The Brotherhood
"Cold showers and walking in shorts & T-shirt all year round is the instant pay-off." - Oskar Alyhr
The Essential [ Techs + Specs ]
Duration:
6 days of authentic Brotherhood, sauna, ice, breathwork and tactile Finnish wilderness.
Accommodation:
5 nights in lodges in shared rooms in bunk beds, self-built snow shelters and high quality Vaude tents.
Activities:
Sauna, Ice diving, Map-and-compass navigation, Breathwork, Snow-hut building, Manage recovery and pacing, Moving in snow with sledge, Fire & lighting techniques, Ski expedition and much more.
Food:
All food and meals are included. Most meals cooked over open fire.
Group Size:
Maximum of 14 participants.
The group travels together from start to finish – travel solo or bring your Brothers
Getting There:
Fly to Helsinki Airport and then to Kuusamo Airport.
– private transportation will take the guests from Kuussamo to the final destination and back again to Kuusamo after the course.
Experience Level:
No prior skills required.
Just curiosity and a passion for true Brotherhood.
Season:
January/February 2027
Dates TBC
Journey Overview
Day 1 - Arrival, fire and basics
Airport pick-up in Kuusamo and transfer to base lodge. Welcome lunch in a traditional kota with a fire pit, where the program and safety are reviewed. Equipment is checked, and we start on the snow shelter: the first part of snow hut building, followed by exercises in lighting, chopping wood and simple cooking outside. In the evening, the team gathers in the snow for a quiet dinner.
Oskar introduces the program and the stages of the course with a focus on breathing, mindset and safe cold+warm exposure. Stage 1 with a Finnish sauna rounds off the day. Overnight stay in shared rooms at the lodge.
Sauna - Lodge: A classic Finnish sauna at the base. Close to the snow, plenty of space for breaks between rounds and quiet for instruction.
Base Lodge (accommodation): A simple base on the edge of the forest with common areas and shared rooms. Close to the routes and a safe environment for learning.
Day 2 - Structure and bivouac
Morning at the lodge, then the second part of the snow hut building. Lunch is cooked on gas stoves in the snow. Maps and compass are introduced in the terrain, and we practice navigation in small teams. Oskar will teach Stage 2 of his program with guided breathing and focus on control. Evening sauna. After a review of equipment and safety, we move out into our own snow huts for the night.
Sauna – Lodge (evening): Even heat, calm laps and short stays in the cold between sessions – suitable for progression work.
Day 3 - Off to ski, into the cabin
Quiet morning routine and short walk in the cold. Oskar teaches Stage 3 in his program. We pack sleds, review the route and safety plan and have lunch at the lodge. The ski expedition starts with a series of small team tasks along the way. Arrival at the wilderness cabin, shared dinner and short night hike. Sauna at the cabin with snow rolling between rounds. Overnight in the cabin.
Sauna – Wilderness hut: Small, authentic cabin sauna by the forest and snow. Proximity to nature and short steps out into the cold provide a clear, effective cycle.
Wilderness Hut (accommodation): A basic hut without electricity or running water. Sofa beds and mattresses according to space. Outdoor toilet and close communal framework that creates focus and simplicity.
Day 4 - Ice and teamwork
Morning in the cabin and day trip in the area with campfire lunch and training in lighting. Back in the cabin we open the ice hole as a joint task and get ready for the evening's session.
Sauna and ice bath are carried out in a safe environment with Oskar, who facilitates Stage 4 with weather control and controlled plunge test. Overnight stay in the cabin.
Ice hole bathing: The ice bath is located a few steps from the sauna. The opening and maintenance of the hole is done by the group and is used in short, guided intervals.
Day 5 - Silence on the lake and home to base
Morning coffee and Oskar will lead Stage 5 of his workshop. After breakfast the cabin is cleaned after leave-no-trace. We hitch up the sled and continue the ski expedition.
Today's stage crosses a frozen lake in silence. Along the way, lunch is prepared at the campsite and – if conditions permit – ice fishing. Back at the lodge, equipment is arranged. Shared dinner and final sauna. Overnight at the lodge in shared rooms.
Sauna – End of the lodge: A round of calm and reflection. A clear sense of the progression of the course from the first day.
Day 6 - Debrief and departure
We wake up, pack down and clear the rooms. Final gear check: drysuits aired, stoves and safety kit counted, sleds stacked.
Breakfast at the lodge and a debrief with Oskar: review of the 5 stages, personal notes in the log and official certificate hand-over ceremony.
We return shared equipment, collect any stored items and confirm transfer times. Group photo outside the lodge. Transfer to Kuusamo Airport (≈30 min).
You leave with a advanced level winter routine. You can run on your own: breathwork, cold entry, recovery, and calm planning.
The certificate documents your progression; the practice stays with you.
Oskar Alyhr – Guide
Teacher, Therapeut, Sauna and Aufguss expert, Sound Healing specialist, Cold exposure trainer, Yoga instructor and guide.
Northern star has teamed up with Oskar Alyhr, who will lead and facilitate the Breathwork & Cold Exposure workshop is curated and facilitated by swedish pro-guide Oskar Alyhr, with a background in the Wim Hof Method and training in Oxygen Advantage.
Oskars has developed a special 5-Stage program, which you will undergo before, during and after this trip.
Oskar will guide and teach you on the full trip. For those who have great fear of the cold, he often uses the Sauna as a safe space to mentally prepare for the cold. He has a meditation and visualisation technique he uses before the first cold plunge. You will learn how to integrate Oskar’s program in your every day life after coming back home. Cold showers and walking in shorts & T-shirt all year round is the instant pay-off.
Nothing is impossible.
"I often use the Sauna as a safe space to mentally prepare for the cold. I have a meditation and visualization technique I use before the first cold plunge. I teach people this technique" - Oskar Alyhr
Practical details
- Price: 19,500 DKK / 28,900 SEK per / 2,600 EUR per person
- Group Size: Max 14 Brothers
Small and personal — travel solo or bring your Brothers - Sauna experience: Beginner friendly
- Duration: 6 days / 5 nights
- All tactical gear is included and provided by Northern Star
- Bring warm clothes for heavy arctic winter
Outdoor Skills & Micro-Learning:
- Ice diving
- Thermoregulation & Recovery (sauna → cold plunge → down-regulation breathing)
- Breathwork: CO₂ tolerance, nasal breathing, retention protocols
- Gradual cold exposure & safety
- Contraindications and participant responsibility/medical clearance
- Orienteering and snow-running
- Survival techniques
- Ice fishing & Campfire
Included:
- Accommodation (five nights)
- All breakfasts and all other meals
- All drinks such as coffee, tea, water etc.
- Private transportation from airport to destination
- All sauna experiences
- Local guide
- Breath instructor
- All education materials
- All taxes
Not included:
- Flights
- Travel insurance
Improve mentality • Optimize focus • Stress management
Oulanka National Park
Oulanka sits between Kuusamo and Salla with 270 km² of rivers, spruce forest and steady winter trails,
and supports the Brotherhood format with reliable winter infrastructure.
The park was founded in 1956 and later expanded, today forming a cross-border pair with Russia’s Paanajärvi National Park.
Kiutaköngäs is a fast river section where the water drops about 14 metres. In winter you get both open water and ice in the same spot. That makes it a controlled place to learn how to read ice edges, assess flow, and practice safe entry/exit for cold exposure under guidance.
Finland’s famed Karhunkierros (Bear’s Trail) runs mainly through Oulanka—~80–82 km from Hautajärvi to Ruka,
with suspension bridges, open wilderness huts and marked campfire sites along the route.
Kitkajoki is the river that runs through the Oulanka National Park, here with one of its suspension bridges that make crossing possible.
With its position at the Arctic Circle the nature park makes it the perfect venue for The Brotherhood.
The nature scenary is amazing, and northern light and snow padded pines are common for winter times.
The lynx lives in Oulanka together with wolves, moose and reindeer.
Among the rich bird life you find the Golden Eagle, the Sea Eagle and many types of owls.
The nature king of the mountains is The Brown Bear. Most active between April and November.
Accommodation
5 nights in lodges in shared rooms in bunk beds, self-built snow shelters and tents.
Sleep is part of the training: rotate between lodge recovery and field nights where you build, pitch and manage your own shelter.
You dry gear, set your sleeping system, run safe stove routines and simple night checks, and then you break camp at first light in the morning.
A wooden lodge makes it out for the nigths shelter. In shared rooms with wooden benches and bunk beds. And one warm sleeping bag.
Minus 20 degrees and only thin nylon to protect you. Essential brotherly warmth will keep you heart pumping.
Only after you have built your own snow-hut, you can go to bed. Not before.
Gallery
The Scenary
The Brotherhood is something special.
Arctic winter outdoor course with a focus on cold, heat, breathing, raw nature and true brotherhood.
Max 14 Participants • Professional guides • Safety-first • Diploma
Wilderness • Resilience • Stoicism • Camaraderie
