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Svalbard Expedition 2023

The first of our 2023 Svalbard ski expeditions.

Stacy Abernathy
Stacy Abernathy
Bill Tankovich
Bill Tankovich
William Homer
William Homer
Nick Butler
Nick Butler
Baz Bignell
Baz Bignell
Jean-Luc Deleersnyder
Jean-Luc Deleersnyder
Hoang Le Danh
Hoang Le Danh
Anh Tuan Nguyen
Anh Tuan Nguyen
Mardi Philips
Mardi Philips. Guide
1 1A2A2820A Must Courtesy Petter Nyquist Not For Third Party
Eric Philips. IPGA Polar Expedition Guide

Alpenglow, long shadows and inky valleys of early spring are mesmerising. Follow us as we ski across this magical pearl of the Arctic.

We are trialling the awesome ZeroSixZero tracking here

Trip Summary

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#14: day of discovery

2023-03-20 07:14:04am
We enjoyed a relatively warm night, able to sleep with faces exposed to the air instead of tucked into our sleeping bags. A grey dawn turned mostly clear by mid… Continue reading
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#13: day 3

2023-03-19 06:55:05am
Pretty windy overnight but unremarkable compared to our cold start. The warmer temperatures make everything easier though to a point, too warm and it’s equally difficult. We skied east along… Continue reading
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#12: warmer

2023-03-18 06:44:10am
It’s always an anxious night for a guide when day 1 of a trip brings such edgy conditions. We recorded -36c when we stopped to camp last night and hoped… Continue reading
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#11: cold start

2023-03-17 09:16:36am
After the drive out to Eskerfossen we had a quick lunch under the ice cold blue sky.before heading east up the valley towards Rabot glacier. The temperature steadily dropped and… Continue reading
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#10: final day

2023-03-13 08:57:00am
Overnight the wind blew relentlessly and smothered our camp with yet another fresh layer of spindrift…more digging! But, at least the visibility had improved and the mountains flanking the sides… Continue reading
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#9: on the move again

2023-03-12 06:23:22am
A 5am start had us on the trail at 8.30am as we spent a lot of time digging out the camp. Some fleeting alpenglow on the mountains got us excited… Continue reading
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#8: tent bound

2023-03-11 05:51:29am
A full on blizzard developed overnight with manic drift-riddled blasts hammering the tents. A strong gust triggered one of the bear perimeter flares arroyos 2am and I popped my head… Continue reading
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#7: can it get any tougher

2023-03-10 06:23:01am
We had -24c overnight and a pounding wind from the north. Packing up camp was a testing chore but completed with skill. This team has really gelled, working together, finding… Continue reading
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#6: extreme day

2023-03-09 06:12:47am
Wind persisted overnight but the minimum temperate was a balmy -17c. A bit too warm for our double sleeping bags. We began skiing up Sveig glacier under an overcast sky… Continue reading
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#5: Beautiful day

2023-03-08 05:40:41am
Blowy again overnight but our sled walls do a good job at deflecting wind. Take only a minute to set up. Billowing low clouds to the south appeared as though… Continue reading
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#4: getting higher

2023-03-07 05:27:01am
Windy again overnight but calmed by morning. The valley was bathed in an inky blue with alpenglow on the mountain tops, stunning. We packed and skied to the entrance to… Continue reading
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#3: valley ski

2023-03-06 05:14:55am
Wind dropped overnight and a perfectly still morning greeted us. A waning moon hovered in the icy sky. A slow start is expected on the first morning in these brittle… Continue reading
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#2: Getting slammed

2023-03-05 07:02:14am
After the 2 hour Hagglunds drive to Sassendslen we visited the frozen waterfall before skiing a half hour to the valley floor. A 3.30pm camp gave us time enough to… Continue reading
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#1: in Svalbard

2023-03-03 04:24:32pm
Mardi and I are back in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Snowy day today, low light, atmospheric. Heading out Saturday for our first 9-day trip, weather is looking mostly good, lots of snow… Continue reading
ERIC PHILIPS, IPGA POLAR EXPEDITION GUIDE
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