Sustainable Tourism provides an economic incentive to protect, rather than exploit, vital wildlife areas and over the years 7 national parks and 21 nature reserves have been created to protect the Svalbard archipelago.

Thankfully, the population of polar bears and various marine species have increased and Svalbard tour operators - including your host - have worked alongside environmental groups such as the WWF and Friends of the Earth to block any unsustainable development such as new roads, mining and fossil fuel exploration. Every visitor to Svalbard also pays £15, which goes directly to an environmental protection fund to manage the protected areas.

Of course, we are aware that the flight to Svalbard is damaging to the environment and the Arctic is visibly feeling the effects of climate change. As there are currently no viable, sustainable travel alternatives available, Much Better Adventures mitigates 4 times the carbon emitted by your flight to Longyearbyen through our partnership with Cool Earth. The adventure itself - self powered activities and wilderness camping - is about as low carbon as it’s possible to get, especially when compared with the myriad cruise ships that visit Svalbard.

You'll need to have a decent level of fitness and a serious sense of adventure. There are several full days of hiking (sometimes using crampons and harnesses) and sea kayaking, though no previous experience of either is necessary.

Each member of the group will take it in turns to lookout for polar bears while the rest of the group sleeps, however it doesn't get dark in Svalbard during the summer, so lookouts are done in daylight. The experience of being on lookout is one of the most memorable parts of the trip and has been described as "like being a crew member on a a David Attenborough documentary."

You'll be given a full briefing and safety instructions and a shift roster will be developed between you all. Lookout shifts are generally around 2 hours, however, If the group size is larger than 4, you will have at least one night without needing to do one.

While on this trip you will be in the hands of expert wilderness guides and your host has been operating wildlife expeditions in the area for over 25 years and never had a close call with a polar bear. This is all down to their knowledge and expertise. There are polar bears in the area and they have come close to camp before, however, the guides know exactly what to do in all cases.

Over the years there have been incidents of polar bears being killed in self defence, however, your host has been running trips across Svalbard since 1993 and has never had to kill a single bear. The guides travel with flare guns to scare bears away if they get too close, and if needed will follow this up with a warning shot from a rifle in extreme situations. The wilderness camp, meanwhile, has special storage units for food so as not to entice bears towards the camp and a perimeter tripwire that activates flares if triggered.

Your guides are also expert wilderness guides, many from Svalbard itself and have safely led adventure travellers, scientists and filmmakers from the BBC and National Geographic photographers across the region. Their knowledge and experience means they know what to do in all situations to keep both adventurers and bears safe.

Many of the negative encounters with polar bears have occurred during excursions led by less experienced guides, particularly cruise ship based ones who bring guests to shore but aren't fully experienced in what to do during an encounter.

Our local host has also created an association for Svalbard based guides and small travel companies that develops certification for sustainability and safety and only recommends operators who look after the adventurers, the polar bears and the wilderness.

Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

The water in Longyearbyen is drinkable, while at the wilderness camp, the source is fresh ice water from a nearby river. This Arctic ice water is perfectly safe to drink and super refreshing!

Average summer temperatures in Svalbard range between 3 and 7 degrees Celsius, while at certain times during 'Polar Summer' it can reach as high as 12 degrees, though it can also see negative temperatures as well.

You can leave any excess luggage in Longyearbyen before heading to the wilderness camp. There is storage at your hotel and also at your host's secure warehouse.

We recommend checking out the country specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.

We’ve teamed up with the guys at World Nomads to offer insurance designed for adventurous travellers across 140 countries that includes overseas medical, evacuation, baggage and a range of adventure sports and activities. To get yours sorted, click here.

We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book the trip, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

For current advice about travelling in Norway, have a read of the UK Foreign Office pages here.

All of our group adventures are especially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded.

"I cannot recommend this highly enough! The people on the trip were amazing. Easily the best trip I've ever been on!" Charlotte, 2019, Trustpilot.

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