Spitsbergen in a week #11

The price includes:
accommodation in a 2/3-bed cabin
cruise on a fully equipped expedition yacht
yacht navigation and the care of an experienced captain
yacht insurance and search and rescue insurance
individual participant’s insurance against personal accidents, costs of medical treatment and luggage
contributions to the Tourist Guarantee Fund and the Tourist Assistance Fund
port fees and yacht fuel
sailing knowledge training

The common contribution includes:
food and drinks for the participants
administrative fees
the cost of firearms transport and rental

Additionally we provide:
assistance in finding the most favourable flight options
advice on preparing for the trip

The price does not include:
transport to and from the cruise
additional expenses ashore, such as shopping or restaurants
additional personal fees in ports

Payment schedule:
20% – at the time of booking
40% – 5 months before the beginning of the trip
40% – 3 months before the beginning of the trip
If any of the dates falls later than three months before the trip starts, the payment should be made at the time of booking or three months before the trip starts.

We start embarkation at 4pm.
We check in on the yacht, have dinner, and undergo our first safety training to prepare us for the departure. Then, taking advantage of a 24-hour polar day, we set off for Longyearbyen. We visit its most important sites, go on a short trek looking for reindeer that can be found between charming cottages. We end the day in one of several atmospheric pubs, enjoying specialities of the world’s most northern brewery.

We begin our journey in Isfjorden. This is a large and main fjord in the centre of Spitsbergen. Over the next few days, we will be sailing in it and many other fjords diverging from it, ending in glaciers. Here we will search for wildlife, do zodiac landing and go trekking.
The programme is action-packed, there are many beautiful places around Isfjorden that could be travelled around for up to a month. We will be picking out the most interesting ones. The detailed programme, the order of the activities will be decided on an ongoing basis depending on the weather and ice conditions.

A sample programme is presented below:
In the beginning we will set off for Sassenfjorden and Tempelfjorden. We will travel close to the shore to increase our chances of spotting polar bears wandering along the sea and grazing reindeer. Here we also happen to encounter whales. Tempelfjorden is ended by a two-coloured, beautiful Tunabreen glacier, which descends into the fjord. We will sail up to the front of the glacier and, if we are lucky, observe its calving process. We will then stop to rest at Bjonahamna Bay.

Billefjorden is the next fjord on our route and again we will sail close to the shore, which is formed by characteristic mountains. Billefjorden is frequently entered by fin whales and Arctic belugas and it is here where we encounter them the most frequently.
The fjord will lead us to the abandoned town of Pyramiden, where we will see a post-Soviet, surreal world in which the Soviet Union tried to show how to conquer the North. The final result is landscapes reminiscent of Chernobyl or stills from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Birds”. We stroll along the streets, visit the most important monuments, buildings, mines and stop at a bar where we can taste specialities of Russian cuisine.
We then continue on to the nearby Nordenskiöldbreen glacier in Adolfbukta. We sail up to its front so that we can see ice formations resembling hollowed-out caves up close. We keep a close eye on the nearby rocks, where polar bears are often seen. On the way back, we stop at Skansbukta: a bay with a shipwreck and an abandoned mine.

Nordfjorden – a northern branch of Isfjorden is a nature reserve. We have permits to explore this fjord and we intend to visit several places here. We will approach the often ‘calving’ Sveabreen glacier. Its front is high and large blocks of ice pile up so it can ‘give birth’ to large icebergs. If there is enough time and the conditions are favourable, we will sail up to a lunar little-known island of Coraholmen. We will try to land on it, although this is a difficult task.

Our next destination will be Borebukta Fjord, which walruses have taken a liking to in recent years. We are often greeted by swimming walruses at the entrance to the fjord, and the beaches are occupied by their colonies. If they are on the shore we will pay them a visit so that we can observe their behaviour up close and also smell them. In Borebukta we plan to take a zodiac to the Nansenbreen glacier, land on the shore, walk up to its front or climb it.

Next, we will visit Ymerbukta. If conditions are favourable, we will attempt to get through ice packs and approach the front of the Esmarkbreen glacier. The glacier is wide and likes to ‘calve’, so in addition to the beautiful views, we have a chance to see a spectacular ice show.

Finally, we will sail to one of Spitsbergen’s most picturesque places: Trygghamna. High mountains surrounding the fjord, the beautiful Tunabreen glacier, skerry islands – all create a unique end-of-the-world landscape. We will try to sail as close as possible and then make a trek to the glacier. The glacier is cut off from the fjord by islands, which creates an ice-filled lake in front of it, and additionally large blocks of ice often lie on the beach and ‘let themselves be touched’. The terrain here is very varied and it is on the route of polar bears, so we have to be extremely careful.

Thanks to the fact that we do not sail on a big ship with a fixed schedule, we will spend as much time as needed in each place. We want to take advantage of what the Arctic gives us and cater for our participants’ needs. We are enchanted by this world, so we also like to take it slow tasting it.

We plan to return to Longyearbyen in the afternoon of the seventh day of the expedition, take a rest after the trip and go to an atmospheric restaurant for dinner together.

After breakfast we pack up and leave the yacht at 10 o’clock. The luggage can stay on board and we use the remaining time exploring Longyearbyen (e.g. the interesting Svalbard Museum) or shopping for souvenirs. This day is just the time for last walks, farewells and returning home.