- 9 day expedition
- With snowscooters across glaciers and icy fjords
- Discover a spectacular crystal world
- Longyearbyen, Barentsburg, East Coast of Svalbard
The winterly landscapes of Svalbard are among the most unusal
destinations, which can be reached today.
The tremendous expanse and loneliness of the High Arctic,
the splendid daily changes of pastel colors in this primeval nature,
belongs to the greatest adventures one may experience.
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, secial 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 sea, mountains and huge glaciers.
Requirements:
You don't need a special training or physical condition
for this tour. You should be healthy, that's all!
More important is however: Your psyche should be balanced.
We discourage persons from participation, who are easily
getting stressed or frustrated, who tend to panic in unusual situations,
who are depressive.
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 and one of the last real
adventures on earth!
Provisions and fuel will be towed on a trailer-sledge.
We'll be staying overnight in guest-houses, huts, one or two times
in a storm-proof tent (special mattress will be provided).
Itinerary:
The following program is tentative, as it will be highly
dependent on the actual weather- and ice-conditions. Whatever we'll
undertake, safety will remain our first priority.
1st day:
Flight from Oslo to 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 already
to climb the steep Longyear glacier.
Sightseeing in Longyearbyen, two overnights in the guest-house
3rd day:
We pack and start our expedition with an easy drive across some mountains
to Colesdalen. That's an abandoned coal-mine of the Russians. We continue along
the frozen coast of the Ice-Fjord until we reach a spacious Russian hut.
Let's stay overnight there and enjoy the marvelous sceneries around.
During the day we'll probably see the Svalbard reindeer, a different species
compared to the caribous of the Canadian Arctic, the reindeers in Greenland
or Scandinavia. You are free to stop anytime for picture-taking.
4th day:
This day will become a bit more challenging. At first, we drive to
Barentsburg and visit this oldest and most important Russian settlement on Svalbard.
There are about 800 people left, miners from all over Russia.
Since the decline of the Sovietunion however, their live-conditions became very modest.
It appears as if they were forgotten...
You'll see a difference later that day once we reach
a modern Norvegian mining-village:
Svea .
But getting there is still a piece of work, it's far! We'll pass hills and
extended valleys with deep soft snow or hard pressed snow-formations.
Not only once you'll get stuck somewhere, and we will all have to
use our shovels, to lift and pull, until we get the heavy machines
going again.
You'll be appreciating the comfort of a Norvegian guest-house in the evening.
Overnight in the Guest-house
5th day:
We'll explore the lonesome surroundings of Svea during this day,
and probably drive in southerly direction. In the evening
we return to the settlement.
Overnight in the Guest-house
6th day:
Our route leads us through very quiet and remote valleys.
We're heading towards the uninhabited
East-coast.
Once we arrived there, we'll follow it in northward direction.
Fantastic panoramas will appear. Majestic glaciers are flowing
towards the frozen sea...
If you like to see Polar-bears, it's your chance here!
Don't worry, we'll be equipped with a gun - just in case.
We have to look for a safe place to stay overnight and
shall establish our camp. We'll sleep like the Eskimo,
altogether in one tent, on special mattresses, but still on ice.
The tent will be heated with our kerosin-stoves during the night.
Overnight in stormproof tent
7th day:
If conditions are good, we climb up a glacier, shall even reach a
summit with our scooters. You'll have an unforgettable view
over the vast icy desert along the East-Coast - from North to South.
And you'll also enjoy our descend towards the
Temple-Fjord. We'll certainly pause at the mighty
Van Post Glacier next.
If weather demands it, we could take a more direct route
via the
"Adventsdalen" in order to reach Longyearbyen.
However, we might have to spend another night in the tent,
close to a former trapper's hut at
Fredheim.
If we can make it, we shall continue to Longyearbyen that day.
Overnight in the guest-house
8th 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
9th day:
Departure early in the morning
Date:
pls inquire
Number of participants:
Minimum 4, maximum 6 persons
Included is the following:
- Flights and program as mentioned
- overnights as mentioned
- full meals during the scooter-tour from and to 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: please inquire
If you are interested in this adventure, kindly
contact