SOME HIGHLIGHTS
- A true winter expedition to Scandinavia’s best location for photographing musk oxen
- We spend time with the musk oxen every day during the finest photographic light
- World-class photographic opportunities in a high-Arctic winter environment in the Norwegian mountains
- We are there during the time of year that typically offers the finest winter snow conditions
- At this time of year, the musk oxen are at their most beautiful, often wearing their thick, snow-covered winter coats
- Dog sledding up into the high mountains to a true winter expedition camp
- Floris Smeets is one of Norway’s leading wildlife photographers and a certified Dovrefjell guide
- Winter expedition equipment is included – sturdy expedition tents, snowshoes, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, food, and a field kitchen
- Expert guidance and photographic advice from Sony Ambassador Floris Smeets, in a small group of like-minded photographers
AS IF STRAIGHT OUT OF THE ICE AGE
The musk ox is one of Scandinavia’s original animals, once inhabiting the landscapes wherever the Ice Sheet retreated. However, these relatively easy-to-hunt animals were eventually driven to extinction by the highly efficient early hunters and disappeared into the mists of history.
In the 1940s, musk oxen were reintroduced from Greenland to Norway, bringing back one of the most impressive animals of our natural heritage. Today, almost 100 years later, around 300 musk oxen live in Scandinavia, with the vast majority found in Dovrefjell. A few individuals have even wandered from Dovre into the mountains of Härjedalen in Sweden.
Musk oxen are peaceful animals and, particularly during winter, they tend to move very little in order to conserve energy. As with all large wild animals, however, they should always be approached with respect and from a safe distance. This is why being accompanied by an experienced guide is so valuable – someone who knows how to behave around the animals and how to approach them without causing unnecessary disturbance.
During winter, musk oxen tend to favour certain areas, and their choice of location is relatively predictable and does not vary greatly from day to day unless they have been disturbed. This means that an experienced guide can usually have a good idea of where the animals are likely to be found.
Getting great musk ox images requires patience, some waiting, a certain degree of noise discipline, and making the most of the early mornings and late evenings. We will be there during what is normally considered the best part of the mid-winter season, giving us the opportunity to spend time in the mountains throughout the day, accompanied by one of the most experienced guides in the area.
WINTER MOUNTAIN PHOTO EXPEDITION TO THE MUSK OXEN
The entire focus of this trip is photographing musk oxen in a high-mountain winter environment. We will be able to move relatively freely in the mountains while photographing, but we must of course avoid frightening or disturbing the musk oxen and follow the regulations of the national park.
After being transported into the mountains by dog sled and sled drivers, we will establish a tent base camp close to the area where the musk oxen are found. We will camp here for three nights and make excursions on foot and with snowshoes from the base camp. This is the only way to take full advantage of the finest light and the best possible conditions for photographing musk oxen.
The tents are sturdy, professional expedition tents – genuine winter expedition tents that have been extensively tested in very demanding winter conditions in different parts of the world.
Our leader, photographer Floris Smeets, is a certified Dovrefjell guide and has led trips in the area for several years, including numerous winter expeditions. He will do everything possible to provide the best photographic opportunities under the safest and most comfortable conditions possible.
This is a genuine expedition, and participants are expected to contribute to certain practical tasks, such as putting up the tents and preparing meals.
Before and after the mountain expedition, we will stay in simple but comfortable and well-located cabins close to the road in a broad mountain valley.
WEATHER
Temperatures are likely to be around -15°C during the day and -20°C at night. Dovrefjell is known for its strong winds, which can suddenly increase and just as quickly disappear again. This means that weather conditions can change rapidly from hour to hour. During our excursions, there is a good chance that we may encounter snowstorms. Proper clothing is absolutely essential!
PHYSICAL FITNESS
You need to be fit for this trip! You must be able to walk for several hours (3–5 hours) per day, sometimes over fairly steep terrain. We will mostly travel on snowshoes. It is mainly on the mountain tops, where the musk oxen are usually found, that snowshoes will not be necessary. Snowshoes will be provided.
You must be able to carry your own camera equipment, as well as 1 litre of tea or coffee and food for the day.
FOOD AND DRINK
As temperatures will remain below freezing throughout the trip – around -15°C during the day and -20°C at night – it is not possible to bring ordinary food or drinks, as they will freeze. Instead, we use high-quality expedition meals from Adventure Food. We have tested several brands, and this one offers the best-tasting meals as well as a good calorie content.
You will also be provided with a 1-litre thermos for tea or coffee. To prepare tea or coffee, we will need to melt snow every day.
On the first and last days, we will have regular food and drinks.
SLEEPING BAGS
As nighttime temperatures can reach around -20°C, we need high-quality sleeping bags. The tents provide good insulation, and you will be provided with a high-quality winter sleeping bag.
You only need to bring your own sleeping bag liner. It is very important that the liner is made of fleece, as other materials can feel cold in winter conditions.
If you have a sleeping bag suitable for these conditions, you are welcome to bring your own. Please let us know the make and model of your sleeping bag so that we can check whether it will be warm enough for this trip.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
We will be equipped with high-quality winter camping equipment, allowing us to camp in the mountains even under very challenging weather conditions. Although our tents can withstand wind speeds of around 150 km/h, wind speeds should not exceed 75 km/h when setting up camp.
If the weather becomes too extreme to safely establish the camp, we will remain in the cabins outside the national park. In that case, we will hike into and out of the mountains each day to photograph the musk oxen.
Unfortunately, this would mean additional nights in the cabins, at an extra cost of SEK 1,500 per person per night.
A TRUE DOG-SLEDDING EXPERIENCE AS A BONUS!
Travelling by dog sled pulled by enthusiastic, genuine sled dogs is far more than simply a means of transportation – it is an incredible wilderness winter experience in its own right!
On this trip, we use dog sleds to reach the location where we establish our winter camp and then return by dog sled once our time in the high mountains is over. Snowmobiles are prohibited inside the national park.
There will also be excellent photographic opportunities involving the dogs, sleds, and the entire winter expedition atmosphere.
If you want to experience one of the Arctic’s most legendary and ancient animals at close range, have numerous opportunities to create exciting musk ox images in spectacular light, and take part in a genuine winter mountain photography expedition, this is truly the trip for you.
A unique expedition to one of the most fascinating and special animals in our natural heritage, set in one of Scandinavia’s most beautiful winter mountain landscapes.
Itinerary
Day 1 (Dinner)
Our tour leader will meet you at Oslo Gardermoen Airport; the exact meeting time will be announced later. From here, we travel to our accommodation just outside Dovrefjell National Park. The drive takes approximately five hours.
For the first night, we stay in comfortable cabins just outside the national park. We will use the same cabins again for the final night, so you can leave behind any belongings you do not need during our days in the mountains.
Day 2-4 (5) (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
In the morning, we meet a team of experienced dog-sled drivers who will take us and our equipment up into the mountains. There will be sleds available for either one or two people. The drivers will explain how to ride a dog sled before we set off.
The dog sleds will take us up into the mountains. On the steepest sections of the route, we will need to help the dogs by getting off and pushing the sleds. The dog-sled journey to our base camp takes approximately 90 minutes.
We will be dropped off at the location where we will set up our tents. Once camp is established, we head out on our first hike to look for the musk oxen. The animals will most likely be within 30–90 minutes’ walking distance from our camp.
During the expedition, we will sleep in tents for 3–4 nights. This gives us the opportunity to photograph the musk oxen in the first and last beautiful light of the day. If we were to leave the national park every day and stay in a hotel instead, we would miss the best light and the opportunity to be with the animals during these crucial hours.
The tents we use are large, extreme-expedition tents. They are designed to withstand severe storms and are well insulated. Each tent comfortably accommodates three people, with enough space for camera equipment and other gear.
Depending on how motivated the group is, we may get up approximately three hours before sunrise. After breakfast and packing our daypacks, we hike towards the musk oxen before the first light. Our aim is to be with the animals at least around 30 minutes before sunrise.
Depending on how far the musk oxen are from our camp, we will either stay out with them for the entire day or return to camp for lunch. We remain with the animals until the light becomes poor, then hike back to base camp for dinner.
If the weather is very cloudy, there is little benefit in heading out quite so early, and we may therefore allow ourselves a little extra sleep.
Day 5 (6) (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
This is our final day in the mountains. We will be picked up by the dog sleds at around 14:00. Before then, we will have the opportunity to photograph the musk oxen at sunrise.
We must be back at camp by 12:00 to pack up and prepare for our departure. The dog sleds will then take us back down from the mountains.
For our final night, we return to the cabins where we stayed on the first night. In the evening, we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 6 (7) (Breakfast)
After breakfast, we travel to Oslo Gardermoen Airport for our onward journey home.
Photographic leader
Floris Smeets, born in 1986 in the Netherlands, has been living in Norway since 2010. Since 2014, Floris has been working full-time as a nature photographer, guide, and workshop leader.
He has a deep passion for guiding and loves sharing his knowledge with participants during workshops.
Floris focuses primarily on Norwegian nature, with a particular emphasis on wildlife and landscapes. He always works with great respect for animals and the environment, emphasizing the importance of taking photographs without disturbing wildlife or altering their surroundings. His images capture not only the beauty of nature but also tell a compelling story.
Floris is a Sony Europe Imaging Ambassador, and his photographs have been featured in numerous magazines and exhibitions.
He is a licensed guide in Dovrefjell National Park and has many years of experience camping in challenging winter conditions. Floris speaks English, Norwegian, Dutch, and German.
