SVALBARD

GUIDED SKI & SPLITBOARD EXPEDITION

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The Arctic. At 74 to 81º North, the Svalbard archipelago is located above the Arctic Circle, midway between continental Norway and the North Pole. There isn’t a word describing Svalbard that we don’t love: remote, unknown, extreme, mountainous, cold. It’s estimated that around 300 polar bears live year-round on the island group, with closer to 3,000—equaling the permanent human population—traveling the ice in the Barents Sea region. Svalbard has only a few settlements, which are populated mostly by Norwegians and Russians. The largest settlement and capital of Svalbard, Longyearbyen, is bustling these days with researchers, biologists and of course adventure seekers and skiers. As you’d expect in Norway, the tiny “metropolis” offers incredibly nice hotel and restaurant options, where you’ll find items like reindeer and whale on the menu. Outside of Longyearbyen, it’s legally required that you carry a firearm at all times for polar bear protection, and in the winter there are no roads, meaning the only way to access and explore the vast and predominantly glaciated wilderness is by snowmobile, boat, dog sled or skis.

Come spring the frigid temperatures of the arctic winter begin to ease up and it’s prime riding season on Svalbard. April in particular is a special time of year on the islands, with stunning light conditions resulting from the return of the midnight sun, a 4-month period when the sun never sets. During the first half of April, just before the arrival of the midnight sun, it’s pretty much sunrise/sunset all day long—perpetual golden hour with the mountains bathed in pink and purple. Starting later in April the sun literally never dips below the horizon, meaning 24-hour sunlight and the possibility of shredding around the clock.

2027 DATES

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ITINERARY ONE: APRIL 11-19

ITINERARY TWO: APRIL 19-27

EACH 6 DAYS RIDING/9 DAYS TOTAL

DETAILS

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Since 2015 we’ve been running basecamp-style expeditions on Svalbard, and continue to be one of the few operators offering this kind of experience. Camping on a glacier, surrounded by the vast Arctic wilderness, is truly one of the coolest and most adventurous ways to experience Svalbard. What to expect? Traveling by snowmobile caravan through glacier-carved valleys and past distant reindeer herds, deciding as a group on the ideal camp location (access to incredible skiing opportunities being a top requirement), and working together to literally build our home for the week: a styled-out camp which will feature a heated community/dining/chilling tent (replete with plush reindeer skins to sit on) and separate sleeping tents (2-3 people per 4-man tent). Camp will be staffed, with food prepared for us. The snowmobiles will be at our disposal for the week, allowing us to travel quickly up and down the glacier and to the base of the surrounding mountains. At night, everyone will participate in a polar bear watch rotation, and let it be said there’s nothing like spending some solo time on a glacier under the midnight sun! And since we won’t be limited to daytime hours for skiing, that opens up the possibility of touring or ripping the snowmobiles away from camp after dinner to tick off more lines at the literal midnight hour. For sure, basecamping isn’t all glamour all the time, but it’s guaranteed that the experience will imprint as one of your most memorable of all time!

Still not convinced our basecamp itinerary is for you? Well, you’re in luck. For 2027 we are introducing a NEW polar expedition vessel-based itinerary. This is “ski and sail” on steroids, on board one of the most spacious and elegant small expedition ships in service, the M/S Balto. The Finnish-built, completely refurbished vessel features a saloon, dining room, lounge and library, seven large guest cabins, and even a sauna and cold shower. A full crew—with separate deck, engineering, and service departments—will take care of us, and meals will be epic, with all dinners including a starter, main course, and dessert. The Balto is designed to explore the most remote fjord systems, where we’ll then use Zodiacs for ski missions ashore. Yes, this will be our inaugural sea-based expedition, which is why we wanted to come out with a bang. Hope you don’t mind we’re not cramming you onto a sailboat!

ITINERARY ONE: FRIDTJOVBREEN BASECAMP

Over an eleven year period (2015-2026), all but two of our basecamp sessions have occurred in the same general location, southwest of Longyearbyen in Nordenskiöld Land National Park. And for 2027 we’re headed back. While all of Svalbard is stunning, this particular zone is exceptionally stunning. The Fridtjovbreen Glacier will be our home for the week, and with a length of 14km, flanked by jaw-dropping peaks on both sides, the skiing options are literally endless, especially with a full fleet of snowmobiles accompanying us at camp. Dates for 2027 mimic last year’s, chosen as they coincide with the most unreal light conditions possible. The midnight sun typically returns to Svalbard around April 20, and it doesn’t get any more incredible than the time frame immediately before, when the sun hovers low on the horizon—only occasionally dipping below—providing golden hour lighting 24 hours a day. The location is 4-5 hours from Longyearbyen by snowmobile (in optimal conditions), and is rarely visited for skiing. The other great thing is that it puts us into position to spend our last field night in Barentsburg—a wildly fascinating Russian mining settlement that is home to around 300 residents. In the words of our longtime lead guide, Ptor Spricekieks, Barentsburg is “the most beautiful ugly place in the world,” and is actually home to a wildly good restaurant/brewery called Krasniy Medved (Red Bear), where we’ll dine and celebrate a night in a warm hotel after 5 nights in tents. One thing is for sure: finishing in Barentsburg is a recipe for a really fun end to the trip, and in addition to the totally unique cultural experience, there's also plenty of skiing to be done right outside of town. The itinerary offers four full and two half days of skiing from camp (half days will be the arrival day and the day we transfer to Barentsburg), plus a half to nearly full day of skiing from Barentsburg before transferring back to Longyearbyen. On all days at camp there will be the potential to ski lines around the clock under the midnight sun.

For your nights in Longyearbyen, we’ve arranged lodging at the iconic local hotel, Mary-Ann's Polarrigg (arrival night), and at the swankier Radisson Blu (final night). As this is a busy time of year on Svalbard, rooms have already been booked and we’ll also help arrange reservations for the group at some of Longyearbyen’s best restaurants, of which there are many!

ITINERARY TWO: POLAR EXPEDITION CRUISE

You’ve been hearing the hype about ski and sail, and this promises to take it to the next level! The M/S Balto will literally be our own private cruise ship, many of the luxuries detailed above. Embarkation will be at 4pm on April 20 from the Longyearbyen Harbour, and from there we’ll push out to sea via Isfjorden, the second longest fjord in the archipelago. Our playground for the week will be the the entire west coast of Spitsbergen, and we’ll wake every morning at a new port of call, literally staring at the day’s ski possibilities from the deck. As there are no docks along the wild coastline once we leave Longyearbyen, we’ll use Zodiacs each day for transfers to and from shore. Sea to summit touring, and summit to sea skiing—this is what it’s all about! By night, we’ll enjoy the fine dining, luxurious interior, and spacious cabins of the Balto. Did we mention sauna? The itinerary offers six days of skiing, and on all of those days there will be the potential to ski lines around the clock under the midnight sun.

For your arrival night in Longyearbyen, April 19, we’ve arranged lodging at the Radisson Blu. Disembarkation will be early morning on the 27th, allowing for flights home that same day. As this is a busy time of year on Svalbard, rooms have already been booked and we’ll also help arrange a dinner reservation for the group at one of Longyearbyen’s best restaurants, of which there are many!

GUIDES

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Both of our 2027 Svalbard itineraries will be lead guided by Spanish-born/Chamonix-based IFMGA Guide, David Pujol. David guided our 2026 basecamp expedition and has guided for years in Arctic Norway. For Itinerary One, our Norway-based partners, who we’ve worked with for the last four years, will be providing our tail guide as well as camp staff (cook/manager) for a guide-to-client ratio of 1:2. For Itinerary Two, our Sweden-based partners will be providing the boat and its crew, and our tail guide for a guide-to-client ratio of 1:6. All guides are well-versed in arctic safety and travel on Svalbard. Meet our guides.

WHAT ELSE

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POLAR BEAR SAFETY

Polar bears set Svalbard apart from other mountainous regions of the world. Our guides take this danger very seriously. On both itineraries guides will be equipped with flare guns and large game hunting rifles at all times (while ashore on Itinerary Two). On Itinerary One, the entire team will share in a bear watch rotation through the night.

BASECAMP SETUP

The Arctic is no place for a weak camp setup. Our basecamp infrastructure includes a heated community/dining/chilling tent (replete with plush reindeer skins to sit on) and separate sleeping tents (2-3 people per 4-man tent). At each camp we’ll prepare an “arctic toilet”—a simple (or sometimes elaborate) snow hole with lee walls.

BASECAMP FOOD

Svalbard’s geography and climate may be fully unsuited for growing food, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to eat well! Breakfasts and dinners will be prepared from scratch or premade in Longyearbyen and boiled in the bag. Lunches will be dehydrated, as it’s great to premix these in a thermos to throw in your ski pack. There will also be plenty of snacks available at all times.

BOOKINGS

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ITINERARY ONE: USD $TBA/PERSON

ITINERARY TWO: USD $TBA/PERSON

EACH 6 DAYS RIDING/9 DAYS TOTAL

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ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE REQUIREMENTS

ITINERARY ONE: Participants will need to arrive in Longyearbyen (airport code LYR) on April 11. We will return to Longyearbyen by evening on April 18 for departures on the 19th.

ITINERARY TWO: Participants are encouraged to arrive in Longyearbyen (airport code LYR) on April 19. Arriving on the 20th is possible, however we will embark that afternoon and if you or your baggage are delayed, you will literally miss the boat. We will disembark early morning on April 27 for departures that same day.

PRICE INCLUDES

ITINERARY ONE: 40 Tribes Lead Guide; Tail guide and camp staff (cook/manager) provided by our partners; Airport transfers if arriving/departing on specified dates and flights; 2 nights hotel accommodation in Longyearbyen: Mary-Ann's Polarrigg for the night of April 11 and the Radisson Blu for the night of April 18—breakfasts included; 1 night hotel accommodation in Barentsburg for the night of April 17—breakfast included; Snowmobiles and snowmobile suits; 5 nights basecamp accommodation in 4-season sleeping tents with a heated community/dining/chilling tent; All meals, coffee/tea and snacks at camp; Polar bear protection managed by our guide team; Norwegian Search and Rescue coverage for emergency support/evacuation to Longyearbyen/Tromsø; 6 days of epic guided skiing/splitboarding!

ITINERARY TWO: 40 Tribes Lead Guide; Tail guide and full boat crew provided by our partners; Airport transfer if arriving on the specified flight on April 19; Transfer to the Longyearbyen Harbour on April 20; Airport transfer from the Longyearbyen Harbour on April 27; Arrival night hotel accommodation in Longyearbyen at the Radisson Blu, breakfast included; All meals aboard the M/S Balto; 24-hour coffee/tea station; Housekeeping services; Zodiac transfers to/from shore; Polar bear protection managed by our guide team; Port charges and AECO passenger fees; 6 days of epic guided skiing/splitboarding!

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

ITINERARY ONE: Airfare and baggage fees; Lunches and dinners in Longyearbyen; Dinner/drinks in Barentsburg; Medical/evacuation insurance (outside of Norwegian SAR insurance mentioned above); Alcohol; Tips for guides.

ITINERARY TWO: Airfare and baggage fees; Lunches and dinners in Longyearbyen; Hotel accommodation in Longyearbyen if opting to stay later than the 27th; Medical/evacuation insurance; Alcohol; Tips for guides and crew.

BOOKING POLICY

A 20% deposit is required to secure your spot, with the remainder due 4 months prior to the expedition start date. Our cancellation/refund policies can be found here.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Our general terms & conditions can be found here.

RELEASE & WAIVER OF RIGHTS

All participants are required to sign our Release and Waiver of Rights.