My Kind of People

I like to think our clientele is different, but they are different in a way that they are my kind of people.  A vacation high in the Arctic late in August is not for everyone and I am thankful for that.  Who wants to see a lengthy queue of cruise ships in Longyearbyen, each ship accommodating 4000 passengers and each ship wishing to disgorge their passengers all at once?  Can you imagine? 

I have been in the Polar Expedition cruise business since 1993 and have learned that in general, the people that vacation in polar regions care deeply about the environment.  They love wildlife.  They are addicted to the outdoors.  They embrace nature.  Cold weather is not an inconvenience but rather it escorts the elements of their dreams.  Without cold we would be bereft of glaciers and icebergs.  There would be no snow.   A world without cold would mean never having the possibility to encounter a wild Beluga Whale, or Polar Bear, or Muskox, or Walrus.

To Polar enthusiasts a vacation high in the Arctic in Spitsbergen means preparing for the elements and the possibility of encountering dreams.  Our guests on Fram are my kind of people.

Today, August 23, it was snowing hard in the morning here in Longyearbyen.  It seemed summer had decided to skip directly to winter without pausing for autumn. 

Most people arrived at MV Fram between 16:00 & 17:00.  The checkin process was quick and easy.  The luggage had made it onto the ship before us and was already outside our cabin door when we arrived.

Before we left the pier we all participated in a mandatory safety drill.  When we heard seven short alarms followed by a long alarm we were instructed to assemble at our muster stations on deck five. We were then instructed on how evacuation and safety procedures would unfold should it ever be necessary  to abandon the ship at sea.

Soon enough we were under way and headed for our first destination, The russian coal mining community of Barentsburg.  We arrived at the pier at approximately 20:30 where we assembled in language groups with the Expedition Team and local Russian guides.  The tour was fascinating.  The buildings were in various states of repair and disrepair.  Some were leaning at odd angles and were obviously unfit to be occupied.  Others had new coats of paint and had been renovated.  Many of the buildings were typical Russian architecture.

We learned a little bit about what life might be like in a coal mine high in the Arctic.  All of the miners were on a two year contract.  It was obligatory for them to take two months off at the end of their contract after which they could sign on again and many of them did.

At the end of the 45 minute tour we were invited to their theatre where we were treated to traditional Russian folk music and dancing.

By 23:15 everyone was back on board the ship.

Alkehornet and Skansebukta

 We landed at Alkehornet shortly after 09:00.

Just up from the landing site on a rich green flat area was a herd of 21 reindeer.  The males had enormous racks. The reindeer seemed quite habituated to people as many people were able to approach them within twenty or thirty metres.  However, after a time, the reindeer slowly ambled off.

Alkehornet is an impressive place.  Towering cliffs rise steeply above the grass and moss plain.  The cliffs provide nesting sites to thousands of Kittiwakes and Fulmars.  It is now getting late in the season.  Before long these same colonies will be devoid of avian life.

The Expedition Team was spread out over a broad expanse providing a huge area for us to roam freely. 

The sky was overcast but the temperatures were in ~ 5˚C - 7˚C range.  Without any wind to speak of, it was quite a pleasant morning to hike from one Expedition Team member to the next.  If you managed to visit them all, you would have put in a decent morning’s hike.

In the afternoon at 15:00 we all met in the Observation Lounge for the Captain’s farewell speech and a final, “skoll”.  The ship’s crew sang a touching farewell song.

The farewell in the Observation Lounge was followed by a charity auction.  The three items up for auction were: a unique plaque commemorating this voyage, the ship’s flag and the master chart of the voyage.  The funds raised at the auction will go to a fund for worthy students wishing to attend the Arctic Guiding program in Longyearbyen and to environmental causes in the Arctic.  The funds raised by auctioning the plaque go to the crew fund on board Fram.  The crew fund serves many purposes not least of which is to purpose things such as bicycles for the crew, choice prizes to win on bingo nights or perhaps to take a taxi into town when a port isn’t central.

In the late afternoon at approximately 17:30 we made our final landing at Skansebukta.  If Alkehornet is impressive, what adjective does one use to describe this stunning place.  That’s it! Stunning!  Inspiring. Dramatic. The list could go on.  Even more impressive cliffs rose straight up from the beach.  At times the sun fought its way through the dense cloud cover illuminating the warm cliffs with yellow sunshine.

Thousands of Fulmars nested high on the cliffs.  A steady stream of Puffins flapped busily to and from the sea.  Occasionally you could spot one land in a cleft in the cliffs.  At the end of the landing everyone was treated to a tour in the Polar Cirkel boats to see nesting Puffins down closer to the sea.

By 20:30 everyone was back on the ship.  Sadly, the last landing of our voyage in the Arctic had come to a close.  We had seen a lot.  We had done a lot.  Our wildlife list was impressive, why with just cetaceans alone we had seen Blue, Fin, Humpback, Minke and Beluga whales.  We had seen many Reindeer, Arctic Foxes and countless sea birds including excellent observations of everyone’s favourite sea bird, the Puffin.  We have seen magnificent scenery that is indelibly etched in our mind.  We have had a true Arctic experience.

Arctic Weather

This morning at 08:30 we landed at Bruceneset.  Our high winds and grey skies from yesterday evening accompanied us on shore.  Snow squalls whipped across the barren landscape.  We are still very high in the Arctic at N 79˚ 44’  and the weather underscored that fact.  Once on shore, the Expedition Team established a perimeter within which we were free to wander.

Right beside the landing site stood a small trapper’s hut.  Most of us took the time to poke our heads inside. Cozy for one.  Two people would cause a claustrophobic response.

Not far from the hut was an old whaler’s grave.  No one knows who lies here or what befell him.  The solitary grave certainly gave one pause for thought.  What a lonely place to end your days.

The austerity of the landscape, the solitude of the tiny hut, the lonely whaler and the onset of autumn Arctic weather combined in a powerful way.  Bruceneset left an indelible impression on our minds not just of cold weather but of the cold and inhospitable nature of life in the Arctic.

We had a many miles to travel before our next scheduled landing at Graveneset in Magdalena Fjord.  As always, sea time is lecture time on board Fram.  We had three different lectures in the afternoon each of which was aimed at a different language group.

As we approached our landing site at 16:00 we became aware that another ship was there ahead of us.  It was the MS Expedition from G Expeditions.  It was not the Fram that was in error.  Our schedule was published and approved six months ago but in the spirit of Arctic cooperation we agreed to delay our landing operations so we could both complete our programs.  Besides, you never know when you may need a friend or a favour when you’re high in the Arctic!

At about 17:00 the Expedition Team went on shore to prepare the landing site. Light snow fell throughout the landing.  This morning at Bruceneset we were pensive at the lonely whaler’s grave.  Here at Gravneset lay 130 whalers from a period spanning two hundred years.  Any romantic notions of the life of a whaler were dispelled upon visiting this sombre cemetery.

Meanwhile, 23 hikers set off with two members of the Expedition Team to hike deep into Gullyfbukta.  With such a small group and everyone a good hiker, they made excellent speed.  Not only did they reach Gullybreen (glacier) but they were able to walk high enough on the glacier where they had an excellent view of the seracs above the terminus.

What is the furthest north that you have gone swimming?  Try N 79˚33’.  Yup.  Numerous people went for a polar plunge at the end of the landing.  My goose bumps got goose bumps just watching them.

All seasons in one day!

 Waking up to blue skies and the sun shining on the Monaco glacier was an enchanting experience. Especially because we knew we were going out for a cruise with the smaller polar circle boats.  At 8.30 we started, we dressed in special warm suits, and could enjoy  Monaco glacier and Seliger glacier from close by. The glaciers have a collective front of around 5 kilometers. After two hours the sun disappeared behind the clouds and some minutes later it began to hail. The weather was erratic, but we are in the arctic, so it is nice to experience some colder weather. At around 12.30 everybody had his round of cruising and we sailed towards Bockfjorden to land at the Jotunkjeldene. From the ship we could clearly see Sverrefjellet, remains of a former volcano that erupted a few hundred thousand years ago under glacier ice. Arriving at the beach we found the first proof, small black stones with holes in it, lava! After a short walk up we had a beautiful view over the fjord, the old red sandstones  and the thermal springs in the front.  During most of the landing it was quite windy and snowy, the mountains around us became covered with a thin layer of snow. It was a breathtaking view. Back on board we attended the information meeting and at 22 o’ clock we arrived at Moffen at 80 degrees North. Unfortunately the island was empty, no walruses to be seen. Well well…we can’t be lucky all the time. We returned back inside and had to hold our balance while walking, quite stormy outside and big waves rolled the ship. About time to go to bed.

Heroes and Villains and Glaciers and Bears

This morning we visited Ny Ålesund, one of the northernmost communities in the world.  It was a brisk 5˚C, overcast, with patches of bright blue sky.  At 08:30 we began to assemble in our boat groups on the pier.  We were then lead on a walk through the small but fascinating town.  The Expedition Team regaled us with stories of adventure and exploration.  There were heroes and villains.   There were stories of historic achievements in Arctic exploration and of tragedy and death. There were tales of commerce, mining, exploitation and more death. This is where Roald Admundsen launched his Zeppelin in 1926 and successfully flew to the north pole and back.  It is where Umberto Nobile’s subsequent challenging expedition ended in death, intrigue and tragedy.  It is where 21 miners died in a mine that already had a bad history of accidents.  72 people died in this mine between 1946 and 1962.

The checkered past of Ny Ålesund has now been replaced by an international co-operative of Arctic Scientific discovery and research.  As many as 15 nations conduct research here annually.

After the tour, many people took the opportunity to send post cards.  It is unlikely that their friends and family will ever receive another piece of mail from such a northerly destination.

By 11:30 everyone was back on Fram.  We then enjoyed ship’s cruising by magnificent glaciers and mountains deep in Kongsfjorden.

The afternoon’s plans to land at Julibukta at 15:00 were interrupted by two Polar bears on the landing site.  A female bear and her cub watched Fram drop anchor from the precise spot we had hoped to land.  Well, what can I say?  Bears have priority and after all,  they were there first.  In actual fact, the bears were another highlight to a trip already littered with highlights and we’re not even half way through!

Our original plan included landing 43 energetic hikers on the opposite side of the fjord.  The Polar Bears were far enough away that they posed no threat to them. While the hikers were shuttled to shore, the bears slowly meandered to a safe distance away from the landing site.  Before long, landing operations began at the original site and soon everyone was safely on shore. 

At the end of the day, more than one red face was a testament that the sun had shone throughout the afternoon.  By 19:30 everyone was back on the ship. The hikers returned exhausted, but happy from a strenuous hike up and down boulder strewn moraine.

Blue whales in the midnight sun

 02.00 At night: Ding Dong…Sorry to make an announcement so late, but we have blue whales at our starboard side….When we arrived on the bow of deck 5 the whales just had  made a dive so we had to wait for around 5 minutes, but then we were rewarded. We could enjoy a blue whale mom with her calf close to the ship for around an hour.  An amazing experience to hear the blows and see the whales so close  and especially in the soft light from the midnight sun just hanging above the horizon. The next morning the expedition-team went ashore around 8 o’ clock.  We were guided in groups to the hut called Bamsebu which had still the prints of polar beer paws from last week left on the door. At the end of the landing we had the luck to see a pod of Beluga whales very close to the shore. That was a little bit weird in a way, since the area around Bamsebu in the 1930’s was used for Beluga whales hunt and the bones of around 550 whales are lying on the beach. In the afternoon we sailed to Vårsolbukta, but we got the news from the expeditionleader that the tide conditions and swell on the landingsite were unfavorable to make a landing. So we sailed further in van Mijenfjorden, around Axeløya and could enjoy the beautiful scenery of the area there. At three o’clock we heard the DING DONG again and plan B was presented: a landing at Axeløya! It was fantastic, the expedition-team was posted on the hills and we could wander in between to enjoy all the birds and even some reindeers. We spotted kittiwakes, red-throated divers, terns, female common eiders, arctic skuas and glaucous gulls and several smaller birds running around on the mossy parts. It was a fantastic day!