Ski and sail trip to Svalbard

Svalbard Expedition 19-27 May 2022

£ 4450

 

This is a ski and sail expedition to the remote and spectacular arctic wilderness of Svalbard (Spitzbergen).  Svalbard is unique; there is nowhere else like it, the closest comparison could be Antarctica with a 4 hour plane flight from a capital city.  Touring in the world’s most northerly mountains at 78 North.  There is nowhere else you can combine a ski or splitboarding trip with such incredible landscape and wildlife. When you land in Svalbard you enter the world of Isbjorn – the Polar Bear.  Everything in Svalbard revolves around touring and experiencing this incredible mammal, but not getting too close.  On previous trips groups have seen Polar Bear, Walrus, Beluga, Minke and Humpback Wales.

The plan is simple, fly to Longyearbyen, the capital of Svalbard, and spend a night there before joining our boat, the Duen III, a 23m ketch rigged yacht that will be our home and mobile mountain refuge for the next week. The boat is comfortable with showers and even a hot tub.  The advantage of being based on a yacht in Svalbard is that you have to take far less Polar Bear precautions than if we were based on the land, and the level of comfort on the boat is far greater with the team cooking and looking after us.  Whenever we are ashore we will have a rifle and flare gun with us for Polar Bear protection, there will be a briefing on arrival about Polar Bear safety and protocol.

One of the magical things about the touring  in Svalbard is the constant proximity of glaciers, everywhere you look they are calving into the sea. There are few things more magical than riding down from a great summit above a glacial snout that drops into the ocean with our boat anchored in the bay below.

The logistics for a trip like this are surprisingly simple given the remoteness. All flights require either a night in Oslo or Tromso on the way North but you can usually make it home in a day on the way south.

The touring is incredible and there are options at all standards, we will work at a maximum ratio of 2 Guides to 8 guests.  For this trip I will be working alongside Bruce Goodlad – a fellow British Guide who has visited Svalbard a number of times .  We will work with the boat crew to find the best terrain and snow conditions for the group. We will almost certainly be on glaciated terrain everyday.

Cost £4450  The cost is based on a minimum of 6 guests with a maximum of 8

 

Dates 19-27 May 2022

Included

  • All guide fees and expenses
  • Yacht Charter with 2 crew
  • Full board accommodation on the boat
  • All Polar Bear protection Equipment

Not included

  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Alcohol – This is surprisingly reasonable in Svalbard as it is tax free
  • Airport Transfer in Longyearbyen
  • Any overnight accommodation needed in transit or extra nights in Longyearbyen

THE TRIP FOR 2022 IS NOW FULL

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN GOING TO SVALBARD IN 2023 or 2024 PLEASE REGISTER YOUR INTEREST NOW