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Red Bull Wingsuit Team emotionally changed by the North: «It's inside us now»
- Espen Stenberg
- Oct 5
- 4 min read
The Arctic changes you. For Red Bull Wingsuit athletes Amber Forte and Espen Fadnes, their journey with Arctic Vanlife was more than an adventure – it was a transformation. From soaring off Norway’s national mountain to quiet nights under the midnight sun, Northern Norway left a mark they’ll carry forever.
In August, Northern Norway became the stage for an extraordinary journey. Professional wingsuit pilots Amber Forte and Espen Fadnes – both members of the Red Bull Wingsuit Team UK – set out to explore one of the world’s most remote and mystical alpine playgrounds. Their goal was simple yet daring: hike and climb the great mountains of the Arctic north, and fly them in wingsuits. Their base for the adventure? A campervan from Arctic Vanlife, collected right at Evenes Airport, the gateway to Lofoten.
A silent morning in Skjomen
“Silently, we bent down and slowly moved towards the edge of a gravel road in Skjomen, 40 minutes from Narvik,” Espen recalls. “Down below on the Elvegårdselva River a flock of Red-breasted Mergansers were moving upstream. The grass was moist in the early August morning. It could not have been more quiet and peaceful.”
That calm didn’t last long. A salmon leapt out of the river, splashing down with the drama of a Norwegian døds dive. “Damn that salmon!” Amber laughed, binoculars still hanging from her neck. Chaos erupted as birds took flight all around them – the kind of raw, unscripted moment that sets the tone for adventures in the north.
Stetind – Norway’s national mountain
Their eyes, however, were set higher. With forecasts promising blue skies, 20 degrees, and no wind, the duo drove 2.5 hours in their Arctic Vanlife camper to the base of Stetind, Norway’s national mountain and a holy peak in Sámi culture. At 1,492 meters, its granite walls are both a challenge and a symbol – and for Amber and Espen, a launchpad.
“The first part of the journey is a heavy, steep hike of 1,300 meters leading to an incredible viewpoint,” Amber explains. From there, the climb becomes serious.
The infamous “boulder problem”, described by philosopher Peter Wessel Zapffe as “10–15 bitterly clenched finger holds” above a 400-meter drop, tested their strength. “To climb up here with a backpack filled with a complete wingsuit gear was heavy,” Espen says, “but thanks to modern safety hardware and previous experience, we passed the test.”
At the summit, flat and wide like a granite plateau, they prepared. Laser rangefinders measured the wall’s profile, GPS data was checked, and gear methodically strapped on. “In the end, it was all systems go,” Espen recalls. “The national mountain, on a sunny day, with low winds at 2:00pm was well within our accepted risk.”
Then came the countdown: 3-2-1-Go!“As we accelerate, the wingsuit fills with air,” says Amber. “For every meter we go down we move three meters forward. To fly is no harder than driving a car or controlling a bicycle… Our ability to fly precise and accurate is a result of more than 2000 hours in freefall.”
For 90 seconds they soared at 200 km/h, tracing Stetind’s sheer walls before opening parachutes 300 meters above the fjord. “The landing was soft and the hug big,” Amber smiles.
From granite walls to coastal campfires
And then – contrast. Just an hour later, they were back at sea level, flipping hamburgers at a campsite outside Ballangen, chatting with fellow Arctic campers, and plunging into the North Sea under the midnight sun.
“The holiday vibe was strong,” Espen admits. “Is it something about the north?”
This duality – adrenaline-filled flight one moment, peaceful vanlife evenings the next – defined their journey. Their Arctic Vanlife camper gave them the freedom to follow forecasts, chase peaks, and still end each day with the comfort of a warm meal, a cold beer, and new friends.
A spell of the north
In Tromsø, on their final day, they visited Sami artist Joar Nango, sharing stories of climbing, culture, and connection. “We often found ourselves feeling very far from home, as if we at times were under a spell,” Amber reflected. Joar’s response was simple: Stetind is one of seven holy mountains in Norway. You passed a test. You are welcome to continue your journey another time.
Driving back to Evenes, the landscape felt familiar, almost like home. “Something is inside of us now,” Espen concluded. “New insight. An emotion. Perhaps it is a calling? We are now people who have explored the north, and as others who have been up there, we long to go back.”
The Arctic changes you
From the quiet rivers of Skjomen to the granite heights of Stetind, from wingsuit flights to campfire nights, Amber and Espen’s expedition proved what every traveler discovers with Arctic Vanlife: the north is more than a destination. It’s a place that stays with you, long after the journey ends.