Far, far North: Longyearbyen - 78° 13' 40"N 15° 36' 45"E
Longyearbyen is the capital of Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole. As much as 60% of the landmass is covered with ice and less than 10% has any vegetation. Svalbard has a population of 2500 people, 5500 walrus and the region boasts 3000 polar bears. Svalbard has an arctic climate and is considered a desert due to its low air humidity. In the summer, the sun does not set for 125 days. And, following Niklas' phone call that caused a sharp left in our summer plans, this is where we have landed! It has been a considerable process to get us here. To be able to sail in Svalbard, a permit is required from the Governor of Svalbard. Part of this permitting is submitting a detailed travel plan, crew information, search and rescue insurance, communication requirements and polar bear protocols. This all needs to be submitted and approved at least a month prior to the trip starting. Niklas took care of ...