11.13.2023
In 2018, I was lucky enough to experience Svalbard for the first time. When majestic mountains and snow-capped glaciers appeared outside the airplane window, I was overcome with excitement, and knew even then that I was going to love this almost unreal fairyland that lay below me. The stay was nothing less than fantastic, but as always I should have had more time, and I longed to go back before I even had time to leave! Of course, a new Svalbard trip was planned and tickets were bought, but as with so much else, the arrival of the covid-19 pandemic put a brutal stop to this trip. The longing for Svalbard increased even more, and as soon as a gap opened up in the travel restrictions, new plans sped up, and I threw myself on a ski trip to Nordenskiold Land with Norrøna Hvitserk!
A map for joy and inspiration
I realize that I know shockingly little about Nordenskioldland as I land in Longyearbyen late in April 2021. It's an unusual feeling for me as I typically like to have a full overview. However, this time, I've decided to take things as they come and fully enjoy the holiday. The weather forecast shows sunshine almost all day, and I've rarely been as ready for a ski trip as I am right now. I can't quite shake the need for an overview though, so I'm buying a map to get to know everything a little better. The joy is palpable when I realize that we will be moving into a glacier system surrounded by protective mountains and peaks! How beautiful.
On my way to Mary-Ann's Polarrigg, where most participants on the trip spend the night and preparations begin, I greet an urban reindeer along the way. Even after several days here in Longyearbyen, I find it quite exotic with this furry Svalbard reindeer that grazes exactly where it pleases. It is the day before departure, and I am excited for the first meeting with the guides and the other participants. The accommodation meets me with historical photos, sealskins, maps, polar bears in various forms, as well as interiors inspired by old captive traditions, and gives me the feeling of stepping into another time. The perfect atmosphere for trip planning! The guides Mari and Aslak turn out to be two down-to-earth and very welcoming young people, both with solid experience from Svalbard. In addition, we have with us the internship student Mats - a social guy with a penchant for arctic outdoor life. Soon they will take us on a journey into their world, share their experiences and knowledge with us, and give us the confidence to handle winter outdoor life in the wild and capricious Arctic nature.
The group consists of outdoor enthusiasts in a wide age range, some with a lot of experience, others with the desire to learn more and challenge themselves in even more aspects of outdoor life. A lively group with an infectiously good mood, all sharing the same goal: to experience Svalbard with skis on their feet, make progress using their own muscle power, and rely only on the food and equipment they can pull in a sled. None of us is looking to count miles or check the clock, but instead be present along the way and feel at one with nature. We don't come to look at - but to live in it - this arctic winter wonderland. Five full days on tour, four light nights in a tent.
Trip preparations
Before we can strap on our skis, an instructive packing session is in front of us, this is to ensure that the trip can be carried out in the safest and most comfortable way possible. It is not random what ends up where in the sled, or how it is packed. A large storage hall filled with equipment will be our playground this day, and there is plenty of room for both packing, organizing and testing equipment. We are given sleds, harnesses, tents, stoves, petrol, boilers and various safety equipment for traveling on glaciers. A table filled with both tasty and high-calorie tour food and snacks is ready for us to choose. As part of the package, we also get good instructions in using the petrol-powered cooking appliance, as well as time to practice ourselves. We practice setting up tents so that we become familiar with the tents and are prepared if we have to set them up in bad weather, and at the same time get to check that everything is as it should be with the equipment. During the evening we have all finished packing, and can retire to rest for one last night indoors.
Out of civilization
Early the next morning we meet again, this time fully dressed in ski clothing suitable for the cold arctic climate. After one last opportunity to purchase essentials for the trip, we are transported a short Norwegian mile (10 km) out of the city centre, into the huge Adventdalen where the trip starts. Literally at the end of the road!
Finally we are up and running. The skis are on, the sled is stuck on the harness, and the sun shines from a blue sky and warms our faces despite the cold air. With our backs to Longyearbyen, we set a course further into Adventdalen. The terrain is flat, and the skis glide well on the snow. We are still in civilization - where there are some cabins, and you can easily meet snowmobiles, or maybe even a cross-country skier, but it doesn't take long before we enter a protected area closed to scooter traffic at this time of the year. No scooter traffic basically means no people here on Svalbard, so soon we will be alone. We move into a passage with hills of gravel and stone on both sides, and suddenly get a spectator observing us from above. The white grouse shows no shyness, as it lacks natural enemies here on Svalbard. But it is still difficult to spot against the snow as long as it is not moving. In the end, of course, it can no longer stand still, and is thus revealed in its post.
Polar bear here?
We arrive at our first camp, and after a careful security check of the area, we are each assigned a tent site by the guides. We share spacious tents in pairs, and with good cooperation, my tent mate and I set ours up in no time. Now it's just a matter of inflating the sleeping pads and getting the sleeping bag ready, as well as melting snow and boiling water - which are part of the usual routines on such a trip. We are still close to the fjord, and it is precisely there, on the ice, that the polar bear's hunting grounds are. Although there are many polar bears on Svalbard, the huge areas they travel mean that the probability of meeting them is innately small. However, the fact that they are present in this Arctic island community means that measures are taken anyway for safety's sake, so that you are as well prepared as possible for a possible visit. Which measures are used are assessed based on where you are staying, group size and so on.
From the camp, we have a good view in all directions, so that it becomes more difficult for a hungry polar bear to surprise us. The tents are placed in a row, with a trip flare on one side, and a toilet with a wall on the other - the opposite side from where the wind comes from. In this way, trip flares ensure increased safety, the snow for privacy, and the wind for ventilation in the toilet and fresh air in the tents. However, trip flares may not offer sufficient protection in this area, and to address this, we rely on vigilant polar bear guards during the night. Since there is no one else present but us, we take responsibility for the guard service. Fortunately, the shifts are only an hour and a half during the night, and we handle them brilliantly! We get training in advance, and the group is split in two so that we avoid losing too much sleep by being on duty two nights in a row. It's already my turn on this first night, and I'm excited as I lie down in my sleeping bag, thinking about scouting for polar bears. Over the course of the night, we wake each other up after the end of duty, and the next man or woman can take on this necessary task with fresh courage, warm clothes, binoculars around their necks and a signal pistol in their belt. My eyes feel sticky as I crawl out of the tent after a few hours of sleep, but I quickly get to it. It's truly a unique experience to stand out there all alone, keeping watch, and surprisingly, I enjoy my allotted 90 minutes. Who would have thought?
Heading Drønbreen
I poke my head out of the tent the next morning and discover that no one spotted a bear last night, perhaps just as well! However, I notice that we have some other visitors, perhaps curious or just hungry, as they approach us with their heads and eyes alternately focused on the ground and us. Like the grouse from yesterday, the Svalbard reindeer turn out to be just as unaffected by our presence in their habitat, and are a great sight as they graze right outside the camp. It's as if they want to follow us and wish us good luck as we pack up and eventually begin the first leg of the day.
We leave the flat Adventdalen and enter a slightly more hilly side valley. There are still no steep obstacles, and with the guides' calm and steady pace in front, we move upwards little by little. On the gentle inclines we are going down, we get training in letting the sled "walk like a dog" next to us. After a well-deserved lunch break in a comfortable snow sofa, we continue our journey with a warm meal in our bodies. Soon we will reach an impregnable moraine landscape that must be pushed through to reach today's goal - Drønbreen glacier. To avoid being surprised by polar bears en route in the hilly terrain, we all keep a close eye out for the big white bear. Mari leads the way and Aslak forms the rear, both with rifle and signal pistol ready.
Once on the glacier, it is time to set up camp. New routines are being reviewed, and this time, securing a campsite on the glacier is a top priority. Meter by meter, we check the selected spot for crevasses with our snow probes. The guides deploy trip flares, and soon, we can set up tents. It's time to relax a bit and enjoy a well-deserved dinner after completing the second-longest stage of the trip, around 17 kilometers.
A rare pleasure
For some, a night with a polar bear watch is in order, but for me, I'm looking forward to a whole night being in my bag. Incidentally, I wake up after a few hours and have to go to the bathroom, typical! Always an equally boring affair, a must do, I think as I drag myself sleep-drunk out of the sleeping bag. But as I open the zip and get out of the tent, the sun hits me in the face, and I'm left speechless - just looking around. It is no wind, cloudless and the sun shines straight into my eyes from its low position in the sky. It's the middle of the night and I'm confused when I realize I should have been wearing sunglasses! The light is nevertheless of a different kind than during the day, colder, and kinder to the untouched snow crystals that cover both the glacier arm we live on, and the steep mountain sides on either side of it. I exchange glances with the bear guard, and we smile at each other in agreement in silence. It is nothing short of magic to be able to stand alone outside in the arctic winter night with the sun in your face and scout for the king of the ice, not a sound - except maybe a snore now and then.
With sleds on the ice
The glacier winds upwards like a frozen river. Beneath the soft, inviting snow cover that shines in the sun, hundreds of small and large crevasses are embedded in the many thousand-year-old ice. It is passable, and while the chance of falling through is minimal, navigating it requires both respect and expertise. The ice is constantly changing on its way across the valley floor, far, far below us, and you can never be sure that you are safe even if you follow a route you have followed other years. That's why we have to ski on a tightrope, both us and our sleds. It is a complicated system at first glance, but it works, and we have to learn it before we are allowed to continue further into the glacier system. After careful instruction from the guides, we get the hang of it, and finally we move together in two long rope systems.
The highest point of the route & a bonus micro-adventure
I'm counting day four, and we've just tied ourselves into the ropes, ready to set out. The weather is on our side once again, and we need to pause briefly to shed a layer on the way up to the highest point of the route. Even though we're ascending for the second consecutive day, we gain altitude almost imperceptibly. The guides ensure a controlled pace, and we persist up the final ascent, zigzagging to create the smoothest track possible. At the top, we indulge in a well-deserved piece of chocolate or five, before descending the Rugaasfonna glacier. Effortlessly gliding with control on both skis and sled, we simultaneously savor the view. Surrounding us, several glacial arms appear and disappear, sharp peaks emerge from the ice, and the sea is visible far away behind the mountains and valleys. It feels infinite.
As lunchtime approaches, we reach tonight's campsite near the top of the Møysalbreen. We carve out the largest sofa nook of the trip and enjoy a hot lunch with the sun warming our faces. No complaints here!
We can't stop smiling when the guides suggest an ever-so-small after-lunch ski adventure for those interested, and the destination is the mountain Møysalen. While the summit itself is steep and without snow, the viewpoint we stop at offers fantastic panoramic views, prompting us to persistently snap pictures. Without the sleds in tow, we are as free as birds and can make some telemark turns on the way back down to camp.
The last day - no lack of experiences
The last day of the trip is a fact we mentally avoid. But the day is long, the weather is impeccable and we have eaten most of the food and used most of the fuel, so the sleds are lighter than ever. We will follow the Møysal glacier until it ends, and since there are very few crevasses in this area, we do not need to use a rope. We thus have plenty of space and can swing down the silky road with a resounding howl of joy. It goes downhill without us having to take a single kick-off, and this is where the practice of controlling the sled comes in handy!
As painful as it is, we have to say goodbye to the glacier, but before we can stretch out the last flat kilometers back to the starting point, we have an obstacle to overcome - a labyrinth of gravel and stone that the ice has left for us. Once again the rifles are taken from their holsters and we slowly creep our way forward to find the best way as our watchful eyes scan the surroundings for movement. The heart makes a small jump in the chest when something furry and bright sticks out from behind a pile, but as usual it is only the leisurely Svalbard reindeer looking for something to eat.
It is not until during the last breath that I have time to reflect on everything we have experienced on this trip, and it is probably at this point that I really understand that I have lived life along the way, and not just been a passive spectator. More reflection will come over the coming days and weeks, it truly is an incredible experience.
Thank you Svalbard, I will be back again!
Elise
