Fjell Tours Noorwegen Specialist

Daytrips on ski's in Spitsbergen North

Basecamp at Mc Whae Glacier

An 11-days trip with 8 days in Spitsbergen North , April 7th - 17th 2015

After a long snowscooter transport on day 2 we will we be dropped off on the Mc Whae Glacier in Spitsbergen North. We will make our basecamp on this glacier, sleep in tents and make day trips on our ski's.
Our basecamp is placed at a windprotected area, which is very unique for Spitsbergen.
The snow on the Mc Whae Glacier is mostly powder snow, due to less wind, perfect for some nice skiing.
Our big yellow "Living" tent (see picture below) will give us more space and comfort during the stay at our base camp.
    * Click here to see the place of this basecamp. The Mc Whae glacier is situated southwest of the big Mittag-Leffler glacier and at the south side of Tarantellen.


Basecamp at the Mc Whae Glacier with view to Sfinksen mountain.

During 2010/2011/2012 the guide has been in this area for 13 months, he found out that this basecamp place is the best in this area.
We hope to make many daytrips as long as the weather is good. During a bad weather day we can always try to make an igloo or an snowcave (see picture below) or we go to the "Telemark" corner at the Mc Whae Glacier which is closeby to make some descents on ski's. If there is powder snow, it is at "telemark" corner. And "telemark" corner has an perfect angle to make nice smooth corners with cross country ski's. During nice weather we will try to ski and climb to some very nice places with amazing views. We surely will visit Hoglandlake with its steep glacierwalls.
All our daytrips will go mostly without pulks behind us, but with enough equipment in our bagpacks to survive a fast incoming bad weather.
We will use pulks at our basecamp, because they are very handy to have. The food will be very good, we don't have to transport it so we can eat some luxery food. Allthough we are camping at a very remote arctic place we have some extra equipment with us which make camping more comfortable.
The view from our basecamp to some mountains like Sfinksen and Tarantellen (with the 2 big gaps) and the view over Weidefjorden to the North, makes this place to a very good place to be.


The blue glacier at Hoglandlake.

Here a brief description of the programme for the Daytrips Tour Spitsbergen North (programme structure might change):
  • 1. First day: April 7th, Arrival with plane at Longyearbyen. Packing the equipment in Longyearbyen.
  • 2. Packing the equipment in Longyearbyen. Snowscooter transport to our basecamp at the Mc whae Glacier in North Spitsbergen.
  • 3. Daytrip to Hoglandlake.
  • 4. Making an igloo, snowcave, making improvements at our basecamp.
  • 5. Daytrip around the Mittag Leffler Glacier.
  • 6. Daytrip to a high mountaincol with an amazing view, making turns at "Telemark" corner.
  • 7. Daytrip towards Tarantellen.
  • 8. Daytrip to a small mountaintop close at our basecamp.
  • 9. Snowscooter transport back to Longyearbyen.
  • 10.Sightseeing Longyearbyen (this sightseeing day can also be moved to day 2, due to weatherconditions).
  • 11. Last day: April, 17th, Departure with the plane from 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.


    Basecamp at the Mc Whae Glacier with view to Weide fjorden.

      Startingdate 2015:
  •   April 7th

    The price of this 11-days trip on ski's in Spitsbergen North is € 2012,- p.p.
    Travelcode: DS15K

      In this tour price is included:
    1. 3 overnights in Longyearbyen in chambers with more people (1 overnight at the start and 2 overnights at the end),
    2. 7 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 8-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 the big "living" tent at the basecamp.
    6. The use of a sledge with pullingframe and harnass (if needed).
    7. The use of cooking equipment to make hot water, a petrol stove with all the fuel.
    8. All the meals (food) during the 8-days fieldtrip.
    9. The use of a snowshovel, bivi sack.
    10. Professional guide, the guide will take care that the programme (as mentioned here above) will be done safe. The guide take care that all the necessarry and obligated equipment, which is needed to make a multi day backcountry glacier trip on Spitsbergen, will be used/carried during this trip .
    11. Transport with a snowscooter to the start of this trip and the return at the end of the trip.
    12. 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 3 nights in Longyearbyen: It is possible to cook and have meals together durings the overnights in the Longyearbyen guesthouse or use the breakfast- and dinnerservice in the guesthouse.
    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 March 1st 2015). 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 € 6,- one way)


        The amount of Participants: min. 3, max. 8



    • The big yellow dome tent with an igloo and view to Tarantellen mountain (Mc Whae Glacier).

    The participants can hire specific equipment/clothes (like ski's, downjacket, extra sleepingbag, extra matrass etc.) by Fjell Tours, (only if booking is made before February 1st 2015), see for this:
    Winter- & Summertrips from Fjelltours on Spitsbergen

    To join this trip the participant must have:
    1. Good cross country ski touring experience.
    2. Some Winter camping experience is handy to have but not necessary
    3. a Good condition, although the daily skiing distance is not long, this is a trip with many fielddays (10 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 in Norway (Dutch Language).

        * Back to Living on Frozen Water Expedition Spitsbergen (English Language).

    For more pictures/information about Spitsbergen and to see previous expeditions, done by Fjell Tours, visit the "Living on Frozen Water" website. Direct link to this website: www.fjelltours.nl/2010.html 


    Last update: October 2014































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