If
someone invited you to a place which is not only situated in the middle of
nowhere, but at the northern end of an island 1500 kilometres north of the
North Cape, in order to spend a winter without electricity at a mere 35° below,
no running water and any amenities of modern life, instead surrounded by hungry
polar bears and constantly swept by terrible, icy winds that can kill you in no
time - would you accept...?
Well,
the answer is not such an obvious NO! as one should think if it comes to the
shores of today's morning destination - the Woodfjord.
There
is no place in Svalbard's North that has attracted more people in the last
decades. Surely one of the most well-known is Christiane Ritter, whose book
about a woman experiencing the Arctic winter has been translated into seven
languages and gives a very personal and philosophical account of the mental
strain that can be converted into sheer admiration for the roughness of this
environment. "Bring toothpaste for one year", was what her husband
wrote before she left to meet him up in Gråhuken.
The
legendary Norwegian hunter Hilmar Nøis set up a hut at Mushamna. Hauke Trings,
German physicist and well-known author, nourishing the theory that life sprang
initially from the ice, spent one winter in Mushamnabukta after his sailing
boat froze into the ice.
Mushamna
is also the location of probably the most luxurious trapper house in the whole
of Svalbard. Buildt by the stubborn trapper Kjell Hovelsrud next to Nøis' hut,
it features several extra sturdy buildings, all made from driftwood, a lofty
meat rack and the smallest blockhouse in the Arctic - the toilet.
In
this historic setting we start with two groups of early morning hikers on a
brisk walk far inland, across the plains and into the wide open valleys that
display a zebra pattern of snow patches and dark soil that shines magically in
the morning light. For nearly three hours we go exploring in this amazing
country, followed by Arctic Skuas, watched by Barnacle Geese and engulfed in
the sound of many rivulets that criss-cross the valleys.
Upon
return, a wonderful surprise is waiting for us: A Polar Fox has decided to take
a nap right under our noses, and totally unabashed by the people around he lies
there curled up and ready for us to take pictures. And the occasional yawn
shows us that he really is sleeping, nothing more.
It
is only a short leg over to Liefdefjorden, and the weather is magically
holding, although many times it seems like the clouds are starting to pour down
on us. The light are actually perfect for going out in the ice. And that is
exactly what we do, two miles from the vast Monaco glacier we lower the boats
to the water and start an ice cruise in front of a 45m wall of blue. The
intense colour indicates fresh calving activity, and indeed it doesn't take
long until the first walls of ice collapse right in front of us. The thunder is
frightening, a big splash wave radiates from the impact, but we are of course
in a safe distance, so we can admire this powerful spectacle undistracted.
Light
and shadow play with us, thunder and ice. It is indeed a festival for all
senses.
Few
hours later:
In
the twilight of the beginning dark season we suddenly hear weird noises over
the loudspeakers on board, like the mixture of grunting, breaking toothpicks
and sipping Martini. This is a recording of a male walrus under water, and the
reason for this strange soundscape is coming up in front of us - Moffen island.
This heap of scree in the middle of the ocean offers just the right angle for
walruses to haul out, so the chance of seeing them is pretty high. And there
they are, lazily clustered on the beach, hardly moving but unmistakable with
their bright tusks. A group of maybe 15 animals is being photographed a lot
tonight. For quite some time we stay with them, until we have to set course
towards East, continuing our journey into the wild.
