The power of connection

We gathered round the Boss and listened in.

He was standing on the edge of an ominous looking black hole, to one side thick lumps of ice were piled up looking like an abandoned?igloo. Surrounding him were thirty soldiers , huddled together like penguins sheltering from the wind. It was -15 but felt colder.

“At some point when you travel on skis in the arctic you will cross over frozen lakes, you may not know it because as you can see everything up here is covered in snow!” He belly laughed and pushed himself forward using his ski poles and slid into the inky blackness. Our eyes widened and someone behind me swore out loud.

He disappeared from sight but soon popped back to the surface and carried on with the brief. “The first thing I need to do is to control my breathing as my body has gone into shock, If I don’t do that I can take in water and drown.” He continued calmly. “Next I need to take off my pack and weapon then release my skis.” It was so matter of fact , we were still shaking our heads.

“ I need to save my skis because up here without skis you can’t move and you will die.” Holding his ski poles in one hand he reached down to his bindings whilst treading water and carefully removed them, placing them back onto the ice from the way he had entered the water. Finally he kicked out with both legs and using the poles like ice picks he dragged himself out of the water onto the relative safety of the ice.

We looked at him, he was still smiling as he began to wind up the brief in his familiar cheery tone. “In these temperatures I have 2-3 minutes before my hands will freeze. Without them I cannot open the clips on my pack to change into my dry clothing and I will die.” He reached into his ops vest and pulled out a dry bag. “ For this reason we always carry a small fire bag." He stamped his foot into the snow and emptied the contents, a bundle of nordic birch and a striker, into the hole. Despite the wind the birch quickly caught alight and soon he was rubbing both hands over the flame.

He then rolled into the deep snow to remove any excess water and in no time had stripped off his frozen wet gear and changed into his spare warm clothing. Grabbing his pack and weapon he skied back over to us and said ‘Right guy’s your turn.”

I was struck by the skill, efficiency and confidence that the Boss had shown during that exercise. As the commanding officer he could easily have tasked one of his subordinates to carry out that drill but that wasn’t the kind of leader he was. He led by example, he was authentic, humble and at ease. It was a day that I’d never forget.

The arctic environment is simply stunning. It is pure beauty but there's a harshness in it that leaves you in no doubt that it can quickly turn into your worst nightmare, unless you prepare, unless you do the basics right,

The lessons it provides are as powerful and tough as the jagged granite rock that forms the mountains towering over the valleys and lakes of this spectacular landscape. We can learn new skills , practice drills and in time become efficient but we can’t survive for long on our own. A change of wind can quickly turn the peace and tranquility into a violent snow storm. Particles of snow and ice can be whipped into your face as fierce and disorientating as any desert sand storm.

Up in the North bonds are quickly developed , friendships are formed and trust is built. A strong team can wether any storm, overcome obstacles and rise to any challenge. The need to belong has never been clearer. Eating by candlelight away from the distractions of everyday life the conversations are engaging and attention is focussed. There is a deeper connection even in the company of strangers. There is a commonality , a unity among the diversity of people who gather up here. Here is the belonging we all need.

As the journey continues you begin to feel the beauty that shines around you, within you and in other people. You're connected with natures natural rythem and you start to appreciate the strength of a group, the power being in good company.

It is a lesson forever forged into the memory. Your relationships are everything, they represent who you are. Among all the distractions and ever changing nature of the World there is one thing that remains constant, that never changes and that is the your true Self.

Join us next spring on arctic discovery, step outside your comfort zone, connect and experience a time you'll never forget.

If you'd like to know more , please reach out and get in touch or follow the link below..

[email protected]

https://www.tridentadventure.com/experiences