Mission Stranded: 7 Days Isolated on an Arctic Island

For seven days we set out on a wild adventure once again – this time to a secluded island in the Lofoten archipelago. 

A place we had only seen on maps or as a silhouette on the horizon. It seemed isolated, unfamiliar and full of mystery. We didn’t know what we would find there or how we would manage to survive. But the idea of being stranded on an island for a week, with only the essentials and ourselves to rely on, felt like a quest we had to go on. 

With barely enough food and no fancy gear, the boat dropped us off – and wouldn‘t return until the end of the week. Watching it disappear left us with a strange feeling. We started to second-guess the whole plan. Yet, there was no turning back. 

From the very beginning even the simplest tasks turned into daily challenges. Fatigue, hunger and the raw force of nature pushed us hard. We kept telling ourselves that things would get easier once we found our rhythm – but that rhythm never really came. We struggled. A lot. Looking back now, some of those low moments feel almost silly in hindsight. After all, we chose to be there. A bit of tiredness and dizziness won’t kill you, right?

But it’s not so easy when you’re in it. Most people have never experienced such physical and mental strain, so it’s hard to explain. Your body starts sending warning signals and your mind tells you to stop – even though you know this is something you willingly signed up for. That’s the hard part, when you’re the one who set the challenge, giving up isn’t really an option. You just have to push through. 

While out in the real world, millions of people don’t have a choice. For them, hunger and exhaustion aren’t temporary discomforts - they’re daily realities. Living even just a small taste of that made us deeply grateful for the basics we so easily take for granted: clean water, food, shelter, warmth. It also made us question the absurd abundance that surrounds us – and how unfairly the world’s resources are distributed. That part makes me angry!

There were moments where we felt like giving up – completely drained, physically and emotionally. But somehow, something always pulled us back. A glowing sky. A kind message from home. The cheerful chatter of a nearby bird. Tiny reminders that beauty still exists, even when you’re at your lowest. You just have to let them in, even when everything inside you wants to shut down. 

That’s the rhythm of life – a cycle of struggle and reward. It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to spend two hours climbing a steep mountainside in the middle of the night, for two hours with a heavy camera bag – only to reach the top and find yourself looking over a landscape that seems almost from another world. These are the moments we live for. Not because they are easy or fun. But, because every drop of effort feels worth it in the end. 

This island taught us more than just how to survive. It tested our will, our patience, our spirit. It forced us to face the moments when giving up felt just as wrong as going on. When you choose to push through – and do it together – you met a version of yourself, you never know was there all along. 

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