About us
Arctic Guides is a small company with a big heart and solid experience in providing unique experiences at the northernmost latitudes. We love skiing on uncrowded mountains and hiking in the open landscapes without trails. We love exploring the amazing arctic nature with ever-changing colors. We love the dramatic contrasts of the seasons - from the cold polar nights with the Northern Lights to the sun that never sets. We simply love living and working in the Arctic!
We don’t believe in massive expansion and mass tourism. We don’t strive to become the biggest. Instead we do believe in genuine encounters, in the change-making power of shared experiences. We believe in personal customer service and equity. No matter if you are an experienced explorer or a beginner soft-adventurer. No matter if you are a pro-skier or no-skier, no matter your abilities or disabilities. Arctic experiences are waiting for you! Let us take care of the rest.
Say hi to the team!
Anders Bergwall
Founder | IFMGA Mountain Guide
Already at the age of thirteen Anders decided to become a Mountain Guide. Period. Since then he has full-heartedly dedicated his whole life to his profession. When you meet him, there is no doubt that he still loves everyday at work!
Anders became one of the very first professional Mountain Guides in Sweden. He is also one of the founders of the Swedish Mountain Guide Association. Anders started his career in the early eighties as a skier and an alpine climber. Among many other things he performed many climbing expeditions in the Himalayas as well as skied and guided for several years in the Alps. However, his great passion and love for Polar areas drew him to even more remote Arctic mountains and in 1991 he founded Arctic Guides. The vision was the same as it is today: to excel in guiding in the Polar areas.
For over 20 years Anders has led many arctic expeditions and trips to the most remote places in Greenland, Svalbard and Baffin Island. But he nevertheless still enjoys skiing back home in Swedish Lapland .
Anders has been a member of the Swedish Police Alpine Rescue Team since 1987 and has worked in the field of mountain safety with different organizations and authorities. He has also made several expeditions to Antarctica as safety expert for the Swedish government.
Tovo Spiral
IFMGA Mountain Guide
Tovo is a real hardcore alpinist and skier. And a hardcore Mountain Guide. And a hardcore dad. Our very own hardcore teddy bear. You know the type of guy who knows everything, who is smart and able to fix anything. The toughest and the nicest at the same time.
Born in Madagaskar, Tovo moved with his family to the French Alps as a toddler. Before he even could walk he followed the path of his alpinist father. In his early years Tovo competed both in climbing and judo. But as mountains kept calling he decided to fully focus on a career as a Mountain Guide.
Tovo has been living in Swedish Lapland since 2014 and enjoys all the climbing and skiing the great Arctic has to offer. He is also a member of the Swedish Police Alpine Rescue Team.
Tovo has been part of the Arctic Guides team since 2015.
Johan Tollstadius
IFMGA Mountain Guide
Johan has worked with us for many years in Svalbard and at home in Lapland.
Johan has his own guide firm in Narvik and we are happy that he is with us regularly.
Johan is a humble and very strong ski tourer. His background as an elite biathlon skier is very handy for our team as we often ski with a rifle on our back for polar bear protection.
Besides his work as a mountain guide, he also works as an instructor and examiner for the Swedish mountain guide organisation SBO.
Mikael Amlert
IFMGA Mountain Guide
Anders got to know Mike in the mid 90s when Mike joined the Swedish alpine rescue team. Since then Mike has been a great friend and colleague, working with us in Greenland and Svalbard for many years, as well as in Scandinavia and the Alps.
Mike has worked in Antarctica for Swedish government research expeditions as a field expert.
Mike also has a background in the Swedish armed forces where he is an officer and instructor specialised in mountain and arctic warfare. Mike was the first Swedish officer to obtain the training in Austria to become a ”Heeres bergfuhrer” (military mountain guide).
In addition, Mike has worked for RECCO with product development and training rescue teams around the world in how to use their equipment for search and rescue both in avalanches and for missing people.
Sara Widell
IFMGA Mountain Guide
Full of energy and focused are the two phrases that best describe Sara. It is no wonder that she became the first female mountain guide in Sweden.
With the same endless energy she is taking care of clients and making sure everybody is happy. She is always well prepared and loves exploring as well as the endless discussions about which caliber or rifle that is best to use.
She is a naturalist and a keen hunter, has a degree in and worked many years with forest and hunting management. Sara is always smiling and we are proud to have her in our team.
Sara has been part of the Arctic Guides team since 2021.
Martin Hallén
Polar Bear Safety | Expedition Logistics
Martin is the guy you want to hang with when things need a Chuck Norris type of attitude. Or a Crocodile Dundee approach.
Martin is a hunter, skier and lumberjack. In the beginning of his career he lived and worked in Canada as a Ski Patroller. Martin has a big respect for and solid expertise in the Arctic wildlife. His knowledge about the Arctic fauna and animals’ behavior brings wildlife watching to a new level.
Martin is also the logistics and tech guru, making sure all ground operations on our expeditions work as planned.
Martin has been part of the Arctic Guides team… well, since the ski bum days in the early eighties way back when it all started.
David Sandberg
Polar Bear Safety | Expedition Logistics
David is an old friend and has been working with us for over 25 years.
The picture is taken in the Eternity fjord West Greenland 2008.
David is a carpenter by profession specialised on timber houses. His free time it is all about nature, birds, hunting and family.
He is schooled as a forest/hunting manager. In the beginning, he was helping out on our glacier courses in Sweden and on our expeditions in Greenland. David is, like Martin, our Zodiac driver and polar bear guard in Svalbard. He has also worked as a dog musher in Svalbard in the beginning of 2000.
THE crew
We are happy to work with a small, fantastic crew of professional guides and instructors. Each and every one selected with great care to be able to offer You a true Arctic Guides experience.
All of our Mountain Guides are internationally certified IFMGA guides, the highest level of guide certificate that you can achieve working on the mountains. IFMGA mountain guides are certified to work globally in all mountain terrain, including alpine terrain and glaciers.
All our Mountain Leaders are certified Swedish SFLO Mountain Leaders. They are certified to lead mountain tours, excluding alpine terrain and glaciers. Our professional Mountain Leaders are working on our tours in Swedish Lapland.
All our avalanche instructors are certified SVELAV instructors. SVELAV is the national standard for the Swedish avalanche education system giving you the most modern education based on international snow science and avalanche research.
All our climbing instructors are IFMGA mountain guides or IFMGA guides/UIAA climbing instructors (on our rock climbing courses).
Welcome to Arctic Guides! We are happy to guide you.