Ski Tour from West to East Spitsbergen and back

Exiting trip during the 'Living On Frozen Water' expedition.
A 16-days trip with a 12 days ski-tour, May 8th - 23rd 2011

This 12-daagse Ski Tour will give you a 100% garanty to observe a Polarbear at the East coast. We won't go back before we have seen a polar bear. The trip start and end at the West coast. To see as many different landscapes as possible, We will follow another way back to the West side of Spitsbergen.
This Ski-tour from West to East take place at a point where Spitsbergen is at its smallest, it is a distance of 50 km.
    * Click here to see a map of this trip.


Two polarbears at the glacierfront.

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 skiing, 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 ski any closer to that Polarbear. For more information about Polarbears see the link below.

This trip starts with a snowscooter drive to the Glacierfront of the Von Post glacier at the west coast. We ski up this glacier to the highest point at 650 meters a.s.l.. From here we ski down the Hayes glacier to the East coast. After a daytrip to the East coast we ski up the Hayes glacier until halfway. From here we ski up towards the Rabot glacier (600 meters a.s.l.). The next days we ski down the Rabot glacier into Sassendalen, here the participants will be picked up by snowscooters.
The total ski distance is about 110 km.


What a view on this campsite!!

Here a brief description of the programme for the West to East Ski Tour (programme structure might change):
  • 1. First day: May 8th, Arrival with plane at Longyearbyen.
  • 2. Packing the equipment in Longyearbyen.
  • 3. Going with a snowscootertrip* to the start of this trip at the Von Post glacierfront, skiing up the glacier.
  • 4-6. Skiing, with the pulk (sledge) behind us, over the Von Post- & Hayes-glacier setting up camp 4,
                at about 7 km from the East coast, on day 6.
  • 7. Making a daytrip (without pulk) to the East coast and spot some Polarbears.
  • 8-11. Skiing back over the Hayes- & Rabot-glacier to Sassendalen.
  • 12-13. Spare days**
  • 14. Snowscooter pickup in Sassendalen, transport to Longyearbyen.
  • 15. Sightseeing Longyearbyen.
  • 16. Last day: May, 23th, Departure with the plane from Longyearbyen.

    * The snowscootertrip: it might happen that due to bad weather the snowscooters can not go on day 3. The participants will then have the sightseeing day in Longyearbyen which was planned on day 15.

    **Spare days: 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. If we have still spare days left at the end of this trip, we will ski further towards Adventdalen in the direction of Longyearbyen.
    The whole programme is very flexible and the ski distance every day is not long.

    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.


    Going further after a break behind the snow wall.

      Startingdate 2011:
  •   April 18th

    The price of this 16-days West to East Ski Tour is € 1518,- p.p.
    Travelcode: SB11WWE

      In this tour price is included:
    1. 4 overnights in Longyearbyen in chambers with more people (2 overnights at the start and 2 overnights at the end),
    2. 11 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 12-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 with an isolated foil for under the inner tent.
    5. The use of a sledge with pullingframe and harnass.
    6. The use of cooking equipment to make hot water, a petrol stove with all the fuel.
    7. The use of a snowshovel.
    8. 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.
    9. Transport with a snowscooter to the start and the pick up with a snowscooter at the end of the trip.
    10. 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



    • Midnight picture with the sun low on the horizon.

    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. Good cross country ski touring experience (not randonnee).
    2. some Winter camping experience
    3. a Good condition, although the daily skiing distance is not long, this is a trip with many fielddays (12 days)!!
    4. 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.
    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.
      This makes no difference on Spitsbergen, There is no darkness in this time of the year.

    The guide knows how and where to 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 12th 2010






















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