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The next week, slightly more intrigued (but still aching from my first attempt), I joined my local climbing club. Climbing is a fantastic way of learning about yourself and making friends along the way. Climbing with two other people meant each section of the route took time to set up and at one point I spent around an hour standing on a rock shelf about three feet square. If you’d like to have a go at climbing visit the UK Climbing website for details on local climbing centres and information on beginner courses, and check out the climbing pages of The Girl Outdoors.

The ritual of a Scandi ice swim begins with a baking-hot wood-fired sauna, taken naked – once you’ve really heated up, you rush outside to jump into icy water, then back into the sauna and repeat. Sweden Take an ice-fringed dip as part of an Arctic adventure at Fjellborg Arctic Lodge – the lodge offers skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling and husky expeditions in Swedish Lapland, all ending with a dip in the river and a sauna session. Sweden Hellasgarden, a 20 minute hop from Stockholm, makes a magical winter retreat from Sweden’s capital, complete with hot sauna, ice-fringed swimming pool and cosy cabins to rent. Swim in an urban sea pool, Helsinki, Finland Try an ice swim right in the city centre at the Allas sea pool in Helsinki’s harbour, where the water is the same temperature as the Baltic Sea.

Your money goes far when you buy a RubyMoon swimsuit – 100% of the net profits generated by RubyMoon are lent out as small loans to female entrepreneurs, and their swimsuits are even named after the women they help, which I love. I love Monki’s flattering bikinis and suits in shirred fabrics and retro colours (pictured), so I was extremely pleased to see that their new Monki Cares collection is made from a 80% recycled polyester blend. Davy J’s one and two-pieces are designed to ‘survive a dive’, and their high-waisted bottoms and crop tops are great if you want a little more coverage for surfing or stand-up paddle boarding – Stay Wild Swim’s streamlined and classic pieces in primary colours are perfect for minimalists, and are all created with Econyl, made from regenerated ocean plastic.

This is the story of a 300km journey across the wilderness from Norway to Sweden as part of the Fjällräven Polar 2019 expedition, crossing the tundra, cuddling huskies and proving that there’s an Arctic explorer hidden inside everyone. Each year, Fjällräven takes ordinary people from all corners of the globe and sends them on an extraordinary journey – a 300km route across the Arctic wilderness from Norway to Sweden, travelling by dog sled each day and camping in the snow each night. Fjällräven have been making timeless and responsibly made outdoor clothing and kit since the 1960s, and dreamed up the Fjällräven Polar as a way to show what normal people can achieve in extreme conditions – with the right kit and training. How to apply for the Fjällräven Polar 2020 Applications for the Fjällräven Polar Expedition 2020 will open in November.