Life in the freezer: Woman who has traded city life for Lapland’s wilderness – where she lives with 85 huskies, no electricity and temperatures of -45C.

Tinja Myllykangas left the city in Finland for an existence of solitude and beauty surrounded by huskies and horses.

The strong-willed woman lives without electricity, relying on a wood stove in her hut for heat and candles for light.

Tinja’s livelihood comes from dogsledding tours for people keen to stay on the husky farm and experience Arctic life.

Hidden in the heart of the Finnish wilderness, is a determined young woman who traded city life for an existence of near solitude with 85 huskies for company.

Not many people would be up to the challenge of braving temperatures that hit -45°C but they aren’t Tinja Myllykangas who values her privileged interaction with nature over material goods.

Tinja lives without electricity, relying on a wood stove for heat and candles for light and she allowed photographer Brice Portolano to spend two weeks with her capturing her unique way of life.

Not many people would be up to the challenge of braving temperatures that hit -45°C but they aren’t Tinja Myllykangas who values her privileged interaction with nature over material goods
Tinja lives off the grid, in a hut near to the Muotkatunturi nature reserve. She cooks on a wood stove and lights her home with candles.

The strong-willed blonde decided to leave behind her biological studies in the city of Jyväskylä, Finland, for the Arctic landscapes of Lapland, in 2008.

She yearned for the untouched wilderness that she had on her doorstep rather urban life because she grew up surrounded by animals.

And so she embarked on finding a spot to raise sledding dogs, eventually settling down near to the Muotkatunturi nature reserve – 180 miles from the closest town.

Tinja cultivates a strong relationship with the dogs, who she said need a lot of exercise. Part of strengthening her bond with them is getting to know each pack member individually.

She also keeps horses and dog wolfs, canines where one of their parents or grandparents was a wolf. According to Tinja, the breed are extremely faithful and follow her wherever she goes.