#7: two glaciers in one day

I woke expecting a whiteout so was overjoyed to see a clear day for our ascent to the pass between Sveigbreen and Satebreen glaciers. It was a hefty climb taking us over an hour to cover around 1km. The views from the pass were spellbinding with endless vistas of sharp mountains living up to their name sake; Spitsbergen. But we didn’t linger, the temperature plummeted as a stiff breeze blew drift snow around our feet. I was hoping for a quick toboggan descent of Satebreen but it just didn’t have enough slope to get a good glide. We nevertheless enjoyed the easy and picturesque ski. Lunch in the sunny valley below was blissful, Mardi even had a little snooze. Reindeer and fox tracks are everywhere, thankfully no polar bear tracks. We’re now snugly camped, stoves roaring among lively chatter. One of the best days I’ve had skiing in svalbard.