Sébastien Varlet: Traverse to the Heart of the Arctic

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Sébastien Varlet, a renowned freerider and ambassador for Les Gets, is no stranger to risk or exploration. But his latest expedition led him to terrain where the mountains are wild, maps are mere intuition, and every night is a silent watch against one of the planet's greatest predators. Alongside an international team, Varlet ventured for two weeks into the remote mountains of the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, in the heart of the Arctic.

"I've always been drawn to those off-the-radar destinations, where skiing is a form of exploration, not consumption."
Sébastien Varlet

A Dream Forged on Screen, Realized on Ice

"I've always been drawn to those off-the-radar destinations, where skiing is a form of exploration, not consumption," Varlet explains. It was by watching photos and videos online that the spark ignited: an obsession with those pristine mountains north of the Arctic Circle. The project began to take shape after meeting Arthur Garreau, a meteorologist based in the area and a key piece in making the adventure a reality.

Svalbard — larger than Switzerland and with countless unexplored peaks — offered the ideal terrain: guaranteed snow, 24/7 sunlight, and a wild immensity where each descent would, perhaps, be the first in history.

White Hostility, Infinite Beauty

From April 28 to May 12, the team — made up of nine people, including skiers from France, Austria, and Sweden — faced extreme temperatures, sub-zero nights in tents, and a constant threat: polar bears.

"What struck us most were the night watches," Sébastien recalls. "Each night, one of us would stay outside for an hour, armed, guarding the camp. We knew bears could travel great distances looking for food. We chose to set up camp far from the ocean, hoping the effort would deter them."

"Bjørnebo": The Land of Bears

The result of this odyssey is a documentary titled “Bjørnebo”, which means precisely that: the land of bears. A name that not only reflects the wild essence of the journey but also honors a small shelter of the same name they found along the way and where they spent a crucial night.

But beyond the physical or technical challenge, Varlet emphasizes the spirit of the project: “We wanted to document a real experience, to share what it means to live with ice, with uncertainty, with the greatness of an environment that is unforgiving. We dreamed of drawing our own tracks on slopes no one had touched. And we did.”

A Legacy for New Explorers

Sébastien Varlet and his team not only traced lines in the snow but added a new chapter to the history of freeriding. One that speaks not of records, but of respect, of coexistence with the untamed, and of that rare and valuable feeling of being a visitor, not a conqueror.

Bjørnebo is not just a film. It is an invitation to look beyond comfort, to reconnect with the essential, and to understand that there are still places where adventure remains authentic.