In Lapland the cold is not an enemy. It is a teacher with high standards. It asks you to prepare, to pay attention, to respect the day for what it is instead of what you wanted it to be. The Finnhorses know this better than anyone. They move through the deep snow without complaint and without hurry, and after a few days in the saddle you start to move through your own life the same way.
I think that is why I keep returning to hard places. Comfort teaches you almost nothing. Winter teaches you everything, and it does it kindly, one cold and beautiful morning at a time. We are building a winter expedition in Lapland for exactly this reason: firelit huts, silent forests and, if the sky allows, the northern lights overhead while the horses breathe steam in the dark.