Ski & Sail in Svalbard, Norway

Things to know

• What’s included?

  What you get on this adventure:

  • • An experienced UIAGM Mountain Guide guide with extensive knowledge of the area
    • 8-day ski & sail adventure in Svalbard, Norway
    • Accommodation for 7 nights aboard Exped Tribe’s private sailing ship
    • Half board on the sailing ship
    • Transfers
    • Professional photo reportage and videos
    • An activity to support the local community
    • Group gear
    • CO2 compensation (planting of 10 trees per participant)

  What’s not included:

  • • Transportation to the starting point
    • Lunches and snacks
    • Food on the day of travel
    • Alcoholic beverages
    • Extra night in Longyearbyen and a city your — can be added at an additional cost
    • Luxury accommodation with a sauna for your last evening in Longyearbyen — can be added at an additional cost
    • Tips for the skipper crew — optional
    • Travel and medical insurance — optional
• How fit do I need to be?

  In order to join this ski touring adventure in Svalbard, Norway, participants are expected to have previous backcountry skiing experience as well as good fitness for medium-length tours. No experience necessary with use of crampons and ice axe.

  Typical ascents in the area are between 4 and 9 km (2.5-5.6 miles), and take between 4 to 8 hours. Slope gradients are mostly below 25-30 degrees above the glacier plateaus, but there’s a possibility of reaching up to 40-degree powder snow slopes, should you opt for gorges and steeper downhill variants.

  No sailing experience is required! Though you’ll spend your week aboard a ship, there are expert skippers on board who will navigate their way through the Arctic wilderness.

• What do I need to bring?

  Here’s a list of clothing & equipment you need to bring:

  • • Hut sleeping bag
    • Day pack for ski touring
    • Hard shell jacket
    • Softshell or fleece jacket
    • Spare underwear (the warmest you have)
    • Warm ski touring pants, warm base layer, and sweater
    • Hat, gloves, balaclava
    • Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
    • Comfortable clothing for the boat
    • Spare clothes for layering
    • Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, etc.)
    • Sunglasses
    • Headlamp
    • Helmet
    • Ski goggles
    • Skis with ski touring bindings
    • Telescopic poles
    • Climbing skins
    • Crampons
    • LVS set (avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe)
    • Avalanche airbag (if available)
    • Light ice axe
    • Crampons
    • Climbing harness
    • Camera

  Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.

• Can I rent ski equipment?

  Yes, you can! Your guides offer the following rentals (price per person for the whole week), which you can add to your booking upon checkout:

  • • Ski touring set (skis, ski bindings, skins) — $290
    • Avalanche airbag — $140
    • Helmet — $35
• What’s the food like?

  Half-board is included in the price of this ski touring trip in Svalbard, Norway. Out of your guides’ commitment to animal welfare, they do not offer fish and meat on their tours. Nevertheless, you can order what you like at local restaurants, whether vegetarian or animal-based.

  What you eat between breakfast and dinner is up to you, so lunches and snacks to replenish your energy levels are not included. It’s best to take dried fruit, chocolate, cheese, wholemeal bread and energy bars—remember that you’ll carry this in your daypack, don’t make it too heavy.

  On Svalbard, extreme conditions and limited availability affect the local cuisine. The local cuisine therefore reflects a mixture of traditional Arctic ingredients and international influences. Here are some examples of foods that are typically consumed in Svalbard:

  • • Arctic fish — fresh fish from the ice-cold waters of the Arctic is an important source of protein. Species such as Arctic cod and Greenland halibut are often found on menus.
    • Seafood — in addition to fish, seafood such as crabs, prawns and mussels are also part of the local cuisine. They are caught fresh from the surrounding waters.
    • Vegetables — due to the extreme climatic conditions, the cultivation of vegetables is limited. Still, some varieties are grown in greenhouses, including potatoes, carrots and cabbage.
    • Berries —although the variety of species is limited, there are some berries that grow in the Arctic tundra. Examples include cloudberries and blueberries, which can be used in desserts or as an accompaniment to meat dishes.
    • Bread and baked goods — bread and baked goods are usually imported, as it is not possible to grow grain due to the short summer and harsh climate.
• Group sizes and age requirements

  Group sizes and pricing

  • • For ski touring in Svalbard, Norway, the maximum client-to-guide ratio is 8:1. That’s also the maximum group size.
    • It takes a minimum of 5 participants for this tour to run.

  Ski touring in Svalbard, Norway, can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

  Min. age requirements

  • • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
    • Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join ski touring in Svalbard, Norway on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.

  If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

• Getting there and meeting location

  To get to Longyearbyen, the starting point of your ski touring adventure in Svalbard, Norway, it’s best to first fly into Oslo. From Oslo, there are direct flights to Longyearbyen. The number of flights per day depends on the season, and these flights are usually operated by Norwegian Air Shuttle and SAS (Scandinavian Airlines).

  Make sure to reach Longyearbyen by Day 1 of the adventure, as that’s when you’ll embark the boat, settle in, and start sailing.

• Safety measures and insurance

  We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, we partnered up with Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!

  Redpoint tailors their insurance packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.

  Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s insurance. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!

• Deposits and cancellation policy

  A 30% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. The remaining amount is paid 3 months (90 days) prior to departure. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide—thirty (30) days before the start date, the cancellation policy stated below applies.

  • • 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.