Arctic Expedition Through Svalbard in Winter

I generally avoid tours and group travel but the logistics and safety issues of winter camping in the Arctic (cold! polar bears!) put this beyond my ability to do alone. This solo traveler was fully converted and charmed by the wonderful group of adventurous people on this trip! Much Better Adventures seems to attract warm-hearted people with a can-do and want-to-learn spirit -- it made being in an epic place even more special. The outfitter in Svalbard was excellent: they earned our trust in their skills, knowledge, situational assessments. (Plus they were fun to be around!)

I have dreamed of the arctic for a very long time and always wanted it to be a very in-depth, the White Silence sort of immersive experience for me. So the idea of camping out in the snow sounded perfect. I was happy with the itinerary of the trip, I thought it included quite a lot within the rather small time period. The hikes and treks were very well organised and thought through. All of the guides for all activities were knowledgeable and attentive, but not too restrictive. All of the necessary gear could be provided and borrowed, which can be quite reassuring. Almost a week in Spitsbergen can mean that you experience all sorts of weather - I got everything from -16 to +2 with all the variants of precipitation and wind all in 8 days. And even though it'd be nice to have the predictable sun and crispy cold every day, these weather variations brought their own fun and some unforgettable moments!! Now for the fitness - as a very young and fit person, I found bits of it very challenging. I would say that you do not fully understand what it takes to pull the weighted pulka all the way to/from the camp before you get there. It is doable but you will question your choices in a few stretches of the hike hahahah! Just prepare mentally that it will be a proper challenge and get ready to push through! Everybody in our group was a solo traveller so we did not know each other before the trip, but had an amazing time together! Besides the experience itself doing most of the bonding, the guides on the camping trip, Michael and Tørus (apologies if I'm misspelling it) were amazing at facilitating even more conversation. Both of them also made the camping experience relatively easy with how they were very responsive and caring. And with good coffee too! Overall, despite some very physically exhausting bits I am overjoyed with this trip!! Now, only a couple days upon return I already find it difficult to recall the tough parts but feel extremely happy that I went for the trip. Def recommend

What a great trip! The itinerary, the guides and the fellow explorers created a brilliant trip. The ice cave on the first day is an amazing experience and gives you a chance to see how your clothing choice works. If you are claustrophobic you may need to be brave - the entry is narrow and steep (with a rope handrail), and inside the caves you need to move on hands and knees in some places due to low headroom. The three day trek is core to the trip and was a unique adventure. The pace is easy and you cover about six miles each day with plenty of stops. The sleds slide easily but do require some effort on the uphill sections. The communal tent and toilet tent are already set up at the camp site and you bring your sleeping tent, sleeping bag and personal clothing in a kit bag (or dry bag) on the sled. On the middle day you need a small/mid size back pack as the tents and sleds stay in place. You will see snowmobilers, skiers, dog sleds and other groups in the distance on occasions. Breakfast is a variety of breads, cereals, tea and coffee, lunch is a freeze dried meal and diner is cooked by the two guides that accompany you (typically a Reindeer stew or similar). I took a few snack bars, but didn't need all of them as the food provided was fine. Your one hour polar bear watch during the night fly's by, at this time of year it does not get completely dark, just twilight and the scenery is bathed in a magical light. For me the most challenging thing was the general dampness - whilst you are warm while you are moving, you will cool down in camp, so fresh clothing is important. The communal tent has a fire and got up to 20 centigrade, but frost forms on the inside of the sleeping tents and if you brush it with your head, it falls on you and your sleeping bag which adds to the general dampness. You typically keep a few layers on in your sleeping bag, and I had a balaclava plus a woolly hat. For our week, the temperature was around -12 centigrade, but any wind makes it feel noticeably colder, the Norwegian weather website yr. no is really useful. The snowmobiling on the last day was a fun way to finish the trip. It was surprisingly intense as the established tracks you drive on are rutted and bumpy in places. You can always go pillion if you do not want to drive - but you will miss out on the fun of driving. The guides were different for each of the activities, but were all excellent. When we were in Longyearbyrn the group generally ate out together in the evening, as there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. The accommodation is a hostel rather than a hotel (no en-suite), but no worse for that. All in all, it was a great trip with lots of incredible memories.

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Beyond any expecations! What an incredible trip.

A unique and incredible experience in this magical place. The scenery is breath-taking and photos cannot do it justice. You do need to be willing to sacrifice a level of comfort but the reward is an incredible experience of the Svalbard wilderness. Having the right kit makes a big difference so pay heed to the advice of the guides and ask if you're not sure. The hike on the first day is a good opportunity to test out your kit and adjust if necessary before you go camping.

Had an amazing time! Would highly recommend this trip. From the cave trip, to the camping, hiking.. the lot, thoroughly enjoyed! The only thing I’d suggest is to bring your own sleeping bag

What an amazing adventure. Day 1 was a fairly gentle introduction to the week with an uphill hike out to the ice caves. Beautiful scenery and amazing caves with lovely guides. Next was the wild camping. With a pulka weighing upwards of 15kg, we headed out into the Arctic wilderness for a really challenging, but utterly amazing 3 days of hiking through amazing scenery, scaling small mountains and wild camping in breathtaking surroundings. Throughout we were lucky to be guided by Jonatan and Philipp - both very experienced, knowledgeable and supportive guides. They helped us with our layering, advised re managing the very low temperatures, kept us going with an endless supply of snacks, dug sheltered sitting areas in the snow for our short lunch breaks and cooked some really good hot meals (Reindeer stew with mash and chicken curry and rice) Polar bear watch was an amazing hour both nights - I loved the solitude and Arctic silence, whilst catching sight of some local wildlife meandering nearby. The views were breathtaking. We then had another long trek with our Pulkas back into civilisation with yet more amazing views and more local information from our knowledgeable guides. Our last planned day together was a really fun day spent on the snowmobiles. Great views, great speeds and great fun! After a brilliant day on the snowmobiles we said our thank yous and goodbyes to our guides and as a group we then hired the local sauna to round off our week with a ‘Polar Plunge’ to complete the full Arctic experience. Overall I would 100% recommend this trip for everyone’s ‘bucket’ list. As long as you make sure you are physically fit, mentally prepared for the extreme cold conditions, have the correct kit and are up for the challenge. We arrived a couple of days early and went on a boat trip which was a proper eye-opener to the cold. (As well as another great experience which we paid for separately) It prompted a trip into town where the shops sell everything needed for the climate. Your guides can also sell/rent equipment. Thank you MBA!

This was a great trip, but don't underestimate it! If you are a regular hiker then fitness wise you should be ok but its the cold that makes it challenging. A really good experience and the guides felt more like friends by the end if it. I would recommend decent kit (Toes were toasty in the Sorel Boots) also getting there a day earlier to test out your equipment and layers in the town. A good likeminded group made the trip even better. At the hotel town is more of a 30 minute walk, not always desirable in the cold after a long day but the restaurant opposite was decent. The group tent was also a good setup to get warm whilst camping! All in all not a walk in the park for the faint hearted.

I’m sitting here writing this, watching the snow covered mountains of Svalbard in the background. This trip is highly recommended if you want an introductory adventure in the arctic. It’s fair to call this trip challenging. To enjoy it, you’ll need a good level of fitness - enough to walk up a moderately steep slope in the snow, pulling a 15+kg sledge behind you. There are a good number of hills, and quite steep paths, and you’ll need to climb them in snow shoes. There is an extensive kit list, but it’s worth remembering you’ll be dragging your stuff (at least what you don’t leave in storage at the company warehouse) along with you. One additional change of clothes (baselayers, socks, etc) is a reasonable minimum for camping on top of a good down jacket (ideally thick expedition style), a mid layer fleece and a windproof outer. Good insulated boots (big enough to allow some insulating air space around you foot) and thick wool socks are essential, though they can be hired / bought for a small fee from the company. Snacks are provided by the company and wet wipes are not practical at minus 26oC, though hand warmers are fantastic. The guides cook dinner at the campsite - genuinely good hot meals and extra calories to boot. The guides are very good and highly experienced. They push you to do your best, though it is also important to recognise your limits and state clearly if there is a something beyond your comfort zone, since there is an assumed level of risk associated with some activities. Overall they’re very happy to listen and accommodate as is practical. At the end of a fantastic trip, snowmobiling rounds things off perfectly. It’s cold - Ski goggles and a good buff are essential! Travelling through some of the most stunning landscape I’ve ever seen at 90kph is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I strongly recommend this trip, but prepare well for it!