Spitsbergen aka Svalbard

Svalbard Svalbard you're so fine. Svalbard Svalbard you blow my mind. Oh Svalbard...

Larsbreen to Tollsteinen to Lars Hiertafjellet to Longyearelva with Sawback Alpine.

1050m for the recovering from jet lag break-in day

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Subscribed...Jezzus you ski in some fine places!!

Subscribed

Very nice.

It's not always bluebird in the high Arctic. Gray skies and flurries as a front rolled in on Day 2. Winds were light thankfully and precip fell as snow (albeit heavy).

Our route was Longyearelva - Tverrdalen (where we saw reindeer) - Platåbreen - Nordenskiöldfjellet - Platåbreen - Sverdruphamaren then back to our lodging for a total of 1080m

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Very nice.
But where are the p bears?

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Originally Posted by BCMtnHound

Very nice.
But where are the p bears?

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None due to pack ice breaking up down here. About 100kms further north the W Atlantic winds off the Norwegian Sea brings the pack ice inland and the bears then come down to water to eat walrus/seal and people.

Guides practicing flares. One of the guests is from the Blaeberry, knows the guns and tuned them

Some maps because to me, these were cool.

Highest latitude civilian town in Svalbard is Longyearbyen at 78 deg. Highest in Canada is Grise Bay at 76 deg. Highest I'd been before in the NWT/YK border where we biked at just under 70 N so it feels surreal to be here.

Highest research places are NY Ålesund and Alert respectively at 80 and 82 deg N

In Norwegian

Fjellet. Smaller peak. Eg Lars Hiertafjellet

Tind. Summit or bigger peak. Eg HelvetesTind

Elva. River. Eg Adventelva

Dalen. Valley. Eg Tverrdalen

Toppen. Top. Eg Adventtoppen

Why Sawback Alpine?

- Tom is a long time friend

- I really like his communication. He's really good at answering questions and putting up frequently asked questions and trip planning. Plugging him https://sawback.com/ski-touring/euro...-d15e3bf9-9b39

- The price was among the more reasonable between Ice-Axe Adventures, Seil Norge and Sawback

- Itinerary seemed super solid. There's 3 full touring days at Longyearbyen. There's 6 full ski days on the boat. The boat potentially goes the furthest also ie past the N tip of Prins Karl Forlund on the NW side of Svalbard

- I liked the size of the boat. 2 master at the Harbour. Not too big. Not too small

- liked the guide client ratio at 3 to 18

-Food at lunch/breakfast is solid with lots!

Will keep throwing in thoughts.

Hot tip. 24 beer tax free but bring your boarding pass to Store. Good.choice from Svalbard Bryggeri. $4 cad per can



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Excellent!!!

We had 5cms overnight and beautiful weather. Started our trip at the EISCAT radar station E of town and at 400m asl.

Toured up Breinosa- Foxfonna - FoxToppen. Skied off Foxtoppen with a superb view of Van Mijenfjorden Hornsund in boot top rippable pow.

Then down the Rieperbreen Glacier and back to town to get anniversary beer and chocolate for Sharon

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so cool

Our home for the week. SS Noordelicht and a sail from Longyearbyen to the Ymerbukta bayAttachment 457422Attachment 457423Attachment 457424Attachment 457425Attachment 457426

this is badass^

Got a nice strava from Foxtoppen Foxfonna. Some other randoms too
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Easterling then Westerlies then Northerlies as we got blown off a few cols by 30 - 60 kt winds. Esmarkmorenen - Ramsfjelldalen - Col Sten de Geerfjellet then retreat

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Rad trip. Foxbigpen to Foxlilpen traverse w variable depth not withstanding

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Solid work Lee!

What are the accoms like on that boat? Looks like such a super cool adventure

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Originally Posted by bennymac

What are the accoms like on that boat? Looks like such a super cool adventure

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It's big for a sailboat. 50m

Morning and zodiacfall on Harrietbreen GlacierAttachment 457707Attachment 457709Attachment 457708Attachment 457710Attachment 457711

Minus 15 on our tour up the Protektor Glacier via Protektorbreen then off the Lagmanstoppen col.

Sweet views to the Forlundset to W, Gronfjordien to S and multiple glaciers including Harrietbreen to N

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Bucket list trip. Stunning!

So cool.

Shout if you get an extra day after the boat Was out of town for the weekend but have an extra sled in LYB

Fabulous

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Originally Posted by NWFlow

Shout if you get an extra day after the boat Was out of town for the weekend but have an extra sled in LYB

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potential TGR summit at the ends of the earth - gotta love this place!

Lee's gotten beauty days today and yesterday!

Very nice Lee.

But I have to ask....

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Originally Posted by LeeLau

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Originally Posted by LeeLau

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Are you the one drawing penises in the snow / Strava tracks?

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Originally Posted by NWFlow

Lee's gotten beauty days today and yesterday!

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Very lucky and fortunate with weather and snow.

Mofro- perhaps.

St John's Fjord Berth. Up Ankerbreen Gl Lowzowfjella SE and SW runs followed by a run all the way to the water with amost no wind and pretty good snow for a 1500m+ Day. What a gorgeous place.

Then up the Crows nest

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Likey

Not sure if this is the place with many couloirs, like in Nikolai schirmer s videos.

With a big group, do they guide in steep couloirs too?

Sent from my moto g 5G using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by rod9301

Not sure if this is the place with many couloirs, like in Nikolai schirmer s videos.

With a big group, do they guide in steep couloirs too?

Sent from my moto g 5G using Tapatalk

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There are 4 guides to 17 clients so if conditions were good they'd let us try. Clear skies but wind had made snow funky except on very disparate aspects. We had the opportunity to try steep 40 45 deg couloirs next day but passed as stuff was wind crust and bullet proof

Looks like you scored with the weather! [emoji106]

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Originally Posted by jackstraw

Looks like you scored with the weather! [emoji106]

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We did. The next day we moved over to Prins Karl Forlund Island and berthed at Grimaldibukta. The day started cold and clear but was forecasted to go grey.

We toured up to and skied Bouréeffjellet then over to Fallbreen. Instead of continuing to Rudmoserfjellet we then descended an arm of Veslefingeren and back to the boat to wait out incoming weather

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On our 6th (and final) day skiing off the Noordelicht we overnighted at Barentsburg after a long evening partially under beam reach sail and partially under motor from St John's Fjord to Gronfjordien.

Barentsburg is a coal company town only 37kms from Longyearbyen but may be a world away contrasting the upkeep of both towns. The population is approximately 450 people of whom you typically only see half due to the shifts being day/night and are Russian and Ukrainian.

We skied the Gronsfjordienfjellet with a donut hole of nice weather and the skies closed around us as we dropped back to town.

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Beauty! Thx for sharing Lee!

Looks awesome.

Damn thats a big boat. How long of process from anchor > dinghy? Cell coverage up in Svalbard?

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Originally Posted by adrian.bee

Damn thats a big boat. How long of process from anchor > dinghy? Cell coverage up in Svalbard?

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Cell in Isfjorden all the way to Daudmannen point ie from Longyearbyen to Barentsburg and a bit beyond.

Anchor to dinghy a bit less than an hour. Experienced crew

Nominate this one for TR HOF status.

Thanks for sharing your adventure!

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Originally Posted by LeeLau

Cell in Isfjorden all the way to Daudmannen point ie from Longyearbyen to Barentsburg and a bit beyond.

Anchor to dinghy a bit less than an hour. Experienced crew

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Word. Dinghy might be the wrong term for that classy vessel. Tender is more accurate.

Lovely trip. Boats and snow. What a combo.