Svalbard Polar Expedition Hiking

Svalbard, Norway · Norway

Expedition Grade7 daysEurope~£4,500 est.

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Overview

At 78 degrees north, Svalbard is the most accessible piece of the High Arctic on Earth — three flights from London and you are in Longyearbyen with glaciers pouring off every skyline. It is also one of the few places where you are legally required to be prepared for polar bears: outside the settlement, every group must carry a rifle and flare gun, which is why almost everyone travels with guided expeditions. A summer week combines glacier travel on Longyearbreen and Larsbreen, the ridge summit of Trollsteinen, and boat-supported days to walrus haul-outs and the calving front of Nordenskiöldbreen in Billefjorden. Under the midnight sun from late April to late August there is no schedule but weather; hiking at 2am in gold light is normal. The terrain is raw moraine, scree and braided rivers — nothing is waymarked, crevasse work is managed by the guides, and the cold maritime wind never quite stops. Expect £4,000–5,000 for a guided week including Longyearbyen accommodation; independent trekking is possible only with rifle hire, insurance and route notification to the Governor's office. June and July bring flowers, bird cliffs at full volume and open water; late August adds enough darkness for a first aurora.