Moonlight Ski Tour

Exiting trip during the 'Living On Frozen Water' expedition.
A 12-days trip with daily ski-tours, February 21st - March 4th 2011

During January and February 2011, several igloo's will be build on the basecamp campsite in the Spitsbergen Mountains. This is a nice job to do in the darkness.
On January 19th and February 17th 2011 it is full moon. During the full moon days around February 17th 2010 a 12 days Moonlight Ski Tour will be organised with overnights in the igloo's. This will be an amazing event!!
    * Click here to see a map of this trip.


a Full moon picture!

In February the daylight is slowly coming back to Spitsbergen. Most of the daytime we won't see the sun above the horizon. But the moon will be high above the horizon and give us enough light to go for some day trips on the ski's. We don't have to use a headlight during a clear day.
We will make day trips to some special places like Hogland lake, with its many huge ice blocks. On a clearly day we will ski to places to see the moon and the Tarantellen mountain in a very nice settings. With some luck we can see the moon through one of the big holes in the Tarantellen mountain.
During a day with less wind we can make a campfire outside and light some candles in the tents and the igloo's, this awesome view (full moon, campfire, white light giving igloo's and orange - green - yellow light giving tents) on this special place, .......... no one will ever forget.
We will also make a ski tour to the other side of the Tarantellen mountain.


Me, standing beside a huge igloo, a campfire and my tent (picture taken in Rondane, March 2009).

This basecamp, high up on the glacier, has a totally free view in East and South directions. So, instead of the Spitsbergen settlement Longyearbyen which is located at sealevel and surrounded by steep mountains, we will have a perfect view to sunrises and sunsets. Sunset will follow soon after sunrise. To see the most amazing sunrise and sunset we can scramble up to the mountainridge of Tarantellen. By doing this we also can enjoy a little bit longer the "heat" of the sun.
During this trip the most amazing pictures can (and will) be taken. You have to use a tripod to make these pictures, be sure that you take one with you.
Our daily "house" during this trip will be a big igloo (see picture above) or the big yellow dome tent (see picture below). During windy days the yellow dome tent will be not in use. This tent will be taken down then which goes really fast and easy.
We will sleep in other smaller igloo's/tents.


A picture of my orange Vaude "house" and the big yellow dome tent (picture taken in Sauerland, Germany).

This trip will have many .....many special moments. But don't forget that what we can do depends totally on the weather. It can be so windy and cold that we can't go out for a trip at all and that we have to wait inside the igloo's. Inside the igloo it won't be that cold as it is outside. it will be quite "comfortable" to stay in the igloo. A igloo (in this time of the year with less sunshine) is much warmer and more comfortable then a tent. It takes lots of time to make some good igloo's with a lot of space. But the guide will arrive at this basecamp weeks before this trip starts, so plenty of time to make some solids snowcaves/igloo's.
The ski distance during the daytrips won't be long. The total ski distance on this tour depends on the lenght of the daytrips.

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.


a halfmoon midnight picture!

Here a brief description of the programme for this Moonlight trip (programme structure might change):
  1. First day: February 10th, Arrival with plane at Longyearbyen.
  2. Packing the equipment in Longyearbyen and going for a long snowscootertrip towards our basecamp.
  3. A daytrip from the basecamp towards Hoglandlake.
  4. A daytrip from the basecamp to the other side of the Tarantellen mountain.
  5. Scramble up down the mountainhill of Tarantellen from the basecamp, and enjoy a amazing roundview with a sunset and sunrise.
  6. sightseeing around the camp, enjoying being here.
  7. Pick-up by snowscooters which will bring the participants back to Longyearbyen.
  8. Sight seeing in Longyearbyen.
  9. Visiting the ice-caves on a glacier close by Longyearbyen, a small ski tour .
  10. Going out for a daytrip on ski's in the area of Longyearbyen.
  11. Spare day.
  12. Last day: February 21th, Departure with the plane from Longyearbyen.
*Spare day: These days are mostly used as bad weather day. Due to bad weather it might happen that we have to wait 1 or more days inside our tents/igloo's, or that the snowscooters are not able to drive due to bad weather.
The whole programme is very flexible and the ski distance every day is not long.

Note: The snowscootertrip from Longyearbyen to the basecamp is long, it might happen that due to bad weather the snowscooters can not go on day 2. The participants will then have the sightseeing day in Longyearbyen which was planned on day 8. If it is still bad weather on day 3, the participants will visit the ice-caves in Longyearbyen which was planned for day 9.
It is also possible that the scooter pick-up on day 7 is delayed due to bad weather and that the participants have to stay longer in the basecamp. It is also possible that the scooter pick-up is one day earlier, on day 6, if really bad weather is coming in for the next days.
There are 5 possible days for the scooter drive in and out. This should be more then enough for getting the participants back in Longyearbyen on time.

  Startingdate 2011:
  •   February 10th

    The price of this 12-days Moonlight Ski Tour is € 1649,- p.p.
    Travelcode: SB11MOO

      In this tour price is included:
    1. 5 to 6 overnights in Longyearbyen in chambers with more people (overnights at the start and at the end),
    2. 5 to 6 overnights in 2-3 persons wintertents/igloo's.
    3. A travel insurance which also covers all the cost of an emergency rescue if necessary,
      during our 6/7-days fieldtrip on Spitsbergen.
      This insurance is an obligation when you go out on a long fieldtrip in Spitsbergen.
    4. The use of a 2-3 persons wintertent/igloo with an isolated foil for under the inner tent.
    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. Transport with a snowscooter to the basecamp and the pick up with a snowscooter at the end of the trip.
    9. 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: 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. Cross country ski's for back country skiing (no randonnee ski's), the skins.
      It is possible to hire these equipment by Fjell Tours (only if booking is made before September 1st 2010). The participants will receive information about this.
    3. The flight to and from Spitsbergen.
    4. Transport from/towards the airport to/from our overnight stay in Longyearbyen.(about € 5,- one way)


        The amount of Participants: min. 4, max. 8


    • A nice sunset during wintertime.

    The participants can hire specific equipment/clothes (like ski's, 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. Cross country ski touring experience (not randonnee).
    2. Camping experience in rough terrain, or winter camping experience.
    3. a Good condition, although the skiing distance is not long, this is a trip with fielddays (1 week)!!
    4. Patience, participants must be aware that it might happen that we have to wait 1 or more days inside the tents/igloo's due to bad weather or other circumstances.
    5. Flexibility, The plan for the day can change rapidly, or the daily schedule is changing.
      It might happen that we ski during the night (if the moonlight is clear enough).

    The guide knows how and where to walk/ski save on these glaciers. Sometimes we can ski easy over the glacier, sometimes it takes extra time if we have to avoid difficult places on the glacier.

    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 Wintertrips 2011.



    Last update on June 11th 2010































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