Do you have what it takes to be an elite soldier?
Swapping the beach for more brutal surrounds, an expedition travel company is offering SAS: Who Dares Wins-style trips to put intrepid travellers through their paces.
Trident Adventure is run by ex-Special Air Service soldiers and most recently they ventured to the Arctic wilds, battling temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius and tackling untraversed landscapes on cross country skis.
Trident Adventure is run by ex-Special Air Service soldiers. Most recently they ventured to the Arctic wilds, taking intrepid travellers on a cross-country ski expedition. The majority of the group had never skied before
During the trip, the adventurous holidaymakers could take a dip in icy waters
But if you’re feeling intimidated by the sounds of it all, don’t be.
Nick Grainge, who co-led the military-inspired expedition, says the trips are open to anyone and he specialises in training people up from ‘zero to hero’ using methods he learned from the SAS.
He told MailOnline Travel: ‘Ten out of the 12 people on our course had never skied before but everyone pulled through.
‘Each person carried all their kit for the duration on their backs. It was a truly beautiful place high up in the mountains of Norway and Sweden. We covered six to nine hours a day with extreme weather conditions on occasions.
Nick Grainge, who co-led the military-inspired expedition, says the trips are open to anyone and he specialises in training people up from ‘zero to hero’ using methods he learned from the SAS
Each person carried their own kit as they skied through the snowy hills of Norway and Sweden
All participants were given a kit list before their trip, which contained the required items to keep them warm
Ex-SAS officer Nick Grainge of Trident Adventures and Elite Outdoor Fitness
‘There was a mix of shorter relaxing days and longer enduring days.’
So the intrepid holidaymakers were prepared for their extreme adventure, Nick provided training via his company Elite Outdoor Fitness.
He says often his clients can find 5km park runs difficult to begin with but by the time he’s finished with them, they’re tackling marathons.
The former soldier, who is based in South Wales, runs training camps across the country.
Some of the activities people can expect aren’t too dissimilar to those seen on SAS: Who Dares Wins – hill walking with weights, running with sandbags, carrying logs and navigating terrain by night.
Photos from the Trident Adventure ‘Arctic Warrior’ trip show the team in single file sliding through the snow and plunging into an icy pool of water at one point.
Luckily, although it was cold, the weather in March stayed bright with the winds relatively low.
All participants were given a kit list before their trip, which contained the required items to keep them warm in the sub-zero climate.
So the intrepid holidaymakers were prepared for their extreme adventure, Nick provided training via his company Elite Outdoor Fitness
Some of the activities people can expect on Nick’s training courses aren’t too dissimilar to those seen on SAS: Who Dares Wins – hill walking with weights, running with sandbags, carrying logs and navigating terrain by night, pictured left. Pictured right, members of the ski team gearing up for a long day of skiing ahead
A group photo from the Trident Adventure ‘Arctic Warrior’ trip. The expeditions attract people from all walks of life
On the Arctic expedition, the team were burning around 5,000 to 8,000 calories a day as they skied.
On an average day, they would cover around 19km (11 miles) and be out in the elements for up to nine hours.
Nick recounts: ‘In some parts there would be some very steep climbs.
‘With skis on, this was hard on the legs and we slowed down to around 1km an hour.’
On the food front, gourmet dining is out and army-style rations are in.
Nick says he dehydrates food before expeditions as it makes it lighter to pack. Some of his favourite treats include berries, fruits, meats and vegetables.
Ex-SAS officer Nick says the ‘people that book onto adventures such as Arctic Warrior are individuals that want to do something a little different and challenge themselves’
The expedition group stop for a rest as the sun beats down
‘All you have to do is add hot water to make the food edible again,’ the adventurer explains.
Revealing why he loves his expedition and fitness training job, Nick concludes: ‘ We now are part of a community of people that love personal development, the great outdoors and having a great laugh with like-minded people no matter what level of fitness they are and the thing that sets themselves apart from the rest is a renewed confidence to better understand that they can achieve much more then they think.
‘We have people from 18 to 78 years old.
‘The friendships that have been forged between all these people over the past few years is inspiring and we work together to get the best out of each other.
‘People that book onto adventures such as Arctic Warrior are individuals that want to do something a little different and challenge themselves.’
Are you ready to test your mettle? Visit the Trident Adventure website for more information.
Ex-Special Forces soldiers put recruits through a recreation of the SAS selection process in the Channel 4 show SAS: Who Dares Wins (pictured)