8-day Svalbard Skiing and Sailing Tour in Norway (Spitsbergen)

Enjoy a wild and woolly ski mountaineering trip in the delightful wilderness of Svalbard! This week-long extravaganza features incredible remote skiing from the comfort of a yacht, allowing us to reach every nook and cranny of Spitsbergen!

The archipelago of Svalbard is in the Arctic Ocean, nearly halfway between mainland Norway (1,000 kilometers away) and the North Pole (1,200 kilometers away). This group of over 60 islands is one of the furthest reaches for immaculate snow conditions. It is sparsely populated, with Longyearbyen as its largest settlement with just over 2,000 inhabitants.

Spitsbergen is its largest island, with a multitude of terrain to explore and discover. Wildlife includes the polar bear, a symbol of the region. The rare nature is a definition of remote terrain and a particularly interesting aspect of a Svalbard expedition.

Your program includes the best parts of this amazing wilderness. For easy access to the many runs and routes, we will be staying on a yacht and sailing around the coast of Spitsbergen. For seven days, we will tour the shores and seamlessly transition into unforgettable runs and routes. This is the land of the midnight sun, which means five to nine hours dedicated each day to finding the best spots to ski.

The terrain includes untouched corn snow of the highest quality, stunning fjords protected by the island of Prins Karls Vorland, and incomparable panoramas from the peaks that stretch out of the water up to 1,000 kilometers. Light and dry Arctic powder can also be found in the area for unparalleled skiing conditions.

The yacht provides us unencumbered access to the best features of the landscape. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest ski mountaineering trips you could ever imagine, taking advantage of the unique sea and mountain geography in the unexplored beauty of the Arctic.

You can expect day after day of phenomenal skiing. You will be touring from shore to 800 meters and higher each day. The glaciated terrain presents exciting challenges that are particular to Svalbard and Spitsbergen. Our adventure will cover anywhere from 10 to 20 kilometers a day in distance, and a vertical distance of 1,100 meters to 1,500 meters, possibly even more.

The yacht perfectly blends luxury and necessity, all without compromising the integrity of this rugged once-in-a-lifetime experience. The 50-meter boat is stable and comfortable, a fitting homage to the traditional whaling boats that toured the region over 200 years ago. Heliskiing is forbidden in Svalbard, making our yacht trip the best way to reach the terrain of Spitsbergen.

You should have a high proficiency in ski mountaineering for this trip, both for the isolated region and the terrain. A high level of physical fitness is also necessary for the sustained trip. Five to nine hours of daily skiing can be demanding, so you should come equipped with the mental fortitude to take on the challenges associated with it.

For those adventurers interested in extending the trip and making the most out of their experience in Svalbard, there is an optional three-day pre-trip extension! Come with me to the Basecamp Svalbard Hotel in Longyearbyen, where we can ski tour with or without snowmobile access to the pristine backcountry.

The area contains captivating peaks and glaciers. You will have the rare chance to experience skiing based out of the northernmost town in the world, ending each day in its unique culture and nightlife.

Set off on the adventure of a lifetime NOW and book this seven-day ski mountaineering program in a Norwegian archipelago, exploring the western coast of Spitsbergen in Svalbard!