Walking Tour from West- to East-Spitsbergen and a Luxury 4-5 days Boat Trip

Exiting trip during the 'Living On Frozen Water' expedition.
A 2 weeks Walking/Boat tour during the last weeks of August 2011

On this trip the participants will see Spitsbergen on two different ways in two completely different situations. One view from the land, during walking, and one view from the sea, on the boat. The walk over the glacier is relative easy.
    * Click here to see a map of this trip.


Walking over a snow covered glacier with a sledge.

This trip will be made with two different groups, with the same amount of participants in each group. The first group, group A, arrive some days earlier on Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen and starts with the walking part of this trip. The second group, group B, starts someday later with the boattrip. In Longyearbyen they get onboard of an expedition vessel and they sail in 6 days around Spitsbergen From the West to the East coast. At some places this expedition vessel sail into fjords to see beautiful glaciers, mountains and wildlife on Spitsbergen. At some places zodiac boats from the vessel bring people to the land for small excursions. When this vessel reach the East side of Spitsbergen the chance of seeing a polarbear increases. It is almost sure that you will see a Polar bear during this part of the trip. Mostly the captain of the ship knows were they are or the ship change course and go out searching for them.
With the exchange point in sight (mohnbukta, on the East coast) the vessel decrease its speed and a zodiac boat from that vessel brings the people from group B to the land, end of luxury and the beginning of a new adventure!


Camping on the glacier with a beautiful view.

The other group, who walked in 5-6 days over the glacier from the West- to the East-coast, saw the boat sailing towards them and walked down the the last part to the East coast at Mohnbukta to welcome the Zodiac boat with their passengers. After a quick exchange of exiting stories from both groups, the zodiac is sailing back with the members of group A. The vessel will continue her sail around Spitsbergen and bring the participants from group A in 4-5 days back to Longyearbyen.
The vessel mostly sail in a clockwise direction around Spitsbergen. Also during the sail back the same activities will be organised as described here above.


Walking with the sledge on the glacier.

The participants of group B are now walking to the point where group A started. They follow almost a straight line from East to West. The distance is about 55 km and it is going all the way over glaciers, blue ice (almost snow free). It is an easy walk. In the beginning it goes smoothly up to the highest point (650 meters above sea level) and from there smoothly down to the West coast. This walk from East to West take place at a point where Spitsbergen is at its smallest. The walk from East to west ends at the glacierfront of the Von Postglacier in Tempelfjorden. From here the participants will be picked up by zodiacs or a small boat and brought back to Longyearbyen.
During the walk some spare days are calculated for bad weather or other things/events which may delay the group.


This will be the maxium distance if we spot a polarbear (picture taken with a big telephoto lens.

As wrote her above: The chance of seeing a Polarbear at the East-coast is much bigger then anywhere else on Spitsbergen.
Of course: it is a highlight to see a Polarbear when you are walking as long as the distance is wide enough. To reduce the risk that we meet a Polarbear at our campsite we will not have a campsite close to the East-coast. By doing this we don`t disturb the Polarbear live at the East-coast to much. Polarbears already have problems to survive. Take a good binoculor with you on this trip to observe a Polarbear. If we see one, we will not walk any closer to that Polarbear. For more information about Polarbears see the link below.

Visit also these pages: Winter- & Summertrips from Fjelltours on Spitsbergen ; here you will find much more important background information about these trips.

Take also a look at this page: Walking & skiing with a pulk (sledge) over the Spitsbergen glaciers.


Helping each other to get the pulk over a small glacierriver.

The departure and arrival date is not fixed yet, but are around these days:
Brief programme Group A:
   August 14th: Arrival with plane at Longyearbyen.
  August 15th: Sightseeing in Longyearbyen.
  August 16th: Departure with (zodiac)boat to Von Postglacier (West Coast).
  August 17th - August 22th: Walking over the glaciers to the East Coast.
  August 23th: Pick-up by zodiac boat at the East coast and start of the boat trip around Spitsbergen.
  August 27th: Last day of the boat trip, arrival at Longyearbyen, in the evening departure with the plane.
  August 28th: Departure with the plane from Longyearbyen.

Brief programme Group B:
   August 17th: Arrival with plane at Longyearbyen, sightseeing in Longyearbyen.
                            In the evening the vessel starts with her sail around Spitsbergen.
  August 18th - August 22th: Boattrip around Spitsbergen.
  August 23th: The boat reaches the exchange point and a Zodiac boat bring the group B members to the East coast.
  August 24th - August 29th: Walking over the glaciers to the West Coast.
  August 30th: Pick-up by zodiac boat at the west coast and transport to Longyearbyen.
  August 31th: Departure with the plane from Longyearbyen.

  Startingdate 2011:
  •   Group A: August 14th (starting date is not fixed yet,it can change some days)
  •   Group B: August 17th (starting date is not fixed yet,it can change some days)

    The price of this 15-days backcountry walking- & boat-trip is € 3456,- p.p.
    Travelcode: SB10SWE

      In this trip price is included:
    For group A:
    1. 2 overnights in Longyearbyen in chambers with more people at the start of this trip.
    2. 7 overnights in 2-3 persons wintertents during the walk over the glaciers from west to east.
    3. 4 overnights on board the expedition vessel sailing back to Longyearbyen.
    4. 1 overnight in Longyearbyen in chambers with more people at the end of this trip.
    5. Transport with a (zodiac) boat to the start of this trip.
    For group B:
    1. 6 overnights on board the expedition vessel sailing back to Longyearbyen.
    2. 7 overnights in 2-3 persons wintertents during the walk over the glaciers from west to east.
    3. 1 overnight in Longyearbyen in chambers with more people at the end of this trip.
    4. Pick-up with a (zodiac)boat at the end of this trip.
    Included for group A & group B :
    1. A travel insurance which also covers all the cost of an emergency rescue if necessary,
      during our 17-days fieldtrip on Spitsbergen.
      This insurance is an obligation when you go out on a long fieldtrip in Spitsbergen.
    2. Al the meals and excursions, during the stay on board of the expedition vessel
    3. The use of a 2-3 persons wintertent with an isolated foil for under the inner tent.
    4. The use of a sledge with pullingframe and harnass.(a rotation system will be made for pulling the sledges)
    5. The use of cooking equipment to make hot water, a petrol stove with all the fuel.
    6. The use of a snowshovel.
    7. Professional guide, the guide will take care that the programme (as mentioned here above) will be done safe. The guide carry all the necessarry and obligated equipment, which is needed to make a multi day backcountry glacier trip on Spitsbergen.
    8. The participants will receive information and instructions about the necessary clothes (detailed packing list),
      about camping on Spitsbergen and about the safety aspects on Spitsbergen (Polarbear protection).
      Not included:
    1. Meals during the walking days and the overnights daays in Longyearbyen. It is possible to cook and have meals together durings the overnights in Longyearbyen. The participants will receive information which food (and how much) is handy to use during camping on Spitsbergen
    2. The flight to and from Spitsbergen.
    3. Transport from/towards the airport to/from our overnight stay in Longyearbyen (± € 5,- one way).


      The amount of Participants: min. 4, max. 16
      Note:Only the first participants can choose if they want to be in group A or in group B. The price of this trip is calculated on a 100% occupation of the 2 persons sleeping rooms on board of the vessel. Therefore the amount of people in group A and group B must be equal and even. So the total amount of participants will be: 4, 8, 12 or 16.


    • Camping in bad weather, wet snow on the tent.

    The participants can hire specific equipment/clothes (like downjacket, extra sleepingbag, extra matrass, crampons etc.) by Fjell Tours (only if booking is made before September 1st 2010), see for this:
    Winter- & Summertrips from Fjelltours on Spitsbergen

    To join this trip the participant must have:
    1. Mountain walking experience in rough terrain, outside the track.
    2. Camping experience in rough terrain.
    3. a Good condition, although the walking distance is not long.
    4. Good experience with walking with 2 hiking poles, you need those sticks on Spitsbergen.
    5. Patience, participants must be aware that it might happen that we have to wait 1 or more days inside the tents
      due to bad weather or other circumstances.
    6. Flexibility, The plan for the day can change rapidly, or the daily schedule is changing.
      It might happen that we walk during the night.
      This makes no difference on Spitsbergen, There is no darkness in this time of the year.

    The guide knows how and where to walk/ski save on these glaciers. Sometimes we can walk easily over the ice, sometimes it takes extra time if we have to cross wet area's on the glaciers.

    To join this trip and to sign in, please send an email to: info@FjellTours.nl
    Also for further questions about this trip, please send an email

        * Back to Summertrips 2011.



    Last update on June 12th 2010



























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