adventurers just looking to have fun, this is the webinar for you.
WHAT YOU GET IN THIS ONE-HOUR SESSION – Dixie will share photos and videos of how he teaches the sport, with extra bonus imagery of his exclusive snowkite expeditions!
- What is snowkiting and how to train for snowkiting
- The learning curve and snowkiting progression
- The equipment you need to get started — from kites to harnesses, skis and boards
- Matthieu will share his story from beginner to expert snowkiter
- The best snowkiting locations and much more!
Checkout the webinar on Snowkiting for Beginners with IPGA Master Guide, Dixie Dansercoer: