Newtontoppen expedition, journey to the top of Svalbard

Departure date :

April 28, 2027

Late winter on Svalbard is one of the most beautiful things imaginable. In April and May, the weather and snow conditions are at their best for a long ski expedition. On this trip, we aim for Newtontoppen (1,713 m), the highest mountain on Svalbard.

From this peak you will have stupendous views over the untouched landscape. To the northwest you can see Austfjorden, Widjefjorden and the jagged alpine peaks of Atomfjella. If you turn your gaze to the northeast, you can see the isolated island Nordaustlandet.

The transport to our starting point on Lomonosovfonna will be by snowmobile or snowcat. From there, we will continue inwards over the glaciers by ski, with everything we might need in pulkas and backpacks. No detailed plan is set for this tour, as the choice of route and tempo is highly dependent on the weather and participants.

Itinerary

Day 1

Your guide will meet you and your fellow expedition members at the hotel reception at 10:00 am. After a short welcome and information meeting, we head down to our storage. Here, we will go through the equipment, pack our pulkas and receive instructions for the use of cooking equipment, pulkas and tents. There will be time for a quick visit to the shops and adjustment of gear if required. Tonight you will stay in a hotel in Longyearbyen.

Day 2

Breakfast and check out before 10:00 am. Any baggage you are not taking with you can be left in our baggage room. Be sure to fill your thermoses with hot water during breakfast. At 10:00 am you get picked up and driven down to our expedition centre. Here we will get a briefing of the day, before it is time to get dressed with snowmobile gear (provided by us) and go out to the snowmobiles.

We will get transported 110 km by snowmobile, out to our starting point on Lomonosovfonna. Once we arrive at the drop-off point, all that is left to do is to fasten our skis and get going. Now the adventure really begins, are you ready? The first day we will walk just a few kilometres, before we set our camp for the night.

Days 3 to 11

During the next days we will ski through the stunning mountain landscape. How far we come each day will depend on the snow and weather conditions, but we will generally break camp at around 10:00 am, and set up a new camp at 5:00–6:00 pm in the evening. This means that every day will be a full day of skiing, but we will make some stops along the way to eat, drink, and enjoy the majestic landscape.

The plan is to reach Newtontoppen after two or three days of skiing. Newtontoppen can be climbed on skis or by foot. The last section before the peak is relatively steep, but no climbing experience is required. The views from the top are nothing but spectacular.

Day 12

Today we will cover a distance of approximately 13 km. We cross Hørbyedalen and ski down towards Billefjorden, arriving in Petuniabukta early in the morning. Here we ski along the coast, and will get picked up by boat and transported back to Longyearbyen.

If it turns out that boat transport is not possible, the alternative is to be picked up by snowmobile. Instead of going down Ragnardalen, we will continue towards Lomonosovfonna and be picked up there instead.

Day 13

The expedition is over – unless you wish to stay a little longer, and explore more of what Longyearbyen and its surroundings has to offer. Thanks for joining us!

Please note: All times can be changed. The program may be adjusted on short notice, should weather or snow conditions require it. The tempo on the expedition will be set according to the conditions and the participants’ physical strength.