Ski and Sail Under the Midnight Sun in Svalbard

57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Svalbard, please refer to Visit Svalbard.

Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

What you get in this adventure:

• Experienced, certified ski guides with extensive knowledge of the area
• Eight days of backcountry ski touring and sailing
• Seven-night yacht rental with crew (harbour fees and permit fees)
• Breakfast and multi-course dinners on board, lunch supplies

For 2022 dates, book before Sept 2021 and enjoy the pre-trip extension at no additional cost. The three-day extension includes:

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

What’s not included:

• Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
• Trip insurance
• Air travel
• Alcoholic beverages
• Dinners in Longyearbyen
• Hotel in Oslo en route

This adventure is ideal for intermediate to advanced backcountry skiers. Every day, you will travel 10-20km, with tour lengths ranging from 1100-1500m+. All participants should feel comfortable on black level resort runs as you will be skiing on glaciated terrain with variable snow conditions.

Due to the terrain, location and length of tour, this adventure is for intermediate to advanced backcountry skiers. If you’re just starting out, we recommend heading out for some intro touring with a guide and gaining some backcountry experience.

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 questions regarding the equipment list, feel free to contact us prior to booking.

All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:

• Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel and probe can be rented from Sport Centeret Svalbard
• Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots and poles can be rented from Sport Centeret Svalbard

Ski rental locations are in Longyearbyen and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.

A certified ski guide will take all of the guesswork out of your time in the backcountry. From tour planning to route selection, terrain management, avalanche safety, and gear knowledge, your guide’s expertise and backcountry experience will ensure you have an unforgettable ski touring adventure.

It doesn’t matter your skill level, whether you’ve never backcountry skied or you’re seasoned on the slopes, skiing with a guide has its advantages. Your techniques will sharpen, you’ll learn how to navigate terrain safely, make smart decisions, and most of all, you’ll remain safe in unfamiliar terrain.

With us, it’s all play and no work for you! 57hours is an open platform that connects you with trained and certified outdoor adventure professionals all over the world. Using our tech-savvy, we make it super easy to find and book adventures worth tackling, with guides worth booking, all gathered from the first-hand experiences of the locals who adventure in these amazing locations.

For this adventure, the max number of participants is 17. You can join this adventure on your own or in bigger groups until all the spots are taken.

All pricing is per person. A 30% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. The balance of payment is due February 1, 2022.

• Everybody over the age of 18 is welcome to book this ski tour adventure.
• Minors may be permitted to join the tour on a case-by-case basis. If you plan to ski with anyone under the age of 18, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

Mitigating avalanche risk is paramount for any excursion in the backcountry — that’s why it’s best to tour with a guide! Rest assured, your guide will set objectives that are attainable for the weather conditions on that particular day. Of course, inclement weather can always get in the way of backcountry skiing, but your guide will know the best course of action to take if the weather takes a turn.

On the rare occasion of truly bad weather, your guide will present you with suitable, safe alternatives. The most common practice is to move to a nearby location if it exists, or to reschedule your backcountry ski tour to a more favorable day.

If backcountry skiing is not possible on your scheduled day and no options presented are viable, you will be issued a full refund.

We highly recommended that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more.

As we’ve recently seen, travel plans can be abruptly halted, so it’s a good idea to purchase travel insurance that covers cancelled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans. For peace of mind, we suggest you consider both options of insurance.

If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!

With 57hours, you benefit from both our own cancellation policy as well as that of the individual guiding service that delivers your adventure. All policies regarding cancellation will be clearly laid out by your guide after booking your adventure, but rest assured that our own cancellation policy will work on top of what is provided by your guide.

For this adventure, 57hours offers a Expedition Cancellation Policy, which states:
If Client cancels the Booking anytime prior to one hundred twenty (120) calendar days in advance of the trip contemplated by the booking, Client is entitled to a full refund. For cancellations ninety (90) to one hundred nineteen(119) calendar days in advance, Client is entitled to a refund in the amount of fifty percent (50%) of the total amount paid when Booking. For cancellations seventy five (75) to eighty nine (89) calendar days in advance, Client is entitled to a refund in the amount of twenty-five percent (25%) of the total amount paid when Booking. After that deadline, Client is not entitled to any refund. Any reimbursable expenses arising out of the Booking incurred by Guide prior to the date of cancellation (including but not limited to plane tickets, car rental payments, and lodging or transportation fees) are non refundable as soon as they are incurred by the Guide.

Note: Please note that all payments are absolutely non-refundable. Therefore we strongly recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance.

For more information on terms and conditions, please visit our Terms of Service page.

To get to Svalbard, most people fly into Longyearbyen, the largest city on the Norwegian archipelago where your adventure begins. 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.

Your guide will transfer you from the airport to your accommodation. During the evening you will have a briefing with your guides and find out the rest of the details.