May 2019
Svalbard has spectacular scenery, massive tumbling glaciers, and abundant wildlife. It also has innumerable, perfect ski peaks rising from the sea that make for some of the best skiing anywhere.
We ran two ski and sail trips in Svalbard this spring — the perfect way to explore the rugged coast of Spitzbergen, the largest island in the archipelago. Each day we would cruise to new fjords and look for the best ski lines and best snow the area could offer. Our first trip had low clouds but great snow (especially in Tinayrebukta and Kongsfjord zones). We also had very calm winds which allowed us to get pretty far north, as far as the spectacular Lilliehookfjord famous for being the longest sea calving glacier in Europe, at 12 km long. Our second trip was windier, and limited our range but gave us spectacular clear skies and a chance to see the mind blowing scenery that Svalbard is famous for.
Phil Wickens, expedition leader with Oceanwide Expeditions, is not only one of the most accomplished polar explorers around, he is also a great photographer, has an encylopaedic mind, is a great story teller, and, surprisingly, is a whiz behind the computer whether it comes to navigating Google Earth or whipping up great slideshows. Here’s a compilation from Trip 2 on the Noorderlicht that gives you a good taste of what’s in store for you if you join us in 2020! For just photos, without the distractions of sound and video, here is our Noorderlicht 2019 photos page.