Marta is born in a small town in the North of Italy where she studied nursing and after receiving her degree she moved to the UK where she has been working as a trauma and emergency nurse in London for eight years. When she is not guiding in the Arctic.

Marta has worked as a sled dog guide for three winter seasons in the north of Norway, and last year she joined the course Arctic Nature Guide on Svalbard.

She has now been on Svalbard for more or less two years, also working as a guide for us during the summer, taking our guests out with dogs on wheels. This winter season she will join us for our sledge adventures.

– When Covid spread I was ‘stuck’ in a small valley in Norway for a couple of months and in that occasion, with my mind full of thoughts and doubts, I found out about the Arctic Nature Guide course on Svalbard and I thought that it would open new doors for my future. At the same time, I thought that using my nursing skills could be a fundamental resource in a remote environment, Marta explains.

– I love music and playing instruments, I love cooking and to be creative with food, and most of all I just love to be outdoors surrounded by non-civilized places. My favorite season is the late winter and early spring, with the snow and endless light.

Pavel is 47 years old, though he insists he still feels like he’s 10, and honestly, with his energy level, we believe him.

He has worked with sled dogs for five years and began guiding when he moved to Finnish Lapland. After half a decade in the forests of Finland, he was ready for something wilder. In the summer of 2025, he packed his bags and his three Alaskan huskies, Faarao, Faso and Flame, and travelled north to join us at Trapper’s Station on Svalbard.

A seasoned traveller long before he became a guide, Pavel has always sought out cold, rugged landscapes. It’s no surprise that he fell in love with Griegfjellet, the majestic mountain range that forms the dramatic backdrop of Isfjord Radio.

Pavel loves taking guests out on dog-sledding adventures, sharing both the silence and the thrill of the Arctic wilderness. After work, you might find him paddling on the fjord in summer, but winter is his true season. That’s when he can harness his dogs, point the sled toward the horizon and disappear into the snowy wonderland he now calls home.

Ivar was born and raised in Groruddalen in Oslo. He has a big heart for nature and wilderness and thrives best on longer walks in mountains, fjords and forests. After many trips to Ny Ålesund through childhood, Svalbard made great impressions on him that never completely let go.

Ivar completed the Arctic nature guide study at the University Center in Svalbard in 2016/17 and is also a certified kayak instructor and boat guide.

If you’ve ever visited our dog yard together with Niklas, you’ll quickly realize that this is a guide with a truly special connection to huskies and their needs. As Dog Yard Manager at Trapper’s Station, Niklas thrives when he stands quietly on the sled, focused on his four-legged companions — observing how they work together, ensuring each dog pulls with power and joy, without strain or injury.

Originally from Nes in Akershus, Niklas moved to Svalbard in 2013 for studies and while at the same time completing an internship as an Arctic nature guide with Basecamp Explorer Spitsbergen. A few years later, he spent three winters in Alaska, training sled dogs and competing in races, while returning to Svalbard each summer to work. He has been hosting at Isfjord Radio and assisted at the local veterinary clinic in Longyearbyen.

In addition to his education in biology, business economics, and Arctic nature guiding, Niklas is a certified massage and rehabilitation therapist for dogs.

“The most important thing in dog sledding is that the dogs feel good and stay happy,” says Niklas. “We achieve that through the right balance of training and recovery, both mentally and physically, along with proper nutrition.”

For Niklas, nature, freedom, community, and purpose are the foundations of his life in Svalbard.
And for our huskies, Niklas is at the very heart of their well-being — both at Trapper’s Station and out in the wild Arctic landscape.

Read more about Niklas’ philosophy for the highest standard of animal care for our dogs at Trapper’s Station.