Polar-Travel.com Spitzbergen Winter expedition extreme

17 days expedition
"Can be topped only by the Everest!"
(participant's remark)
By snow-scooter and ski
800 kilometers in the footprints of Polar Pioneers
Explore an absolute inhospitable, extraordinary world
Discover yourself!
Longyearbyen - Wijde-Fjord (North Svalbard)

This expedition belongs to the most unusual tours available in the travel-market. Previous participants felt, as if they were travelling across another planet. What you'll experience is an absolute outstanding adventure within the majestic solitude and solemnity of the High Arctic.

Temperatures between minus 10 to minus 40 Celsius are the rule during March and April, but should not frighten you. Like astronauts you'll be equipped with a special outfit: snow-scooter-dress, special boots and a face-mask!
You will be driving your own motor-sledge (if you are driving a car or a motor-bike, you will learn to drive this vehicle very quickly). And you will experience a feeling of freedom, which you have hardly ever felt before in your life. There are no fences, no limiting roads in the Arctic, you'll be driving cross-country through endless valleys, across the frozen sea, mountains and majestic glaciers. You will sense, that you are in a real "No-man's-land". In an overwhelming environment! And you will feel very, very small! Inevitably you will start thinking about yourself, your role in your previous life, all what you considered to be important... You will learn, and may be you get to new conclusions....

Requirements:

You don't need a special training or physical condition for this tour, nore do you have to be an expert on ski! You should be healthy, that's all!
Important is however: Your psyche must be balanced. We discourage persons from participation, who are easily getting stressed or frustrated, who tend to panic in unusual situations, who are depressive or "Softies".
Kindly take note: The proverbial "remoteness" of the winterly polar environment may become a trauma for sensitive persons. It is not primarily the cold, which might be leaving an impact, it's rather the experience, that you'll be once "far-from-everything"! The psychically robust ones can easily take this as a challenge. They even love this feeling as special "kick".

If you join, you will experience nature closest. It's very likely, that we'll have to face a blizzard. We'll experience the much feared "white-out" and shall be held somewhere in the nowhere. You'll have to have the "nerves" to sit in a tent, while the storm is howling outside. You'll have to wait with calmness, may be several days...
You must be capable to accept everything during this tour as it will happen and you'll need a lot of patience....

Precondition for the participation is a personal acquaintanceship with the expedition-leader. This could be acquired through participation of another tour. We'll have to make sure, that no expedition-member will drop out on the way, for avoidable, e.g. psychic reasons. In face of that, we all would have to give up the tour promptly, would have to quit the expedition.

Provisions and fuel will be towed on a trailer-sledge. We'll be staying overnight in guest-houses, huts, but mostly in a storm-proof tent (special mattress will be provided).

Itinerary:

1st. day:

Flight to Oslo and Longyearbyen

2nd day:

Arrival in Longyearbyen early in the morning. After a sleep, we check and supplement the equipment. You'll be instructed how to use the snow-scooter and at the end of the day you'll be skilled enough to climb the steep Longyear glacier.
Sightseeing in Longyearbyen, two overnights in the guest-house

3rd - 15th day:

It is nature, which will dictate us, what we're going to achieve. Any program may only be tentative, not more than a proposal. All expeditions in the past were very much different.

We start with an easy drive through the "Adventsdalen" across a pass and follow the Sassendalen towards the Temple-Fjord. We shall visit the marvelous van Post-Glacier and after an extended break stay overnight near an old trapper's hut in Fredheim. During the following day we'll make it to Gypsvika (overnight).
If the Sassen Fjord ist not frozen, you'll have to demonstrate your driving-skills for the first time. I.e. as we are climbimg the mountains on a remote passage to Gypsdalen. You'll get stuck up now and then in the deep snow and will have to use the shovel to dig out your vehicle. Once we reach the valley on the other side, we follow it to the East and ascend to the mighty Nordenskjöld Glacier. The panorama is simply unforgettable and you'll stop not just once during this day to engross the spectacular views.

We travers the glacier and descend towards the Russian mining-town Pyramiden. Overnight will be in the Petunia Bay. We spend a day or two skiing and climb a summit. If you are not so good in alpine skiing, you might well go on a hike as well.
During the next stage you'll be certainly challengend again while climbing up the Middag-Leffer-Glacier. If conditions are bad, this might take us the whole day. We'll be crossing a spectacular glacier-plateau and shall dive down finally on steep slopes towards the Wijde-Fjord.
We have reached one of the remotest regions on Svalbard. This icy fjord has tremendous surroundings and seems to stretch endless towards the Polar ocean. We follow the coast-line and have to check how far we can get to the North. It depends on the time and the fuel, we have spent reaching the fjord. One may not forget, that we also need sufficient supplies for a safe retreat. If conditions will allow us, we may take another routing via the Dickson Fjord on our way back.

Meanwhile we are so skilled, that it will be easy for us to drive a quick roundabout way to the East coast of Svalbard finally. And hopefully we'll encounter some Polar bears. In the evening of the 15th day, we'll reach Longyearbyen again and I'm sure, you will be looking forward to a shower.
Overnight in the guest-house

16th day:

We'll have the opportunity to explore the surroundings of Longyearbyen. After a short drive we reach the other side of the Advents Fjord and the oldest houses on Svalbard. You might also be interested to test a dog's-team in the afternoon for a few hours (optional). In the evening we'll return our scooters.
Overnight in the guest-house

17th day:

Departure early in the morning

Date:

pls. inquire

Number of participants:

Minimum 4, maximum 5 persons

Included is the following:

- Flights and program as mentioned
- overnights as mentioned
- full meals during the scooter-tour from and until Longyearbyen
- snow-scooter, trailer, fuel
- outfit: scooter-dress, face-mask, boots
- big stormproof tent, cooking utensils, rifle
- insulating mattress
- VHF-radios, MayDay-transmitter, GPS-navigation

- special sleeping-bag can be rented

- experienced guide

- Search&Rescue insurance

The vehicles will be insured. However, the participants are liable themselves for all damages they cause at the scooters or other equipment up to the amount of NOK 10.000,-
If you prefer complete insurance-cover, this will be additional NOK 150,- per day.

Not included are:

- meals and beverages in Oslo/Longyearbyen
- personal expenses
- entrance-fee (museum)
- additional costs for accommodation in case of delay
(caused by severe weather conditions or flight-delay)
- obligatory travel-insurance.

Price: on request

ATTENTION:
Due to "Global Warming" the sea has not been freezing anymore in Spitsbergen during winter. During the last years these expeditions were thus no longer operable. We refer you to the "Thule Expedition" (North Greenland), which is still possible.