Fjortende Julibreen (14th July Glacier)
Krossfjorden, Spitsbergen – Svalbard (July 2011)
[click here for the words]
Showing posts with label spitsbergen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spitsbergen. Show all posts
While This Blog is on Hiatus …
Sunday, 29 January
Mui has finished editing the video footage of our July 2011 voyage to the Arctic. So, if you’re in the mood for a virtual trip at your own pace, you can take one by viewing the short clips he uploaded to Vimeo.
We’ve organized the clips into a 2-page video album to make it easier to find them all in one place. Click here to go to the Arctic 2011 album. Once you get there, you can click on any thumbnail to view the video. And when you’re finished with a clip, you can select another one by scrolling through the sidebar on the right side of the screen.
(If you’re interested in reading about our adventure, the ‘words’ are in the July 2011 archive of this blog; start with this post.)
Bon Voyage!
Bleached Bones
Kvitfiskstranda (White Whale Beach), Bellsund – Spitsbergen, Svalbard (July 2011)
[click here for the words]
1,447 Nautical Miles Later
Wednesday, 13 July
Before starting to write about our post-cruise stay in Oslo, I thought I’d summarize some thoughts about our Arctic expedition cruise aboard Silver Explorer.
1,447 nautical miles is equal to 1,665 miles — 2,680 km for those who are metric oriented. That’s the distance we covered from the time we left Tromsø on July 3 to when the ship docked in Longyearbyen today. I can see some of you wondering how I kept track of the distances covered during the voyage. I didn’t; the crew of Silver Explorer did the tracking for me and published the information in the last edition of the Silversea Chronicles, the daily information sheet delivered to the cabin each evening.
Summary of the point-to-point distances covered during the voyage.
So, what can I say about our adventure that I haven’t already said in the voluminous number of words and images that I have already shared. Not much, really. We had a terrific time and we enjoyed every minute of our voyage, as well as our pre-cruise days in Tromsø.
Although in some ways the Arctic — at least the portions that we visited — lacks the WOW factor of the Antarctic, we were not disappointed in the least. I attribute that partially to the fact that we traveled to the northern latitudes for the “complete” experience, and not just for the ice, the scenery, the birds, or the mega fauna. Each aspect of the Arctic — be it tiny … like the colorful flowers that survive in the face of the harsh climate; or immense … like the gigantic rivers of ice that form glaciers with deep-blue hearts — combined to give us an experience that exceeded our expectations.
That we enjoyed our expedition in the lap of luxury goes without saying. From the moment we set foot aboard Silver Explorer, the service was impeccable. I’m still not sure how the staff learned our names so fast, but by the second day even those with whom we had little interaction were greeting us by name. The little touches — like leaving an eyeglass cleaning cloth next to my reading glasses — made us feel pampered. The food was good, and beverages (alcoholic and non) flowed freely. The expedition team did a great job of sharing their love and knowledge of the Arctic with passengers. I’d definitely book another voyage aboard Silver Explorer — for the right itinerary.
Silver Explorer in Tromsø.
All that said, I would skip the luxury in a heartbeat to travel aboard a smaller vessel where we didn’t have to take turns rotating ashore to abide by landing/zodiac capacity restrictions. The expedition team did a good job of getting everyone ashore smoothly, but taking turns limited our time on landings considerably. It also perhaps limited the places we were able to visit around Svalbard because we spent twice as long at each site to ensure the four groups got equal time.
One thing I wish I could change about our trip — the time frame. Weather plays a prominent role in the northern latitudes. It impacts where one can go. It also impacts what wildlife one might see. We were very lucky, IMHO. Even though we had mostly overcast weather, there was no direct impact on any of our landings (that I know of). That said, were I to be lucky enough to return to the Arctic someday — maybe to Greenland or the Canadian Arctic this time — I’d go later in July; perhaps even in early August. This would increase our chances of being able to penetrate normally ice-bound areas — or would it? After all, weather is luck of the draw, isn’t it?
Final Itinerary of Voyage 7114 aboard Silver Explorer.
Now, onto Oslo …
The Voyage Ends; Not the Trip
Wednesday, 13 July
Latitude at Wake UP: 78°13’46” N
latitude at the end of the day: 60°19’42” N
Crossing from Alkhornet, our landing site on the opposite side of Isfjorden (post here), Silver Explorer spent the night anchored just off shore from 
After a quiet night in the calm waters of the bay, we woke up to find the ship tied up to the pier on the outskirts of Longyearbyen. The overcast skies did little to brighten up the industrial feel of the town, which was named for John Munroe Longyear, one of two Americans who made a deal in 1905 with a Norwegian company that was looking for foreign buyers to develop and run the coal mining operations in the area.
Hoping for a chance to make a quick, exploratory trip into town, we prepared for the day ahead and went to The Restaurant for breakfast. Our plans were for naught, however. Since we were going to be chartered to Oslo as a group, passengers were not being allowed off the ship to go wandering at will. Understandable, I suppose; but disappointing nonetheless since it’s doubtful that we’ll ever find ourselves back in Longyearbyen (or Svalbard for that matter).
With a population just over 1,900, Longyearbyen is considered to be
the world’s most northerly town.
Disembarkation was scheduled for 9:45a, but with our outbound charter flight bringing the passengers for the next cruise, we were asked to vacate the suites by 8:30a to give the crew time to complete their cleaning chores. So, we collected our carry-on bags after breakfast and made ourselves comfortable in the Panorama Lounge. Our timing was excellent as it wasn’t long before the seating was at capacity.
Coal was transported from the mines to the shipping point via cable cars
called “kibb;” the towers supporting the cables were called “kibbstolper”
(kibb poles). This conveyance system is now defunct.
Mui sneaks off to put a few things in one of our bags so we don’t have
to carry them aboard the plane.
The airport transfer busses arrived around 9:30a and disembarkation began soon thereafter. Not sure why we had to go through the security gate, 
Filing down the gangway, we found our bags amongst the luggage that was lined up on the pier, waiting to be identified. (Seeing some of the oversized bags the other passengers had brought, I sure felt better about our three pieces!) Making sure the bags were loaded in the baggage truck, we said our farewells to the expedition team that had taken such good care of us, and boarded what turned out to be the first bus to leave the pier.
The ride to the Longyearbyen airport was short. Being amongst the first to arrive worked in our favor. Sure, we still had to wait 30-minutes or so (seemed longer; and maybe it was) for the SAS check-in counters to open, but at least we were one of the first to get our seat assignments. Yay for exit row seats!!!
For those curious about such details, the checked bag allowance for the charter flight was 75 pounds (34 kg) per person. There was no mention of a per bag limit; the SAS agent did not blink an eye when we presented her with three pieces that weighed well below the combined limit for the two of us. Our carry-on bags (all camera equipment) were well over the 11-pound (5 kg) limit; we were relieved that they were not weighed!!!
The baggage carousel is under the protection of a polar bear.
(the bear was killed in 2009 after it attacked a couple of students near the airport,
fatally injuring one of them.)
Next, we had to wait for security to man the checkpoint. Passing that hurdle without mishap, we found ourselves in the deserted waiting lounge where we snagged a couple of lounge chairs with leg rests. Nice! Free internet access gave us all an opportunity to check on long-neglected email accounts; and I even managed to post a teaser to the blog before the boarding announcement for SAS Flight 7193 was made at just before noon. Nice!
A comfy Boeing 737-800 is waiting for us to board for the flight to Oslo.
“Farvel” Longyearbyen; “Farvel” spitsbergen; “farvel” Svalbard!
right about now Silver Explorer is boarding the passengers for the next cruise!
[dead center in the picture]
last glimpse of the Norwegian Arctic before the plane climbs above the cloud deck.
The nearly 3-hour flight to Oslo was uneventful. We were served a full-lunch consisting of chicken cold-cuts on a bed of pasta, and panna cotta with raspberries for dessert. Quite reasonable for airline food. After lunch, I pulled out the Oslo information from my bag and put together “jello-plans” for our 2½-day post-cruise stay in Norway’s capital city. If those plans have to change due to circumstances beyond our control — weather being foremost — then so be it, but at least I have a priority-sightseeing list that will help us make the most of our limited time.
We arrive in Oslo to sunshine and blue skies.
We landed at the Oslo airport around 3:15p. It took us another 45 minutes to go through passport control (surprise!), collect our luggage, pass through customs, and supplement our stash of NOK (Norwegian Krone) at the currency exchange booth. All this and we were still on the first of several Silversea transfer busses from the airport to our hotel, the Radisson Blu Scandinavia. With traffic heavy, but flowing smoothly, the ride took about 40 minutes. Along the way, we enjoyed the lush green landscape we’d seen from the air. What a difference from the tundra environment.
"velkommen til” Oslo!
(Oslo Gardermoen airport from the transfer bus to the city)
Typical scenery en route to Oslo on the transfer bus.
When you arrive at a hotel as part of a transfer group, check in can be a time-consuming hassle. Even though we were sitting in the back of the bus, our divide-and-conquer plan worked well to reduce our check-in time at the Radisson Blu. While Mui waited for the luggage to be off-loaded, I went inside to check us in. Our names had been phoned in by the woman who had greeted us when we boarded the bus, so all room assignments had already been made. Five minutes after arrival, we were in Room 622. And the good news; we won’t have to switch rooms for the rest of our stay, which is on our own nickel (tonight’s stay is included in the Silversea transfer package from Longyearbyen.)
622 is a “cozy,” run-of-the-hotel room that overlooks a residential neighborhood;
well-insulated windows keep the traffic noise at bay.
We didn’t dawdle in the room. By 5:30p, we were at one of the local grocery stores, buying the fixings for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (for lunch), and fruits and snacks to munch on while we’re exploring the city. Dropping off our purchases in the room, we then went walk-about around downtown Oslo. Our outing confirmed that the hotel is indeed conveniently located within walking distance of downtown and will make a good base of operations for
We didn’t have a specific destination in mind and just wanted to get our bearings, so we headed to the Slottet (Royal Palace), located at the top of Karl Johans Gate, Oslo’s main drag. [“Gate” means street in Norwegian.] Named after Karl Johan, King of Norway and Sweden (1818-1844), the street is lined with stately buildings — to include, the University and the National Theater — as well as department stores, boutiques, and eateries galore. A perfect place for people-watching. And we had plenty to watch as the sunshine-filled, blue-sky weather and 62F (17C) temperature had brought people out in droves. Add to them a bevy of motorcyclists strutting their stuff in black leather jackets and leggings — you bet we definitely had plenty to watch.
With no cameras to weigh us down, we walked most of the way down Karl Johans, detouring into side streets to find out where they led. We stopped to browse menus, trying to decide where to eat dinner. Unable to make up our minds, we did what a lot of others had done — we bought panini sandwiches to go, found a bench overlooking a fountain in the park next door to the National Theater, and sat down to enjoy an al fresco meal, followed by ice cream for dessert.
Good enough for the locals; Good enough for us.
[taken with Mui’s Blackberry]
We were back at the hotel by 8:00p and more than ready for an early night for a change. Tomorrow we start exploring Oslo in earnest.
Isfjorden: Alkhornet
Tuesday, 12 July (Part II)
Once all of the passengers were aboard, Silver Explorer weighed anchor for Isfjorden (Ice Fjord) — home to not just our afternoon landing site, but also to Longyearbyen, our debarkation port tomorrow morning.
Isfjorden is Svalbard’s second longest fjord.
It took us about four hours to get from St Jonsfjorden, the site of our morning hike (post here), to our afternoon landing site. That gave us plenty of time for a leisurely lunch. We even had time to do a bit of laundry and get started on packing our bags, which Joel and Alain had cleaned, tied up with a silver bow, and set out for us — hint, hint!
We get the message — we’re gonna be kicked off the ship tomorrow.
At 2:00p, we joined our fellow-passengers to watch the video recap Kristine had prepared of our voyage. We’re amongst the few who have not signed up to purchase the DVD. After all, we have beaucoup still images and video footage of our own to remind us of our 10 days in the Arctic. (Besides, I still think that for what we paid for this voyage, the DVD should be a gift to the passengers.)
By 4:00p, the ship was anchored inside Isfjorden. As the first two groups set off in the zodiacs, we went to the Panorama Lounge for afternoon tea and chocolate-chip scones.
Mui plays mother and pours a cuppa.
One of the many glaciers of Isfjorden, but it’s not where we will be going this afternoon.
We watched as the zodiacs headed west from the ship. They kept going until we lost sight of them. As it turns out, the fjord is so deep that the ship had to anchor a considerable distance from our landing site at the base of Alkhornet (also Alkehornet, Auk-Horn), so named because its shape resembles a horn. The moss-skirted rock-face is home to auk colonies, but visiting them was not on the agenda.
I can see the reason why “horn” is part of the name of this cliff.
The area had been checked out and deemed to be bear-free. With armed guards posted as lookouts, and the rest of the expedition team standing vigil as well, we were given free reign to wander over the very springy, moss-covered tundra. Giving the nesting Arctic skuas a wide berth, we headed inland to hike up the skirt of Alkhornet to see Svalbard reindeer — cows and month-old calves — and possibly some birds.
Even though the angle of ascent turned out to be steeper than it looked from a distance, I had every intention of getting to the finish line. At least I did until I turned around and saw several reindeer grazing far below us. At that point, Mui and I decided to divide and conquer. He’d continue up and I’d go down. One of us was bound to get images of the reindeer that had eluded us thus far on the trip. It turns out that we both got lucky. The calves he was hoping to see had moved off, so Mui only saw the cows. My up-close-and-personal encounter, on the other hand, was with the males roaming the lush, green skirts of Alkhornet.
View from the point where I turned around; the reindeer are on the other side
of the small group of red-jacketed passengers in the distance.
The land I had to traverse consisted of moss-covered mounds surrounded by narrow, water-filled moats that were easily forded with a small jump. In some ways, it felt like I was walking on a trampoline. With the sun out, it was a gorgeous afternoon and I really enjoyed myself as I made my way over to the three reindeer in the distance. I even had company part of the way when a reindeer coming down from the upper reaches decided to take a path not far from mine.
Reindeer have a circumpolar distribution, but the Svalbard reindeer are exclusive to this area. They are short-legged and have relatively short, round heads, and are rarely seen in groups larger than 3-5 individuals, except during the rut in late autumn.
The animals showed no fear of the humans that stood around, watching them intently and snapping pictures. They were interested in one thing, and one thing alone — grazing. Not surprising really; this is the time of year when they must feed to accumulate significant amounts of fat to survive the harsh Arctic winter. They kept coming closer and closer to us; we kept backing up to give them space and let them go about their business. After 10 days of just seeing indications of reindeer — scat (poop) and hair — I was very happy to finally see the animals themselves. That they weren’t mere dots in the distance was a real bonus.
What’cha looking at?
Portrait of a Svalbard Reindeer.
When Mui joined me, we moved away from the reindeer to check out an Arctic skua that was sitting on the tundra, its mate flying overhead. I’m glad Claudia was nearby to tell us that there was a chick on the ground as well. It was so well disguised that I doubt we would have noticed it had we been on our own. Even knowing the chick was there, photographing it was a matter of blindly pointing the long lens in the right direction, clicking the shutter, and hoping for a relatively good shot. (The photo below is heavily cropped.)
arctic skuas usually lay their eggs in July, but since incubation takes about 26 days,
this one must have laid its egg sometime in June.
I’m glad we dallied a bit here or we would have missed the wildlife comedy-drama that followed. We were all maintaining considerable distance between us and the skua, but the reindeer that wandered into the nest area wasn’t so considerate. When he got a bit too close, the mate that had been flying overhead flew into protect his family. Like a guided missile, the bird targeted the big bad reindeer and had him running off at a gallop.
First the warning shot, flying low over the reindeer ...
... and then the attack!
With the show over, we slowly headed back to the beach and to the zodiac awaiting us. We were loathe to leave, but as with all good things, we knew the landing had to end … and with it, so did the voyage. Not literally, of course, since Silver Explorer still needed to cross 
Back on the ship, we finished what little packing remained and set all but one of our bags outside the door for the crew to take down to the ship’s bowels. Then, raiding the mini bar, we enjoyed a drink with the tapas Joel insisted on bringing us.
We enjoyed our last dinner aboard the ship at a four-top with Christina and Bob. No one was saying their farewells yet as we were going to be chartered to Oslo as a group. So, the atmosphere in The Restaurant was one of tempered joviality — mostly because we were dead tired after two hikes in one day and had little energy left for laughter and conversation.
I ordered and enjoyed a purple artichoke appetizer with Arabian spices, followed by pasta Bolognese, and stir-fry noodles. Mui opted for and enjoyed an iceberg wedge salad, followed by pasta Bolognese, and grilled grouper. I think my chocolate raspberry mousse was a better choice than his apple strudel with vanilla ice cream; but he wasn’t complaining, so who am I to pass judgment (I don’t like cooked fruits).
Around 9:00p, we arrived in Longyearbyen to a nasty surprise. No space at the pier tonight! That put paid to our plans to go ashore and explore what we could of the administrative center of Svalbard. Oh well; at least we’ll be docked at the pier in the morning for debarkation and won’t have to be shuttled ashore by zodiac — luggage and all.
It’s a gray, overcast night. The light is dull, so I won’t attempt any photographs of the distant town from the ship, but a walk around deck is in order before bedtime. Bye for now.
St Jonsfjorden: Gaffelbreen Hike
Tuesday, 12 July
Latitude at Wake up: 78°31’06” N
Temperature at wake up: 38.7F (3.7C)
Two fjords; two hikes! Boy did they make us work for our dinner today! Actually, they made us work for our lunch too!!! No complaints, though; after all the good food and drink of these past days, the exercise was warranted :-)
our itinerary today includes St Jonsfjorden and Isfjorden; we’re getting awfully
close to the star, which marks our debarkation port.
[MAP ON THE TOP RIGHT: COURTESY OF THE SPITSBERGEN-SVALBARD WEBSITE;
MAP ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT: COURTESY OF THE NORWEGIAN POLAR INSTITUTE WEBSITE]
Our first destination of the day was St Jonsfjorden, named for the apostle John. We woke up as Silver Explorer was entering the fjord from Forlandsund, the body of water that separates Spitsbergen from the island of Prins Karls Forland (named after Charles I of England).
The skies were overcast; nothing unusual about that. But this time, there was quite a bit of fog hiding the scenery on land from our curious eyes. So much so that I thought the planned hike might have to be cancelled since the guards would be unable to spot any bears near the landing site. Luckily, a short while later, the fog started to lift, leaving just the tops of the mountains wreathed in thick mist that occasionally parted to give us glimpses into what remained hidden.
The fog lifts to reveal our hiking destination.
Being the last group to disembark today worked out exceptionally well for us. Not only did we get to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, but we watched where those ashore were going to determine the path to reach Gaffelbreen (Fork Glacier). Oh my! Talk about steep!!! No matter; we weren’t about to be scared off.
Once ashore, I dropped off my backpack near the life vest bin so I wouldn’t be carrying any excess weight as we followed the steady stream of red jackets that were but mere specks ahead of us. Colorful flowers along the way gave us an excuse to roll around on the tundra to take photos and disguise our frequent catch-your-breath-stops. (Just amazing that thimble-sized flora can flourish in these harsh Arctic conditions.) Views, shrouded in fog that thickened one moment and thinned to mere wisps the next, also encouraged frequent stops on our way to the top.
 |  |
The tiny specks of people at the top of the ridge (left) and on the beach (right)
provide perspective for distance and elevation.
Moss Campion (top left); Saxifrage (top right); Arctic Bell Heather (bottom left and right);
and Polar Campion (center) — bits of color on the tundra.
At the top, we were greeted with the disappointing news that we would not be able to continue on towards the glacier. The fog was simply too thick. Though we didn’t have to like it, we could understand the reason — safety first in bear country.
The lateral moraine on the other side of the patches of snow would give us a decent
view of Gaffelbreen, but with the fog moving in and out, it’s off limits to us. Or is it?
Having expended considerable energy to get up to the plateau, we weren’t about to just turn around and walk back down. Instead, we quietly wandered around, enjoying the vistas spread out well below us. It was so incredibly quiet; and so peaceful. Soon, there were just six of us passengers and Kara and Chris from the expedition team left at the top.
Then, a miracle! The skies cleared a bit to show patches of blue sky and the sun that peeked through burned off the fog around us. Yes, the far reaches of the glacier was still shrouded, but visibility was greatly improved. We asked — begged might be a better description — Kara and Chris to take us to the top of the lateral moraine for a better view. After getting permission from Robin to do so, our small band of happy trekkers took a short, but rewarding jaunt. (Don’t be misled by the lack of depth perception in the above picture; there was quite a gully to navigate before and after those patches of snow to make it to the top of the moraine ridge.)
 |  |
Left: Chris takes his job as a bear guard seriously.
Right: Mother Nature’s artwork can’t be beaten.
When the time came to head back down, we didn’t want to leave. But the promise of an afternoon hike finally lured us away from the ridge. Buoyed by the special treat we had enjoyed, we had a spring in our step as we began the descent. The walk down the mossy, springy tundra was relatively easy, except for the steep angle of descent. Soon we were back on the beach where the last passenger zodiac was waiting to return us to the Silver Explorer.
I wonder what pearls of wisdom I’m sharing as I brush the tundra mud off my boots?
Clearly beautiful!
time to return to the Silver Explorer!
Back aboard the ship, I couldn’t resist walking around Deck 6 for a few more pictures of the glacier and the scenery in general. After all, I could eat anytime; the landscape feast, however, would soon be gone.
Striations add interest to a melting berg that still has considerable underwater mass.
Gaffelbreen from a distance.
Looking deeper into the fjord; I think that’s Osbornebreen in the distance
(the biggest glacier in the fjord).
Filmy mists soften the jagged fissures.
It was a great morning. Now for a great afternoon …
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