Impressions from the polar night in early January. A pretty unique atmosphere. Options for activities are obviously quite limited during this darkest time of the year. Also, the polar bear safety issue has got quite a different quality when you can’t see these guys in the distance. Going into narrow, dark valleys is a completely different thing then. Being close to a vehicle (car, snow mobile) is a big plus on the safety side of things, then. And this way it is easy to get away from the disturbance of artificial “big city light” in Longyearbyen, which is essential to get a taste of the polar night. A drive of a few kilometres into Adventdalen or towards Bjørndalen is already a good thing in that sense – it doesn’t have to be a big trip at this time of the year. With a snow mobile, it is easy to get at least a bit further into Adventdalen, and then you have left all artificial light well behind you. But be careful: at Christmas, a local from Longyearbyen managed to drive over a 10 meter cliff with a snow mobile in bad visibility. He managed to escape without major injuries as a matter of great luck. And he is an experienced driver!
The reward comes in shape of real unique light and atmosphere, as long as the sky is clear. When it is cloudy, it is essentially really dark. In our case, we were really lucky with some amazing northern lights, which were very strong for local standards. Nothing you should really expect on that level. But it was the time when the sun storm hit the Earth. It did not shake our civilization, as announced in the media, but it certainly put some great aurora on the sky!
And I was surprised how nicely the panorama photography turned out. My expectation here was limited, but I am very pleased by the results. The impression they give is certainly a bit brighter than reality, which is darker. When it is clear, you will see enough for large-scale orientation (at least if you know what you are looking at and for) once you have got used to the darkness. The images, both panoramas and photos in the gallery, are a bit brighter to give you a similar impression. A tripod is essential, and a full-frame camera and good lenses are very useful for good results.
The companion book for the Svalbardhytter poster. The poster visualises the diversity of Spitsbergen‘s huts and their stories in a range of Arctic landscapes. The book tells the stories of the huts in three languages.
Comprehensive guidebook about Spitsbergen. Background (wildlife, plants, geology, history etc.), practical information including travelling seasons, how to travel, description of settlements, routes and regions.
Lofoten, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen from the air - Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German, but there is very little text, so I am sure that you will enjoy it regardless which languages you read (or not).
Join an exciting journey with dog, skis and tent through the wintery wastes of East Greenland! We were five guys and a dog when we started in Ittoqqortoormiit, the northernmost one of two settlements on Greenland’s east coast.
12 postcards which come in a beautifully designed tray. Beautiful images from South Georgia across Antarctica from the Antarctic Peninsula to the Ross Sea and up to Macquarie Island and Campbell Island.
Spitsbergen – Antarctic double calendar. The back side of the sheets, which used to be blank until 2019, are now fully used so you actually get two calendars for the price of one – twelve stunning Spitsbergen images on one side and twelve equally stunning Antarctic images on the other side!
Huts are places of longing, dreams and adventure in Spitsbergen’s beautiful landscape. Even if the modern visitor’s eye may mostly be directed towards nature, most will have an open ear every now and then for exciting survival stories about explorers and expeditions, adventurers and trappers.
These huts are silent witnesses and and every one of them tells a little part of the whole story. The little book “Svalbardhytter” and the poster that is part of the same project make these fascinating places accessible for everyone.
From remote ruins, just traces in a few cases, to “famous” trapper huts such as Fredheim in Tempelfjord and Bjørneborg on Halvmåneøya, the war weather station Haudegen, the former scientific base Würzburger Hütte on Barentsøya and Hammerfesthuset, Svalbard’s oldest building.