Basecamp Nordenskiöld Svalbard

Arrive Longyearbyen and transfer by shuttle to your hotel. This small hotel, 5 kilometres from the airport, is centrally located, offering 24-hour reception, free WiFi, a terrace and modern rooms with a flat-screen TV.

With no running water or electricity Nordenskiöld is a true hunting cabin like those used by the trappers, but with modern comforts. We use wood for heating and get our drinking water from the melting glacier. There are 5 big bedrooms with fantastic arctic views, 11 comfortable beds, indoor toilet and a traditional sauna. The cabin is modern and comfortable with big windows giving away to the mighty glacier. Lying in the glacier moraine, the cabin is well hidden from any passer-by.

The guide will pick you up at your hotel at 8 AM. We will go through today’s program and give you an important safety briefing before we start making our way to the expedition base and afterwards to the harbour. We recommend that you only bring one bag on the trip, as the storage space on the boat is limited. Other luggage can be stored at your hotel in Longyearbyen.
The Isfjord Ekspressen will take us to Billefjorden and Adolfbukta. Isfjord Ekspressen is a closed boat, for your comfort.

During summer, the fjords will be teeming with wildlife, and you will most likely encounter the devoted boat-followers known as northern fulmars, as well as the occasional puffin. You might also get to see walruses, belugas or even a polar bear! Once at Nordenskiöld cabin we will enjoy an outdoor lunch and get familiar with the cabin and the surroundings.

After lunch, it is time to head out into the arctic nature and explore the beauty of the isolated outpost. We return to the cabin in the evening, where you will be served a delicious dinner and get to enjoy a pre-heated sauna. Accommodation in double rooms.

The day begins with a solid breakfast, before leaving the comforts of the Nordenskiold Lodge. We zip up our dry suits and slide into the calm water in steady and reliable double kayaks. We paddle in pairs. Kayaking is the perfect way to get around in the Arctic and is probably the ultimate way to explore the Arctic shorelines. Today’s destination will be determined by the weather and sea conditions, as well as your paddling skill level. We will paddle next to the magnificent glacier front among floating pieces of glacier ice while being observed by the curious wildlife.

After a long day of paddling in a cold, arctic sea, the comforts of a warm sauna and a proper meal will seem very tempting.

Today we will head out to the majestic Nordenskiöld Glacier. After breakfast, we will go through the basic guidelines and safety precautions associated with glacier hiking. We will set out to explore the heavily crevassed glacier that is situated only 1,5 kilometres from the cabin. We spend the day hiking up and down the glacier, exploring the ice formations and enjoying the magnificent view. We will eat an expedition lunch on the glacier. If the weather is nice, we will make a bonfire once back at the cabin, and cherish the view of the fjord.

Enjoy the last breakfast at Nordenskiöld Lodge this time. We suggest you take an extra cup of coffee and rest your eyes on the ice blue glacier. The boat back to town will pick you up at 10 o’clock.

We travel to Longyearbyen with Isfjord Ekspressen, and get some good experiences at sea on the way home.