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East Coast Expedition
This extraordinary expedition enables total immersion in the most beautiful winter landscapes of Spitsbergen. Travel through remote areas where few people have ever ventured and journey through glacial valleys where reindeer shelter to the ice floe of the east coast where polar bears meet in the spring. This magnificent crossing of Spitsbergen, connects Sassendalen to the east coast in the spirit of the great polar expeditions. A completely autonomous 12 day expedition Nordic skiing with pulks.
Trip dossier, route maps and profile
Detailed itinerary
Welcome to Svalbard. We will greet you at the airport late at night and escort you to your accommodation in the city, under the light of the midnight sun.
Transport: Aeroplane and private vehicle
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Distribution, verification, and familiarization with our equipment ready for tomorrow's departure by tank. Today is a chance to meet everyone, to prepare for our adventure and to explore the northernmost city on the planet, Longyearbyen.
Activities: Explore Longyearbyen and prepare for expedition
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Into the wilderness! We load our expedition equipment and set off in a tank towards Rabotbreen glacier, the starting point of our expedition, far from civilization.
Transport: Swedish army tank
Accommodation: Camping
Today, the great crossing can begin. Once our equipment is loaded into our pulks, we leave camp and head towards the east coast of the island which is covered with pack ice for much of the year. Over two days, we travel along glaciers in an Arctic atmosphere, immersed in infinite and limpid landscapes which only stop at the silhouettes of mountains.
Activities: Nordic skiing
Accommodation: Camping
The valley finally opens up onto the frozen sea, a grandiose spectacle of the pack ice which covers the east coast of Spitsbergen. Depending on the weather we move on the snow or ice, past seals basking in the sun. This is polar bear territory; we may have the chance to see the magnificent bears which dominate these lands.
We arrive in Ingelfield Bay where the imposing bluish ice front of the Nordsysselbreen glacier, 3 kilometres wide, creates a special atmosphere. We set up our camp near this ice giant.
Activities: Nordic skiing
Accommodation: Camping
Next, we leave the pack ice and head up onto the Nordsyssel glacier. We cross a pass at 230m which overlooks the surrounding valleys and offers a magnificent view of the area. Then we head down to the Kjellström valley and spend the night near a frozen lake. Over the following days, each valley is an opportunity to discover a unique world: Kjellström, Lundström, and finally Reindalen, an isolated valley where many reindeer come to spend the winter.
Activities: Nordic skiing
Accommodation: Camping
We finish our descent into the largest valley of Svalbard - it is more than 40 km long.
The tank will then join us to drive us to Longyearbyen where we will find the comfort of our guesthouse.
Activities: Nordic skiing
Transport: Swedish army tank
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Relax and visit Longyearbyen and the Polar Museum. Other activities such as dog sledding, snowmobiling or ice cave exploration are also possible (Subject to availability. Additional charges apply).
Accommodation is not provided as we will depart for the Airport during the night.
Activities: Various optional activities
Transport: Airport transfer late at night
Accommodation: Not included
Airport transfer in the very early morning
- All transfers as detailed in the itinerary
- Accommodation including three nights in a guesthouse in Longyearbyen
- Full supervision by an experienced professional guide
- Full board except for a last evening meal in Longyearbyen
- Cold weather technical equipment - please see 'trip details' for more information about the high quality equipment we provide on this trip ('practical info' / 'equipment’)
- Flights
- Evening meal on day 15 in Longyearbyen (kitchen/restaurant options available)
- Accommodation on day 15 as midnight departure for the airport is required
- Items of a personal nature
- Tips for your crew
- Personal Travel insurance
- Personal hiking/trekking gear
- Snacks or personal medicine
- Entry visa for Norway if required
Level 5/5: Extreme
Our extreme adventures are only for those in in very good physical shape. Experience in the chosen activity/activities is mandatory as is a positive attitude. This is a demanding nordic skiing winter expedition in the land of Polar Bears.
Physical preparation: You must know how to ski to participate in this type of trip. Proper control, good stamina and ease getting on and off your skis are required. This trip begins with training so you can get accustomed to your equipment and enjoy a smooth start to warm your muscles and avoid injury.
Health and fitness: Perfect health is required. For these trips, we stress the difficulty of getting help for an emergency evacuation. Radio links are non-existent and health centers are very often far away. Your guide is a qualified first aider and will always carry a full first-aid kit but we recommend that you bring your own personal first aid supplies (see equipment list for details). A consultation with your doctor is a prerequisite for any trip;please explain clearly that you are going to the Arctic in weather conditions that may be very severe and require excellent health.
Insurance
We strongly recommend that you take out personal travel insurance for your trip as soon as your booking is confirmed. We advice you to purchase a travel insurance policy which covers flight cancellations, luggage loss and emergency health care. Please look carefully at which activities are covered by your insurer and do not forget to bring all necessary documents and information with you (name of the company, name of the contract, insurance policy number, telephone number)
Accommodation
Longyearbyen: Warm guesthouse accommodation, double rooms or dormitories of 2,3 or 4 beds, hot showers and heating plus shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. (https://www.gjestehuset102.no/)
Camping: Normally we provide a 3 man dome tent per 2 people, for our expeditions we use light equipment which is suitable appropriate for Svalbard's springconditions. We will also provide a spacious mess tent for meal times, fully equipped with kitchen equipment including a table and stools. Please be aware that we expect all clients participate when setting up and packing down our camps.
Budget & exchange
The currency in Svalbard (and Oslo) is the Norweigian Krone, NOK
Please budget for:
- Any additional activities
- Drinks and personal expenses
- One evening meal in Longyearbyen, kitchen facilities, shops and restaurants available*
- Food and perhaps accommodation during your transfer in Oslo
*We recommend a budget starting from £25 / 290 NOK for a traditional meal in a local restaurant
Tips
Tipping is always appreciated - it is not obligatory and should be left to the discretion of each individual. If you are satisfied with your guide's services we recommend a tip between £30-£40 per person.
