WHY YOU´LL LOVE IT
Build something real with your own hands - start with a pile of snow and work together until you have a snow shelter large enough to crawl inside and sit in.
Learn a genuine Arctic survival skill - discover how a quinzhee is constructed and why snow can provide effective insulation even when temperatures outside are far below freezing.
Do the work, not just watch a demonstration - shovel, compact, dig and shape the shelter yourself while a professional outdoor guide leads you through each stage.
Take on a proper winter challenge - spend around 3 hours working outdoors in Arctic conditions for an experience that is physical, practical and very different from a conventional sightseeing tour.
Your igloo may remain after you leave - some shelters become part of the Snow Igloo Park at Polarman’s Camp.
THE EXPERIENCE
Don't visit an igloo. Build one.
This is a hands-on Arctic experience from beginning to end. With a professional guide, you'll turn loose snow into a real winter shelter and learn why the same basic principles can help protect a person in extreme cold.
Is it really an igloo?
The shelter you build is technically called a quinzhee. Unlike a traditional block-built igloo, a quinzhee is made by piling and compacting snow before hollowing it out from the inside. It is one of the simplest practical ways to create an insulated snow shelter.
The Program - Arctic Survival Skills in Practice
The guide introduces the basics of snow shelter construction - the quinzhee method: pile the snow, compact it, let it settle, then hollow it out from inside. It is simpler than block-stacking and just as effective. At -20°C (-4°F) outside, the interior of a properly built snow shelter holds just above freezing. Then the work begins.
The building site is in Lappish nature, on the riverbank or on a frozen lake. The group works together through each phase: piling and compacting a large mound of snow, digging the entrance tunnel, crawling inside to hollow out the interior, and smoothing the walls and ceiling with a snow saw until the structure is stable and there is room to sit comfortably. It is real physical work - sustained effort in genuine Arctic cold.
At the end, the guide lights the outdoor fire. Warm drinks and snacks are served. Some of the igloos built on this program are incorporated into the Snow Igloo Park at Polarman’s Camp - a structure that thousands of visitors will walk past. The builders’ names and home country can be marked on a sign next to the igloo.
Who This Is For
Groups and families who want an active, skills-based experience rather than a spectator program
Anyone curious about genuine Arctic survival techniques
Adults and children aged 10 and above (accompanied by adults), children aged 6-9 may participate with close adult supervision
Corporate and team groups looking for a practical shared challenge in the outdoors
Private option
Available as a fully private group experience - your group, your guide, your building site. Contact us to arrange.
Team building Levi / corporate activities Levi
A different kind of team challenge. Building a snow shelter requires people to divide the work, communicate and solve a practical problem together. For corporate and private groups, the program can be arranged as a private team activity with your own guide and building site.
Minimum age: 6 years
Recommended age for full participation: 10+
Children aged 6-9 require close adult supervision.
All children must participate with an accompanying adult.
