MAY 2020 BY BBE & IN THE COMPANY OF GUIDES
Imagine awaking to fresh baked bread aboard the SkyDancer, a 73-foot steel hull schooner, custom-built for Arctic sailing. The SkyDancer sleeps 10 guests; 6 in 3 highly comfortable double cabins, and 4 more in a quad bunk upfront.
Each day we begin our ski day by climbing aboard our private zodiac and heading to shore, to lines. We spend most of our time along the stunningly picturesque and remote west coast line of the island of Spitsbergen. Once ashore, we will put skins on our skis, clip in and begin to hike. You can expect 6-8 hour days with 3-7 thousand vert of ascent. Of course what goes up, must come down.. and your efforts will be reward with breathtaking views, wild ski terrain and with any luck a whole lot of powder turns.
This is backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering like you’ve never experienced before.
Because this location is so remote, wind and the weather conditions can change at anytime, and fast, so we staff the trip with 2 IFMGA guides. Furthermore, because it is alway possible to come across a polar bear while skiing, the guide will always carry a gun… but don’t worry, it’s only to scare it off. We have yet to fire one of our guns yet, but we must be prepared!
Average temperatures range between 22 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and in May the sun never really goes down. We’ll try to keep on a normal schedule, but sometimes weather and travel nudge us to switch it up a bit. No biggie though, we’re way up north in the land of midnight sun, and skiing down a couloir with the sea below at 2am in the Arctic makes for good stories.
Sail to Ski Svalbard Itinerary Trip overview- 10 days/ 10 nights (May 13 -23, 2020)
Ideally you should arrive in Longyearbyen the evening before the the scheduled start day.
Day 1: Transport to Sailboat. Move into your room, organize gear, briefing and dinner. plan on moving onto the boat between 10 and 1pm. You should plan on using the morning to buy alcohol, specialty items or any last minute needs.
Day 2-10: 9 full days of backcountry skiing/ Ski mountaineering. Boat living, all meals, scenery and good times with friends new and old.
Day 10: Departure. Don’t plan on leaving until late afternoon or evening. We do not spend our last night in Longyearbyen so we cannot guarantee you will make an early flight.
