Congratulations on completing their 2025 Arctic Trek
Congratulations to Graham Lawson and Angus MacDonald for completing their 2025 Arctic Trek.
Here is what Graham had to say about their challenge -
A week before Christmas 2011, my 6 year old daughter, Tabby, was admitted to the "Sick Kid's" Hospital in Edinburgh and diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukaemia. Tabby spent the following 3 Christmas's in hospital. She endured two and a half years of chemotherapy and all that it entails, along with multiple, repeated hospital admissions. In the summer of 2014, Tabby was given the "all-clear".
Throughout this time It's good 2 give provided wonderful support for Tabby and the Lawson family. Since then, we have we have taken part in a wide range of challenges and events to "give something back" and raise funds for this incredible charity. Indeed having become a Junior Ambassador for the charity, Tabby is now a Trustee with It's good 2 give.”
So what are we doing this time?
On the evening of Saturday 22nd February, my brother-in-law Angus and I arrived in the small village of Kiilopaa in North-East Finland - around 300k inside the Arctic Circle. Here we met our 2 guides, Chris and Charlie as well as our fellow skiers.
The next morning we set off, on Nordic cross-country skis, up into the forests and arctic fells of Northern Finland. Each pair shared a "pulk" or sledge laden with our kit, equipment, tent, food and provisions for the next 6 days. We would be staying in "Wilderness Huts" - each of which would provide a wood burning stove a gas hob and 2 platforms to sleep eight people. The first issue was that there were 9 of us so it was either very cosy or someone would sleep outside in a tent - away from the cacophony of snoring!
Each day, after anywhere between 12 - 25k of skiing we would arrive at the next hut. Tasks would be assigned - collecting firewood, collecting water from a hole in the ice in the frozen river or lake, preparing dinner, cleaning and de-icing the skis etc. All done under the dim glow of candles or head-torches.
The first few days we skiid through the forests on designated routes and then after that climbed up onto the high fells plateau - into a desolate, largely featureless arctic wilderness. It was stunning and beautiful - and for most of us , the reason we had embarked on the trip. On my "tent night", we were treated to a magnificent display of the Northern Lights - simply awesome. So good in fact I almost forgot I was in a single-man tent, in the middle of a frozen lake and 300m away from the wilderness hut. So pleased the tent was not blown away by the strong arctic wind that night.
Our route took us back to Kiilopaa late in the evening of Friday 28 Feb for a sauna, cold- water plunge through a hole in the ice of an adjacent river followed by reindeer-burgers and beer.
We are approaching our target of £5,000, so if you read this post, please donate to the amazing charity that is "It's good 2 give".
Huge thank you to Graham and Angus for such determination to complete such a big challenge for It’s good 2 give. What an great amount raised already, well done.