Dr Mark Hines

This year's course will take place in the Cairngorms and Monadhliath Mountains, from Saturday 20th December until Monday 22nd December 2025. 

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The course is open to anyone, whether you are committed to participating in an Arctic expedition, Arctic Ultra race, or just thinking about these for a future year.  In general, the intensity and pace of fast and light travel in the Arctic and sub-Arctic can be more comfortable than other single stage races, but nowhere else is it more important to be prepared for the environment.

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Course dates: 20th to  22nd December 2025

Location: Starting from Aviemore Train Station (time TBC)

Price: £300 for the weekend (course only, not including food)

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For more information and to book, email Mark

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This year's course will focus specifically on practical aspects, ensuring that participants are confident with how they will travel during the Arctic races.  This will include stove use and maintenance (liquid fuel stoves), firelighting, camp set ups, navigation, and trail hazards (overflow, glaciation and open water).  The course will involve hiking through woodland trails and over low mountains (the route will be influenced by the experience of the group).  One of the goals is to improve efficiency in the various processes involved in fast and light travel in the Arctic, as well as awareness of some of the hazards and how to deal with them.

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To streamline the course and reduce costs, a good amount of theoretical content will be the focus of an online course, which will be made available separately.  This is not an essential component of the 'live' course, but will support understanding of the unique challenges of this environment.

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Content will vary between the two formats (live vs online), but the following will be included in each, to greater or lesser extents:

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Adaptations to the cold | Cold injuries | Exercise in the extreme cold | Race strategies

Nutrition and hydration | Sleeping systems | Overflow and open water | Risks and emergency procedures | Training and fitness | Medevacs and self-evacs | Progress along the trails | Navigation methods | Stove use and maintenance | Melting snow and cooking food | Fire starting |Sleeping set-ups | GPS/Tracker use

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Course Overview:

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Why Head North?

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For many of us, racing and adventuring in the sub-Arctic and Polar regions has become our passion (and obsession).  There is nowhere in the world like it.  It is the most beautiful environment I have ever seen, and one of the world's last true wildernesses.  Racing here requires a different mindset and respect for the environment than elsewhere.  The clothing, equipment, food, strategy, trails, pace and the dangers are all unique.  The few of us who finish these events relish the opportunity to spend time with others who have done so, to share stories (and often to make plans). 

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The Experience

 

The goal of the course is to ensure athletes are well-prepared for fast and light travel in the sub-Arctic and Polar regions, and multi-day ultra races in these environments, such as the Iditarod Trail Invitational, Arctic Spine Race, 6633 Arctic Ultra, Montane Arctic Ultras and more.  For those who already have experience of such events, it will give a chance to test different equipment and perhaps to hear more about the science and strategy of racing in these environments.  For those without any particular plans to race in the cold, the course will hopefully shed light on the different races and help you decide if it is for you, and which events in particular.

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Being sniffed by wolves, charged by moose, inconvenienced by a wolverine, sharing trail with a huge wolf pack and two mountain lions, falling through overflow, floundering in deep snow, succumbing to minor frostbite and broken ribs - these are just a few of my own experiences from the Arctic and sub-Arctic.  Progressing along as the northern lights dance directly overhead, like a waving curtain 100 miles tall, is sublime.  The most common reason I hear that people are put off these events is the cold.  In all my time in that environment, the total time I have ever felt cold amounts to a few days out of several months and several thousands of miles.  The right gear and knowledge is almost all you need.

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Why My Course?

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I recommend people participate in all the training courses they can; read every blog post and web article, read every book, and get to the environment well ahead of the event, all to ensure they are as well-prepared as possible, and with the greatest chance of success.  My course is far enough ahead of the events to give people the best chance of practicing what is covered, and to finalise their kit choices before getting to the race location. 

 

My experience includes multiple podium finishes in Arctic ultras for the foot category, and two 'fastest rookie' finishes (first attempts).  In 2024 I completed the 1000-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational on foot.  I have accumulated thousands of miles of sled-hauling, in racing and independent expeditions, from the sub-Arctic to the Arctic sea ice.  I have also fat-biked thousands of miles in the Arctic and sub-Arctic.  Considering these and a variety of support roles, I have some useful practical experience to draw on in the sessions.  I am also an environmental exercise physiologist and biomechanist, giving university lectures on exercise in the extreme cold.  Hence I have the right academic background to support presentations on cold adaptation, injury, training, nutrition, hydration, and all other aspects of completing these events.

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The course is supported by some of the best brands for Polar expedition gear, with discounts available for participants.

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Course Overview:

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Aims & Objectives

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The overall goal is to give everyone the confidence and know-how to move safely and effectively in the Arctic and sub-Arctic.  These environments will be the most unfamiliar and unnerving to many people.  Whereas in other locations when you experience a problem you can take a break and reset, in the cold even resting requires planning.  The course will include all the background information needed to understand the risks and how to ensure safe and efficient progress along the trails.

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What's Involved

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We will cover the proper use of liquid-fuel stoves, and their maintenance in sub-zero temperatures.  The options for sled set-ups will be discussed, and an abundance of equipment will be available to review.  There is a particular focus on key practical skills that you need to make 'automatic' by the time you leave for The North. 

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Navigation

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The different races have different levels of navigational knowledge required (you might go a day without seeing a trail marker or another competitor in the ITI, for example).  For most it is imperative that you are confident navigating via a handheld (and/or watch-based) GPS.  A map and compass is of little use over the distances of these races, and some trails are not well-marked at all. 

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Sleeping Systems

 

There are a variety of sleeping systems that people use during the events, and during the course each will be looked at and considered, so you can get a feel of what you're most confident with.  As well as the different sleeping systems, racers have very different approaches to how and where they sleep. 

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Course dates: 20th to  22nd December 2025

Location: Starting from Aviemore Train Station (afternoon / early evening - time TBC)

Price: £300 for the weekend (course only, not including food)

There is an optional online content to cover the background and theoretical content, including cold injuries and acclimatisation, which will be available later this year.

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For more information and to book, email Mark

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