Svalbard

Raudfjorden

July 29:th

We were supposed to have arrived late the previous evening, but the ice situation made it doubtful if we could land at the place called Alicehamna. After several hours of waiting, it seemed like it couldn't be done, so I went to bed and didn't expect to wake up until we were at another place.

But no such luck: at 0200 I was told it was time to take to the dinghies!

We brought a lot of equipment to the beach, some of it which I thought was ridiculous: Lots of kitchen equipment and so on. It wasn't until later I understood that this was to be left behind, for the next group to stay in this camp...

I got to be bear sentry between 0400 and 0600. It wasn't easy to wake me up, they say. When standing sentry, you don't get to have a rifle (the rifles our guards used were ex-German Mausers m/1898 chambered for .30-06, instead we just got a signal pistol with a few noise charges. Orders were: Do fire straight up, not towards the bear, because if it goes bang behind it, you'll scare it and make it come towards you!

After breakfast, it was time for the first real trek for this trip. As I was somewhat careful, I decided I had better keep the part of the group taking the "short" trek.
That was very sensible, as even though the actual distance walked every day wasn't very long, the terrain was very demanding, so I was very lucky indeed I'd brought a good walking stick. (Not much bamboo there to cut one from, like in Nepal.)

The "short" trek was usually 15 km in difficult terrain, or six hours in extremely demanding terrain.

On our first walk along the beach, we came upon one of the graves which can be seen in many places. Burying people just doesn't work in Svalbard, as everything will surface, sooner or later.

About halfway through each trek, it was time for lunch, which consisted of sandwiches you'd made right after breakfast, and whatever you'd got in your thermos.

I usually made sandwiches with mayonaisse, raisins, cheese and something else. Seemed to work rather well. I never drank anything but straight hot water on the treks. Sometimes tea back in camp, or a soda.

July 30:th

I got to be bear sentry between 0600 and 0800.

Later in the day we went for a longer trek, between 1030-1900. In all it was only 14 km or so, but quite difficult terrain. I think it was a good thing I didn't bring my camera, as the walking was difficult, with almost no flat space at all. But it was great fun anyway!

July 31:st

This day we walked along the fiord into the land. The other group left us about two thirds of the way to the glacier, in order to climp to yet another mountain top (I don't understand this obsession with climbing to mountain tops: I find it very enjoyable anyway).

Me and Petter continued on. I got to prove that my eye-sight isn't bad, as I saw a fox first, at very long range. (We never saw very many animals, only this one or two foxes, and a single reindeer. And of course lots and lots of birds.)

I walked in my leather boots, Lundhags Trekking, which I think was the most common model of boot. (Fjällräven Greenland trousers were the most common trousers.) Perhaps not a good idea, as there were many creeks to cross, but by beeing careful as well as quick, having the boots tied on well and filled by woolen socks (and polypropylene inner socks), I never got my feet wet.

Contrary to what I thought, burying your human waste isn't a good idea at all, as for all practical purposes Svalbard is a desert, with very little precipation.

So, we had a real plastic toilet in camp, which was emptied into the fiord.

August 1:st

Since this was the day we would leave, the ice permitting, a small group went to the mouth of the fiord to reconnoiter. It really didn't look like there was a way in for the ship, which isn't ice breaking, only reinforced in the water line to permit it push through free floating pieces of ice. But later on, the wind actually pushed everything clear, so there was a channel the ship could use.

Out on near the spit, an old whalers' cabin stands. When we passed by the first time, two British geologists had their tent nearby. But since it's an old building, you're not allowed to put up your tents closer than 100 m from it, which they were told by two policemen, who earlier that day also had visited our camp. (They didn't have rifles, but large revolvers.)

There are very few places were something grows on Svalbard. This is not just due to the temperature, but mainly due to the lack of fertilizers. But in some spots, a little moss and flowers grow anyway, as well as few straws of grass.
It was a nice day to sit out and have lunch, as the weather was very hospitable.

On the way back, the weather shifted and became more overcast.

Visited by an Arctic Fox

In the afternoon, an arctic fox visited our camp. It wasn't very shy, so we could come quite close to it, while it was looking for scraps. They are very much smaller than the red fox we have at home, perhaps only 35 cm long excluding tail and hardly as massive as a regular cat.

The arctic fox is interesting in that it exists in two colour variations intermixed in the population. One goes white in the winter, the other doesn't.

Leaving Raufjorden

The weather changed very quickly. In the day it had been very sunny and clear, but when we were waiting for the ship, there was so much fog it couldn't be seen when anchored.

On to 14:e juli breen

My trip to Svalbard
Last modified 1995 Dec 22 by Urban Fredriksson

griffon@canit.se