Polar Survival School

The Experience - Who is this for? There is no pre-requisite training or experience for this course but it helps if you have a positve attitude . Do bear in mind you will need to progress quickly to being on skis and pulling pulks for short distances. The course will teach you to be safe in what is an inherently unsafe environment and will cover mental and physical preparation and practical skills. It is ideal for someone wan8ng to push their existing experience of the great outdoors and Mother Nature at her harshest. You will be awarded an Ice Warrior certificate of Polar Survival Competence on successful completion. 

Overview This is a High Arctic course, based just 800 miles form the north pole and as such gives you a true experience of the cold nature of polar expeditoning – you will be accommodated for 3 nights and out on the ice for 3 nights. The aim of the course is to establish a good skill set for extreme survival and then practice. The syllabus remains flexible throughout but will include: skiing; clothing; equipment; risks and managing them; cold water immersion; emergency procedures and critical crisis management. There will be a series of evening lectures and discussions on various aspects of expeditioning, showing some of the many photographs and video clips Ice Warrior has accumulated over the years. Full joining instructions will be sent to you on receipt of your booking. 

Weather Expect temperatures between -5° and -25°Celsius. The training area is mountainous and so the weather can vary wildly on any day. 

Accommodation Guesthouse 102, in Nybyen is situated about 1 km further along the valley, from the centre of Longyearbyen. This forms part of the old mining accommoda8ons and Guesthouse 102 was known as the “millionaire’s house” as only the more seasoned, and consequently wealthier, miners could afford to stay there. There is room to store all our equipment and to enable us to have comfortable overnight accommodation making it more conducive to learning as well as enabling us to be able to ski out of the front door for our days in the field. 

How will you learn? After initial input, our style is one of coaxing it out of you, wherever possible. We rarely lead you by the nose. We have found that this method results in a much beaer level of retention and therefore competence. This combined with providing the relevant chapters of Jim’s Expedition Training Manual and employing the very best of instructional staff makes us confident of the thorough nature and highest quality of training. 

What is included? All instruction, specialist equipment, course notes, accommodation and most food. 

What is not included? Travel to and from Longyearbyen - which we will advise you on. Kit & Clothing list to be supplied upon enrolling (Ice Warrior BASECAMP supplies all this at extremely preferential rates to participants – speak to us before you purchase anything!) 

Insurance - we can advise on 

End of course meal and alcoholic beverages 

Please Note! Early booking can save you a considerable amount on your airfare! 

If you book at least 8 weeks before the event you will receive a Kit Voucher of £100 to be spent in our Ice Warrior Expedition BASECAMP. 

If you are heading for an Ice Warrior Flagship Expedition – e.g. #Lastpole - please book onto the Funding Workshop at your earliest opportunity and get fund raising! 

If you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to call Jim directly on 0777 565 1471 or email jim@ice-warrior.com I look forward to seeing you there. 

Jim McNeill – Founder, Ice Warrior 

Please read our Terms & Conditions here.