Preparing for an icy expedition
For the last 3 years we have been dreaming and preparing for an new expedition at Svalbard. We have been there before - and personally I can not get enough. I have fallen in love with the magical scenery. The mountains being both sharp and smooth at the same time, the magical light and above all the feeling of being in nature. The feeling of being fully dependent on our selves.
Before ending our last trip we began dreaming about going back - this time a little longer, a little further and on our own. There is a learning curve to the expedition life. Fortunately we learned from one of the best in the world and got a proper introduction - the last trip felt like a crash course to expedition life - but going alone requires a lot more from us and a whole new set of skills.
Learning the ways of the glacier
Henning Hovland
Svartisen
Training for an expedition at Svalbard goes way beyond the physical preparation. We know that we have to cover 25-30 kilometers per day pulling our sleds weighing over 90 kilos when we start. And we know that we can not change the weather. We anticipate hard days with little visibility and much powder as well as beautiful days with calm winds and blue bird skies.
The glaciers are constantly moving. In the summer time they will slide down on the rocks as the ice is melting. Small trickles of water forming streams and rivers until it digs all the way down to the hard rocks beneath. Water lubricates the bedrock and making it slippery. A glacier on the move the will start to crack and form crevasses. Some small and some almost touching the bottom. Then when winter comes all of these cracks and crevasses get filled with snow.
What we do not know is what is hidden beneath the perfect snow cover. How the landscape will look like during whiteout. And we especially do not know where the kings and queens of Svalbard decides to walk - the polar bears. There are more polar bears at Svalbard than permanent residents. We are entering their realm and the realm of snow and ice.
Skiing all the way to Sorkapp and back
Training day in perfect conditions
Henning Hovland
Svartisen
A land of magnificient shapes
Henning Hovland
Svartisen
Traversing the ice
Henning Hovland
Svartisen