Does the thought of kayaking in icy waters to stand up near a glacier sound like enjoyable to you? If that’s the case, put the Icebreaker tour with Higher Moments in your checklist of issues to do in Svalbard. We had a whole lot of superior experiences in Svalbard, and this simply could also be the most effective one.
Once we learn that we may kayak proper as much as a glacier, with ice chunks floating throughout us, we had been bought. Sure, this tour has a excessive price ticket. And sure, we needed to get right into a kayak and paddle by means of icy waters (a primary for us!), however we couldn’t move up this chance.
With only a small group of individuals (a complete of 12 individuals are allowed on this tour), a bumpy however thrilling trip on a rib boat to get to the glacier, and a number of other hours kayaking in entrance of an lively glacier, this whole expertise was a blast.
Glacier Kayaking in Svalbard
We awoke to just about cloudless, vibrant blue skies, a uncommon present in Longyearbyen in the summertime, from what now we have been informed. Our information Arien was thrilled on the stunning climate, and so had been we.
The 4 of us and eight different folks had been picked up on the town and pushed simply 5 minutes to the Higher Moments headquarters. We had been outfitted with dry fits and life vests after which pushed as soon as once more again to the harbor in Longyearbyen.
Boat Journey to Svea Glacier
To get out to the glacier, it’s a forty five to 60 minute trip in an enclosed rib boat. It was a quick and barely bumpy trip, however the seas had been calm so we made nice time.
Higher Moments has a cluster of kayaks roped collectively on shore close to the Svea glacier. A dingy took small teams of us from the rib boat to shore. We paired off in teams of two and dragged our kayaks to the water’s edge.
Kayaking at Svea Glacier
It was a lot, a lot colder right here than in Longyearbyen. A wickedly chilly wind whipped down off of the glacier, kicking up waves and chilling the air.
Arien warned us that we would not make it out to the glacier (which was simply 100 meters away!) as a result of the sturdy winds may make it very tough to get to and from our touchdown web site. Even with crystal clear skies, we would lose our likelihood to stand up shut with the glacier!
And it was so chilly right here! We had been thrilled to climb into the kayaks, fasten the skirt across the seat openings, and push ourselves out into the water. At the very least sitting low to the floor of the water with our legs shielded from the wind we may heat up a bit of bit.
Kara was my kayaking buddy in the present day. As we kayaked across the bay, the wind would blow the chilly water off of the oars into our faces. Be ready to be chilly and little moist, even with the dry fits. However it’s value it!
As we kayaked in direction of the glacier, our information felt assured that we may all safely make it backwards and forwards to the glacier. Now the true enjoyable was about to start out.
The Svea Glacier
As we entered the bay the place the glacier meets the water, we had been met with a beautiful sight. Chunks of ice bobbed within the water and seagulls perched on the small icebergs. At instances, we might stumble upon floating chunks of ice and push them away with our oars.
Out in entrance us was the Svea glacier, a beautiful, twisted, crevassed monstrosity that shaped one of many coolest backdrops ever for household images.
The glacier is actively shifting and altering. Often, it might elicit loud pops and cracks, like gunshots had been going off within it. Seconds later, chunks of ice would calve into the water. At instances, the quantity of the ice that fell was fairly huge and the complete space would echo with thunderous noise.
Tim, Tyler, Kara, and I kayaked across the bay, amazed and delighted to be right here. Sure, we had been a bit of chilly and our palms and faces had been moist however that’s all a part of the enjoyable. We had been thrilled to have the ability to expertise the arctic this manner (and now that we had this little style, we will’t wait to journey north once more and expertise extra of the arctic….it’s wonderful!).
For over two hours we kayaked on this bay and it by no means received boring. It did get chilly, as time wore on, but it surely was by no means boring.
With numb fingers and chilled our bodies, we fortunately climbed out of the kayaks and onto the rib boat, however we had been unhappy for this nearly life altering expertise to be over.
On board the rib boat, we had a lunch of heat soup as we loved one closing have a look at the glacier earlier than dashing again to Longyearbyen.
The Journey Again to Longyearbyen
And the way shortly situations can change right here in Svalbard. Clouds had been shifting in and large swells within the water made our trip again to city a rocking and rolling journey. The rib boat bounced and heaved over these massive swells, and at instances we really received airborne, painfully crashing again down into the water. Even our skilled information was amazed at how huge these waves had been.
It was wonderful that nobody received seasick on the trip again to Longyearbyen. Arien mentioned that she has had journeys with waves like these and many individuals on board had been puking (so in case you are contemplating doing this kayaking journey and undergo from movement illness, be sure to carry your anti-nausea medicines).
We arrived again in Longyearbyen at 4:45, quarter-hour early. It felt great to step again on floor and into the hotter temps of Longyearbyen.
Concerning the “Icebreaker” Tour
Firm: Higher Moments AS
Price: NOK 2590 per individual
When: Early June by means of finish of August
Minimal age: 12 years
IMPORTANT NOTE: There’s some danger that you could be not have the ability to kayak proper as much as the glacier. If climate situations are unfavorable, the information can pull the plug on kayaking proper up in entrance of glacier. If this occurs, I have no idea in the event you get a partial refund of your cash. Which may be one thing to ask once you make your reservation.
Higher Moments additionally provides mountaineering, snowmobiling, and wildlife excursions. Go to their web site to be taught extra about this kayaking tour and the opposite companies they provide.
Is it Value It?
That is very costly (we paid full worth for a complete of $1332 USD, factoring within the conversion fee once we made this reserving). We balked on the worth and nearly didn’t do it as a result of it’s so costly. However how usually do you get the possibility to kayak round an lively glacier? And if you will fly the entire technique to Svalbard, sadly you need to be ready to fork out some critical cash with a view to depart Longyearbyen and actually expertise the islands.
However for us, it was value it. Our information Arien was phenomenal, the gear seemed model new, and even the rib boat seemed barely used. Throughout, it was an important expertise and simply could also be certainly one of our favourite journey moments.
RELATED: How A lot Does It Price to Go to Svalbard?
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Extra Info on your journey to Svalbard & Norway:
SVALBARD: Plan the right go to to Svalbard with our Svalbard Journey Information. We even have articles about the most effective issues to do in Longyearbyen, what to pack for Svalbard in the summertime, and the way a lot does it value to go to Svalbard?
LOFOTEN ISLANDS: For an outline of the most effective issues to do, learn our Lofoten Islands High Ten Listing. Get numerous journey planning recommendation in our Lofoten Islands Itinerary. For recommendation on the place to remain, learn our Lofoten Islands Lodge Information.
NORTHERN NORWAY ITINERARY: On this 10 day Norway itinerary, highway journey by means of Senja and the Vesteralen Islands, two stunning off the crushed path locations, and go to the Lofoten Islands.
NORWAY TRAVEL INSPIRATION: Norway is without doubt one of the most stunning international locations now we have visited. Don’t miss our article Northern Norway in Photographs to see some beautiful photographs of Norway. For an inventory of the most effective locations to go to in Norway, take a look at our Norway Bucket Listing.
Is your journey to Svalbard a part of a much bigger journey to Norway? Learn all of our articles about Norway in our Norway Journey Information.
