Svalbard Ski Expedition 2017
Mar 16
#1: In Longyearbyen
Published at 06:22
I'm in Longyearbyen, Svalbard where the temperature has been a balmy -2C, hardly the cold and chill expected for 78 degrees north in early spring. But it's forecast to drop, just in time for our Svalbard Expedition, starting tomorrow.
The team - Lorenz, Tom, Sabine and Rebecca from Switzerland, and Brits Justine, Dean and Vicks - has arrived and today we spend the day packing and preparing, getting our sleds and equipment ready for nine days of ski trekking across the wonderful valleys, mountains, glaciers and fiords of Spitsbergen. Actually travel on the fiords may well prove to be impossible as every year the winter freeze seems to be less and less, and the iconic Tempelfjorden is open for the second year running. Adventfjorden, the fiord alongside which Longyearbyen is settled, has not frozen for more than ten years. Ultimately our trip, which begins Friday, will be dictated by ice and snow conditions, and of course the collective capability of the group.
As always I will post daily updates. We love receiving your messages (though the system does not allow us to reply to them) and you can leave comments (though we cannot read them until our return).
Enjoy, and as always, happy adventures!
Eric
The team - Lorenz, Tom, Sabine and Rebecca from Switzerland, and Brits Justine, Dean and Vicks - has arrived and today we spend the day packing and preparing, getting our sleds and equipment ready for nine days of ski trekking across the wonderful valleys, mountains, glaciers and fiords of Spitsbergen. Actually travel on the fiords may well prove to be impossible as every year the winter freeze seems to be less and less, and the iconic Tempelfjorden is open for the second year running. Adventfjorden, the fiord alongside which Longyearbyen is settled, has not frozen for more than ten years. Ultimately our trip, which begins Friday, will be dictated by ice and snow conditions, and of course the collective capability of the group.
As always I will post daily updates. We love receiving your messages (though the system does not allow us to reply to them) and you can leave comments (though we cannot read them until our return).
Enjoy, and as always, happy adventures!
Eric
- Name: Longyearbyen
- Elevation: 26 m
- Latitude: 78° 13’ 2” North
- Longitude: 15° 38’ 1” East
Longyearbyen from hotel room
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