THE DREAM: – We were four girls who wanted to take a real trip, says Kristin Folsland Olsen.
– Those who accompanied me were Ingebjørg Tollefsen (26 years old) and her siblings Vera (28 years old) and Emma
Simonsson (26) from Sweden. We called ourselves the Baffin Babes. The plan was originally an expedition to Russia, but then I happened to mention Baffin Island in Canada. All the girls lit up and we went and bought a bunch of cards, says Kristin Folsland Olsen.
A year of planning
– There was an incredible amount of organizing to do. We couldn’t be sure that the stores there had what we needed, so we had to check that this or that store had exactly the products we needed, explains the girl from Drammen.
– The journey began on March 10 in the town of Qikiqtarjuaq and only ended after 80 days of walking, says Folsland Olsen.
I was never bored
The Drammen Girl recounts a vast and varied terrain.
– It’s not like at the North Pole where you just trudge on the same ice until the end. We have now traveled across ice floes, glaciers and dry land. We had a great time and looked at the scenery. We climbed mountain peaks and skirted valleys, before bathing in a seal hole, says the 28-year-old young man.
The group of girls never had a dull moment during this 80-day trip. The main reason was that they constantly had varied and interesting experiences.
– Between the towns we were completely alone, apart from the hunters whom we met from time to time. We had good relations with the local population, they were very kind. “That’s part of the reason we chose Baffin Island, to meet the local people,” explains Kristin.
Lucky with the weather
The girls were lucky with the weather during the trip, but did experience the cold.
– March was very cold, April was an excellent month and in May there was a lot of snow. The cold wasn’t a problem, but it was tiring. , then you can’t take off your mittens for several seconds because things go wrong, says the 28-year-old, who also celebrated his birthday in a tent at minus 40 degrees – a special experience.
I met polar bears
– Have you ever been afraid during the trip?
– Personally, I was only afraid of the cold that awaited me, and on the way I got frostbite on my cheek. We always had a good time, our morale was almost always good. A little bickering, but nothing to say.
One of the highlights of the trip was when the girls spotted a polar bear heading in their direction.
– We saw in the distance a white spot moving on the horizon. After taking a closer look, we confirmed that it was a polar bear heading towards us. The signal pen and the rifle were taken away by the sled. He stopped 400 yards from us and was probably just curious. It was still a little scary, smiles the young girl in the drama.
During the trip, the girls encountered a total of six polar bears.
120 kilos of luggage
After 80 days of standing skiing and 120 kilos of sledding strapped to their hips, the girls achieved their goal.
– We pulled heavy sleds across a snowy landscape for 80 days. One day it took us ten hours to walk a mile and a half. This was no ordinary Sunday trip, but it’s all about daring to try something new. We arrived at our destination five days before the flight back to Norway.
Today, the four girls have returned home and are working together to edit a film from the 45 hours of video material they took with them on the trip. They will also be writing a book and the girls have also done a thorough job of updating the blog along the way.
– We want to be a role model for all girls, so that they too can see that it’s really fun to go for a walk. It’s not just bearded Monsens who can undertake such journeys, points out playwright Kristin Folsland Olsen.
