Svalbard Ski Expedition is Underway!

After spending a couple days preparing for the journey in the beautiful town of Longyearbyen, our team hit the trail yesterday morning. They skied for about 6 hours before setting up camp near the confluence of a couple rivers and valleys.

While everyone will sleep in relatively small tents to conserve heat, they enjoyed dinner in a large group shelter. Having a group shelter is so much fun. Even though they're spending all day together, it can be difficult to socialize. They ski in a single file line, and take short breaks in between marches. So hanging out in the group shelter provides a very welcome opportunity to talk, savor some freshly fried cheesy treats, and maybe even enjoy a ukulele concert!

Everyone had a great first day. The team enjoyed blue skies and light winds. The temperature hovered around 0 degrees Fahrenheit / -17 Celsius.

Svalbard is home to a sizable polar bear population. So much so that it's illegal to walk out of town without a a firearm. As part of their polar bear precautions the team will be doing overnight bear watches. Every night four people will take 2 hour shifts and watch over the camp.

Check back soon for more dispatches from the Svalbard Skiers.