Surviking is an organisation specializing in the following, amongst others:

• Organizing multiday hikes/trekking in Scandinavia
• Wilderness guiding
• Outdoor equipment rentals
• Outdoor photography

I'm talking with Maurice van den Boogaard at the office of Cortazu, in Amsterdam.
Maurice, as the founder and owner of Surviking, can you tell us a little bit about what Surviking is all about, what does it offer to its customers?

Our goal is to offer an experience that is attainable for anyone of average fitness. In our view, there is no need for anyone to venture out into the far Northern Scandinavian territories for an Arctic experience, nor is it necessary to brave the isolated wilderness of Siberia just to be able to spend a night in a Taiga forest. We offer diverse adventure packages with a range of activities at differing levels of intensity to fit your preferences.

We’ll allow you to slow down and live in the moment for a bit. A chance to get away from the mundane and your daily routines, or the stress of a fast paced world we so often find ourselves in.
The outdoors, nature, is far too beautiful to pass on by without taking notice, yet so many of us do, maybe even without realizing it.

What is the story behind Surviking, the idea it is capturing?

The travel and adventure packages we offer have been born out of a personal passion for the outdoors and a career path in wilderness guiding and outdoor photography.

Whether it’s through guiding people, or by presenting pictures of the beautiful landscapes we seek out, we are looking to tell a story. Nature’s story!

To be able to tell a unique story, we find our own path. We step off the beaten track, we do our own filming and photographing, bringing out a Drone to capture as much of a lasting visual impression to complement your memories.

Experiencing what our natural world has to offer is the main guiding element in everything we do. Nature does not have a voice or even a vote in environmental issues, or any other discussion for that matter. Nature needs more of us to stand up and speak up on her behalf, to be her ambassadors.

We often use the phrase “We are the ambassadors of Mother Nature at Surviking.” It may sound like just a funny quip, but when all is said and done, that’s exactly what we are. Somebody must give our natural world a voice and we are happy to be amongst those who do.  

I understand how important nature is for a company like Surviking. Subsequently, we cannot avoid mentioning the effect we all have on climate change. Where does Surviking stand in this heated debate?

Indeed, climate and climate change are hot topics of late. At Surviking we are very acutely aware of this and we see the direct results of this change in our travels. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as zero-carbon, zero-emission traveling. Everything we do has an environmental effect and consequence.

During our hikes/treks, we try to imprint on our clients how beautiful but also fragile our natural world is when not properly taken care of. We want to create an awareness of the absolute necessity to preserve nature for future generations. The benefits of reaching growing numbers of people and spreading a mindset that helps us preserve the world are, in our opinion, great gains to off-set our own “footprint”.

We encourage people to carpool or use public transport to get themselves to where we set off and try to avoid using airlines.

Given the extent and depth of the hikes Surviking offers, can you tell us a little bit about how these trips are supervised?

Our guides are certified through the Wilderness Guides Association (WGA). As we take our clients out into (semi-)remote areas, we believe it is paramount to provide capable personnel who can safely and confidently navigate and handle the challenges traversing the outdoor environment brings. Our guides' knowledge of the natural world allows them to explain and narrate the ecosystems we visit and so enhance our clients’ experience and understanding.    

It might be an obvious statement, but it’s not so much about the destination as it is about the experience and the impressions we gather along the way. Back to basics, back to nature.

 Joining us at Surviking for an adventure that is a one of a kind experience...