Ideal expedition for polar beginners
Highlights
- Rare expedition in winter
- Experienced polar guide from Polar Experience
- Raw and wild nature, conducive to contemplation and thought
- Preparation for a more committed polar expedition
- A human adventure in a small group
During this short experience, we are immersed in the world of polar expeditions, allowing us to live a first intense experience. After preparation and familiarization with our equipment in Longyearbyen, we leave in total autonomy on foot and on snowshoes to the kingdom of the white bear with an English- and Dutch-speaking polar guide from Polar Experience and the IPGA – International Polar Guide Association . We cross a wild environment in the arctic tundra of Spitsbergen manhauling, at a season when few venture there. Nature is pristine. We bivouac in a pure polar atmosphere. Our guide teaches us how to manage the freezing cold, dressing techniques and the rituals of setting up camp. An ideal program to prepare for a more ambitious polar expedition in Greenland or the Arctic.
Overview
Take a look at our web-conference on polar expeditions, hosted by Dixie Dansercoer.
Itinerary
DAY 1: FLIGHT TO LONGYEARBYEN, SPITSBERG
Day 1
We set off for Longyearbyen, arriving at the end of the day. We are transferred to the guesthouse where we will spend the next night. Sometimes the flight time requires a stopover in Oslo, and we do not land in Longyearbyen until the following morning. In both cases, we meet up with an international group of participants who will accompany us on our expedition.
DAY 2: EXPEDITION PREPARATION
Day 2
Our guide presents our expedition itinerary for the next 5 days, its characteristics and gives us a safety briefing. Together we check our personal equipment and gear (boots and snowshoes, pulkas, harnesses, tents, mattresses and cold-weather sleeping bag). We then go food shopping and learn how to store our pulkas as efficiently as possible.
Perhaps we will have time to test our equipment on the Adventalen Fjord. We will set up our tents and learn how to organize ourselves inside. An afternoon of preparation, ended by dinner with the whole team. Night at the guesthouse.
DAYS 3 TO 6: EXPEDITION IN A PURE POLAR ENVIRONMENT
Day 3
This morning, we pick up a bear deterrent weapon and fuel for our stoves, then set off.
For the next five days, we follow a route that we have marked on our map. We drag our pulkas over the ice in exceptional landscapes of mountains and icefields. Our daily effort does not exceed 6 hours' walking for a distance of around 15 kilometers. The pace is accessible, which means we can enjoy the surroundings, admire them, take photographs and so on. We get used to the cold, which can be biting, and begin to enjoy a pure polar environment.
DAY 7: RETURN OF THE EXPEDITION TO LONGYEARBYEN
Day 7
DAY 8 & 9: LONGYEARBYEN AND RETURN FLIGHT
Day 8
Today is departure day. Depending on our flight schedule, we take a stroll around Longyearbyen. We take the opportunity to visit the Svalbard Museum, not to be missed under any circumstances, especially since the recent extension allows visitors to discover the expeditions to the North Pole by airship at the beginning of the 20th century. For those lacking in activity, there is the option of a snowmobile or dog sled ride (not included in this package). We are then taken to the airport for our return flight.
END OF EXPEDITION
For reasons that cannot be foreseen at this stage, such as unpredictable weather, the physical fitness or lack of fitness of participants or other circumstancess (customs formalities, road conditions, traffic, landslides, force majeure, etc.), your expedition leader may have to adapt the program, if necessary, to ensure the smooth running of your trip. He remains the sole judge and the one who guarantees your safety. Activity times are given as an indication and may vary from one participant to another.
The itinerary for all our expedition programs, or the ascent program for our high-mountain expeditions, are given here as a guide only. They are flexible enough to adapt to weather conditions with a few contingency days. In any case, you should follow the recommendations of your guide, who may suggest that you cancel your expedition due to weather, safety or physical conditions.
It is important to remember that this is a truly unsupported expedition, and that anything can happen. Expeditions Unlimited, your expedition leader, your guide or our local teams can in no way be held responsible.
Any costs incurred as a result of a change in the expedition schedule (extra nights' accommodation, extra flights) will be borne by the participants and not by the organizers. "Contingency days" refer to the expedition in the strict sense of the term (base camp/base camp in the mountains, departure point/exit point on a traverse, etc.).
Any early return of the expedition or of certain members only (early success, abandonment, etc.), generating costs for accommodation, meals, changes to air tickets or other activities not provided for in this program, will be charged in full to the participants.
Trip notes
Guiding
Your Expedition Leader is a French and English-speaking Polar Guide from the Polar Experience team (see description above), highly experienced in polar environments and group management.
He represents Expeditions Unlimited to the group, our partners and local authorities. He takes the decisions necessary for the expedition to run smoothly. His authority is decisive and inescapable. You must respect his decisions, as well as those taken collectively.
For unpredictable reasons at this stage, like adverse weather conditions, insufficient physical condition of participants, insufficient competencies of participants related to the intended activities, your guide may decide to adjust the intended program and/or activities. At all times, his decision will be final on all matters likely to affect the safety and well-being of the trip.
Difficulty level
Level rated: challenging
This program is designed for participants who take part in a regular sports activity several times a week, including endurance activity.
This is a magnificent introduction to the Far North. No technical skills are required. The pulkas are not too heavy. Trekking times are not a problem. Only the weather conditions may require us to draw on our mental resources. As always in this type of project, the key to success is teamwork and team spirit.
Meeting point
We will meet you at Longyearbyen airport in Spitsbergen, where our teams will welcome you.
Given the diverse origins of the participants on this trip, international outward and return flights are not included in this package. In most cases, we book flights on your behalf to ensure that the whole group arrives at the destination at the same time. We do not charge any fees for these air bookings. Please do not hesitate to contact us. If you book your own tickets, we will advise you on the ideal flight schedule to enable all participants to arrive within a reduced time frame. At the very least, you need tickets that can be modified.
Accommodations
As indicated in the program, in a hotel or guesthouse in a double room with bathroom. Breakfast included. During the expedition, nights are spent in tents.
Meals
Meals are taken in small restaurants or at the guesthouse in Longyearbyen where only breakfast is included in the price of this package. During the expedition, meals are prepared in advance. They provide us with all the calories we need for the expedition, with the emphasis on balance, weight and ease of preparation.
Transfers / Transport
Transfers from/to airport are collective and are ensured by buses or taxis.
Group size
The group is composed of 4 to 10 participants maximum. The number of participants is deliberately limited to allow for greater immersion, to avoid embarrassing our hosts, and to develop freedom and flexibility. However, the maximum number may be exceeded if the last person to register wishes to travel with one or more other people. The services will not be modified, and the conditions of the trip will remain the same.
Equipment
Personal equipment is not provided. However, a complete list is provided to allow you to check that you are taking what is necessary.
This includes tents, pulka sled, mattresses, stoves, kitchen equipment, etc. A full list of personal equipment which is not provided is presented later in this document, part of which can also be rented to the participants. This list will be finalized and clarified while preparing your expedition with your guide.
Our commitments to sustainable development
Our commitment to a better planet has been a reality since the beginning of our story but we always need to do more and better. Please find out more about our charter and our commitments in terms of sustainable development. We have drafted our charter and take action through six themes on which we act as concretely as possible, most often with you: social equity and cultural respect, preservation of water, waste management in expedition, protection of biodiversity, raise public awareness on these subjects and finally, the optimization and recovery of CO2 emissions.
Regarding carbon emissions, most of which are due to air travel, we calculated and communicated in 2018 on the carbon footprint of each of our programs, expressed in tonnes of CO2.
These calculations made us aware of the importance of the total carbon emissions generated by our activity. Also, we have committed in 2022 to a carbon reduction that we believe is unprecedented in the tourism industry, aiming to reduce the total emissions of our activity by 5% per year, taking 2019 as the reference year (3,430 tonnes of CO2). This commitment is in line with the trajectory of the Paris climate agreements of 2015, the current benchmark. Thus, in 2030, we commit ourselves not to exceed 2,160 tonnes of C02. Thus, our maximum “carbon” budget for 2024 is 2,950 tonnes and for 2025, this budget will be reduced to 2,800 tonnes. And so on until 2030. To find out more about all of our calculations and our commitments in terms of reducing our carbon emissions.
In addition, since 2019, we have been encouraging you when you book for your journey to contribute with a donation to an independent NGO, among the two we have selected that share the commitments made in our charter. We matched the amount of this donation to this program's carbon footprint. Thus, the journey you are considering generates 2 tons of CO2, which corresponds to a 100% donation of €60 for an estimated value today of €30 per tonne of CO2. This donation remains of course optional and you can decide to give between nothing and 100% of this amount. Since 2019, including covid years of 2020 and 2021, we have been able to collect thanks to you nearly €7,000 for these associations.
Please do not hesitate to come back to us with any questions you might have regarding this carbon footprint mechanism, our other sustainable développement commitments or even to share with us your experience through a chat or a mail at contact@secret-planet.com.
Polar Experience guiding
This program is guided by a Polar Experience guide, accredited by the IPGA (International Polar Guides Association) with a solid experience in the polar regions and who adhere to a specific working method to help participants achieve their goals on an individual basis. They frequently lead participants in Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland, towards the North Pole, the South Pole and elsewhere in Antarctica like in Queen Maud land. Not only are they some of the best polar guides in the world, but they also have first-rate teaching and interpersonal skills, making the experience you are about to have, with and thanks to them, even rarer.
These guides were all trained by our late Dixie Dansercoer, who tragically passed away in June 2021 in Greenland. With many years of polar experience, he had developed a high-level team with a specific approach which can be summarized as follows:
- Respect for the environment: going places and leaving no traces, this is what we implement the best way we can during all our Polar Experience guided trips and expeditions. As expeditions are inherently based on a minimalist’s attitude, we stick to the basics and avoid excesses. Respect for local cultures.
- Safety: our knowledge and know-how has been developed with a major focus on maximum experience and minimal risk for our participants. Preparation and high-quality equipment are obviously two major issues with no compromise. We have as well weather, medical and rescue partners on stand-by 24/7. Your guide has a satellite telephone, an Iridium Go! VHF radio, mountaineering safety equipment, a location beacon, GPS and other equipment necessary for a journey in the best safety conditions.
- Preparation & training: full immersion in physical and mental training, equipment knowledge, first Aid basics, logistical challenges and crisis management. Understanding the environmental, cultural and geographical characteristics of polar environment, learning from pioneering and contemporary expeditions. Preparation calls and expeditions training (theory, practice) over a weekend.
- High quality equipment: constant improvements and customized adjustments for maximum efficiency and performance. Screening of personal clothing and advice on purchase of special polar clothing at partner’s stores with special discounts.
Julie Brown, Dixie's partner of many years, now leads this dynamic little team.
Each participant receives the useful book, Polar Exploration: A practical handbook for North and South Pole expeditions, hard cover or electronic version, written by Dixie Dansercoer, which is the reference handbook that explains all aspects of polar journeys and expeditions: polar environment, safety, preparation, training and equipment.
Departures and pricing
Please find below all dates and prices for this expedition. Prices are quoted "from" and may be adjusted notably according to the number of participants (see trip notes for details). Please note that dates and prices for years beyond 2024, when given, are for guidance only and are subject to change and readjustment to take account of current economic realities.
No date works for me!
I initiate a new datePrice includes
- Hotel accommodation and board in Longyearbyen for up to 3 nights.
- Breakfast in Longyearbyen for up to 3 days.
- Highly experienced polar guide.
- Freeze-dried rations during the expedition.
- Tents for two people, stoves and fuel.
- Pulkas and harnesses, mattresses and cold-weather sleeping bags.
- Safety satellite phone (reserved for guide).
- Taxes and permits.
- Experienced weather router during the expedition.
- Medical follow-up by Ifremmont during the expedition (see above).
- Face-to-face and/or remote preparation meetings.
- Live tracking of the expedition for your community (supply of InReach beacon, IridiumGo and subscriptions, configuration of LivExplorer service).
Price does not include
International flights. All accompaniments, accommodations or meals mentioned “not included” in the program. Drinks and personal “extras”. The “single” supplement or a different hotel category. Other supplements linked to a lower number of participants registered, your desire to customize or privatize the expedition. The mandatory expedition complementary insurance.
Votre voyage rien que pour vous !
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