Ski and Sail Under the Midnight Sun in Svalbard

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What you get in this adventure:

• 7 night yacht rental with crew, harbour fees, and permit fees
• Breakfast and multi-course dinners on board
• An experienced UIAGM / IFMGA mountain guides with extensive backcountry skiing knowledge

Pre-trip extension includes:

• 3 additional days of town based ski touring and excursions
• 2x hotel B&B in Longyearbyen.

Note: there is no cost for the extension – complete the booking before September 1 and just come ski with us!

What’s not included:

• Air travel
• Alcoholic beverages
• Lunches and dinners in Longyearbyen
• Hotel in Oslo en route

Pre-trip three-day extension:

Day One

• Arrival at the airport in Longyearbyen from Oslo
• Transfer to the Hotel
• Visiting town and Polarmuseum

Day Two

• Ski touring day trip close to town and return to the Hotel

Day Three

• Ski touring day trip close to town or alternative a snowmobile tour to the town of Barensburg, as small Russian mining town

Svalbard Ski and Sail

Day One

• Potentially another shorter ski touring trip from town or a visit to an ice cave
• Arrival day for those participants who chose to participate in the boat trip only
• Boarding around 4 pm at the earliest
• Safety briefing
• Departure from pier usually around 6 pm

Day Two – Day Seven

• First ski tour is only one hour of sail in the Isfjord; harbours like Ymerbukta
• From there, you will be sailing along the West Coast of Spitzbergen to sample the best ski touring and peak ascent the group of islands has to offer. In May and June the sun is for 24 hours in Svalbard, which leaves a lot of flexibility for departures.
• After each day of skiing, return from the shoreline is by Zodiak motor boat back to the Yacht, with the smell of dinner to welcome you.
• Day will be finished on deck with a glass of wine, enjoying the contrast of the sea and the magnificent mountainscape with the everlasting sun above the horizon.
• Arrival back in Longyearbyen is usually around 4 PM. There will be farewell dinner on the boat.

Day Eight

• Bidding farewell to the Yacht and crew in the morning after breakfast and heading back to the airport.

Clothing list

• Wool or synthetic socks and liner socks
• Long underwear top – synthetic or wool
• Light fleece or wool sweater
• Wind shell – nylon or ‘Schoeller’ type jacket
• Waterproof breathable jacket
• Warm insulated jacket – down or synthetic
• Long underwear bottoms – synthetic or wool
• Multipurpose stretch nylon or ‘Schoeller’ type pants
• Waterproof breathable pants
• Warm hat – wool or synthetic
• Brimmed cap for sun protection
• Face warmer – scarf, neck tube or balaclava (optional)
• Light gloves – wool, synthetic or leather
• Insulated gloves or mitts with waterproof outer shell
• Spare gloves or mitts
• Handkerchief for blocking the sun (optional)

Snow Safety Equipment

• Avalanche beacon with good batteries (and spares)
• Shovel
• Probe (2.4m or longer preferred)

Travel Equipment

• Skis or split board
• Ski strap
• Ski or snowboard boots
• Poles
• Climbing skins
• Skin wax (or a candle)
• Ski crampons (mandatory)
• Binding repair kit to fix your personal travel setup
• Ski helmet (optional)

Personal Equipment

• Pack (30-40 litres)
• Sunglasses (both orange and dark lenses help a lot for travel in all conditions)
• Goggles (orange lenses)
• Sunscreen and lip cream (SPF 30+)
• Head lamp with good batteries
• Insulated water bottle or thermos (1-2 L)
• Lunch bag or container
• Personal blister kit (i.e: Leukotape-P and Compeed/Second Skin blister pads)
• Pocket knife (optional)
• Camera (optional)
• Binoculars (optional)

Glacier Gear list

• Harness – fitted for over your ski clothing
• Locking carabiners (x2)
• Non-locking carabiners (x2)
• Prussik cord – 5m x 6mm (optional)
• Sewn sling – 120cm (optional)
• Lightweight ice axe (optional, don’t bring if you don’t have one or don’t like steep skiing)

If you have any question regarding the equipment list, feel free to contact us prior to booking.

May is the month for Svalbard Ski and Sail trips. The temperatures are mild and stable, with lows typically around -5°C and highs around +2°C. The snowpack is typically stable and skiing of the spring corn variety for the most part, although often Arctic Pow can be found on the steep norths.

While it is possible we will see polar bears on this trip, it is highly unlikely.

Many tourists travel to Svalbard with the goal of seeing polar bears, and join trips that specifically go into the polar bear’s prime habitat — which is north into the pack ice. The goals of the Svalbard Ski and Sail trip is to get the best possible skiing accessible by sail boat. This means sticking to the ice-free waters further south. As a result, we have to disappoint those who are hoping to see polar bears.

At the same time, polar bear safety is always an important consideration. There will always be at least one person in each group carrying a rifle as well as flare guns (a type of bear deterrent). Since you will be moving from place to place and will not camp on land, there will also be no chance of attracting a bear.

The best way to tell if you want an insurance policy against individual financial risk is asking yourself ‘If unforseen circumstances prevent me from coming on my trip, am I fine with giving up the full cost of the trip?’. Unfortuntately, life’s unpredictability is its flaw as much as it’s a blessing. It’s better to play it safe, as you never know with goverment issued travel advisories or even simple injuries which can result in a week long hospital trips.

We strongly urge you to protect yourself with a suitable insurance policy that covers you adequately for your needs and individual financial risk tolerance. Global Rescue offers deals that cover everything from costly medical expenses, abruptly halted travel plans and even lost baggage. It’s tried and tested and it works.

All policies regarding cancellation, rescheduling and trip insurance you can find on this link.

The trip starts in Longyearbyen on Svalbard, which is the largest city on the Norwegian archipelago. There are daily flights to Longyearbyen from Oslo, Norway, but we encourage you to book early. Norwegian Air flies from Oslo, while SAS arrives from Stockholm.

Once you arrive to Longyearbyen on Svalbard, transportation from the airport will be provided.