Norway: Spitsbergen
Paddle Expedition in the Kingdom of the Polar Bear
Trip Overview
- Cold Water Sea Kayak Travel, Medium to Hard Day Hikes
- 1 Night Hotel, 3 Nights on Ship, 7 Nights Camping
Explorers' Corner took a group of paddlers on a successful ship-based expedition to Spitsbergen in the early arctic summer of 2005. Our clients were so taken by the stunning and stark beauty of the high arctic archipelago that we immediately decided to plan a similar trip, but this time a kayaking expedition without boat support. This expedition follows the Explorers' Corner tradition of our self-sufficient Greenland expeditions and we are proud to offer this new itinerary. This will be a trip completely away from civilization, in the high northern latitudes, on our own and coping with the whims of nature in the far north by ourselves.
With its rugged mountains, sweeping tundra, ice caps and glaciers, it is a true High Arctic archipelago. Only 600 miles from the North Pole, this is one of the “spots” on the map that is hard to get to, beautiful, pristine and can offer no-place-like-it-on-earth sea kayaking and wildlife viewing. Here explorers experience seabirds thronging the cliffs and shores; enjoy the awesome antics of whales and dolphins at sea while seals and walruses haul out on the rocks and ice floes; and are thrilled by sighting reindeer, arctic fox and the amazing Ursus Maritimus.
The Spitsbergen fjords we want to explore are situated roughly in the mid-west of the archipelago, around the 79th parallel. First we explore the less visited Krossfjorden. This fjord consists of several steep side fjords with high glaciers and ice falls. Good bird cliffs can be found here with guillemots, kittiwakes, Little Auks, glaucous gulls and puffins. Nearby on the tundra we will find reindeer, arctic fox and maybe polar bears. In this fjord we will reach our highest latitude, around 79° 20´north.
The second half of the expedition we kayak in the Kingsfjord, the Bay of Kings. In this majestic fjord we will find a more open landscape, with gentle tundra and magnificent, wide views on glaciers and ice caps. Here the northernmost village of the world, Ny-Ålesund (78° 55´ North), is situated.
The arctic coastline of Spitsbergen offers some of the finest scenery, most interesting historic and prehistoric sites and best wildlife experiences you’ll find anywhere in the world. Join us!
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12 days
2010 Dates
Aug 2 - 13
2010 Fees
Land Cost
Group size 7-10: $4,690*
Group size 5-6: $4,990*
Single Supplement (hotel only): $200
*Price does not include international airfare or mandatory trip insurance. Prices are given in US Dollars.
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