Currently – today it is 18 April – I get the impression that Spitsbergen is really melting and flowing away. The snow melt has started, several weeks to early. This April will without any doubt be the 101st month in a row with temperatures above the long-term average.
But more about that later. One effect of the weather is that I have some time to write again now. It has been a while ago …
Ice cave – 4 weeks ago
… that we went to the ice cave in Longyearbreen. There are ice caves here in pretty much all glaciers, and the one close to Longyearbyen are popular places to visit, both by tourists with guides and by locals. You can dog-sledge or ski to the ice cave in Scott Turnerbreen in Bolterdalen, you can hike to the one on Larsbreen, also with snowshoes or on ski, and you can get to the one on Longyearbreen with a wider range of transportation means, here also including snow mobile or snow cat.
In the ice cave in Longyearbreen (mid March).
The ice caves are actually meltwater channels, but they usually fall dry during the winter season (meltwater flow may occur at any time of year, so be careful). Then they can be visited. Depending on the “terrain”, this can be easy or difficult. Some are so narrow and steep that visiting them may be impossible, at least for normal people, others are more visitor-friendly. In any case, an ice cave is a fascinating experience!
Ice cave in Longyearbreen.
Usually I don’t post too many pictures of myself, but I do like this one 🙂