About us
Arctic Guides is a small family-owned 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.
Merja Bergwall
Co-owner | Operations & Risk Manager
Merja has a lot (and we mean A LOT) of Finnish SISU in her blood. She also loves climbing. The lack of mountains in her otherwise so fantastic home country made her move closer to higher peaks. So one day while preparing a trip to the Himalayas, she ended up by coincidence on the glaciers of Swedish Lapland. And she never went back.
Merja has made a long career with documented, solid experience in the field of Risk and Crisis Management - on national as well as international level. She is active in developing safety cultures and attitudes, both in outdoor tourism as well as other businesses. Besides managing Arctic Guides, Merja is running our subsidiary company ICEwise, helping companies and organizations in the field of risk and crisis. Together with Anders she also manages the non-profit organization Replacing Luck.
Merja is also an avalanche technician and a member of the Swedish Police Mountain Rescue Team.
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.
Amanda Malis
SFLO Mountain Leader | Expedition Medic
Amanda loves people - and everyone loves Amanda! She also loves skiing which is the reason why she decided to move permanently up to Swedish Lapland directly after graduating as a certified Mountain Leader.
Amanda is strong as a viking and her stamina knows no limits. Whatever the situation, she makes it just perfect! With her wide competence, her great enthusiasm and interest for working with people she turns any ski tour or hiking trip to a truly unique experience.
Besides guiding and coaching as a ski instructor Amanda is also an ER nurse making her more than able to take good care of our guest on our expeditions.
Amanda has been part of the Arctic Guides team since 2015.
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.
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.