Travel – in general

Sometimes we have to fly, but not always. If you have the luxury of time, we always encourage you to travel as environmentally friendly as possible. Traveling slowly also gives another start to a holiday. Cycling, taking the train, or driving a car together are good alternatives! Feel free to add some extra time before and after, since up in the north weather can sometimes change your plans.

Travel

Very few row to Svalbard, a few more sail, but most fly. Norwegian and SAS fly to Longyearbyen, check out www.norwegian.no or www.sas.no.

What exactly is Ski & Sail?

Ski & Sail is a trip concept where we sail into the foothills of the mountains and start the ski trip by the edge of the water. By boat, we can move from place to place, and choose mountain sides and areas based on weather and conditions. Ski & Sail is something Italian and French skiers have done in Norway since the 90s, and something Norwegians so far have only started to discover the joys of. We have arranged Ski & Sail trips on Helgeland, in Steigen, in the Lofoten Islands, in Lyngen, Finnmark, and Svalbard for many years, and we dare say that we know many of the very best places along the coast. Skiing & Sailing is really cool!

Level of this trip – medium level

On this trip, we require some experience with randonee/alpine touring/backcountry skiing. If you have a lot of experience it is great, and you will get to work on your skills and techniques. Those with a lot of experience often ski steeper slopes than the others and may take on several runs during one day. But we try to keep the level as even as possible, so we can choose the destination from the participants’ level. If you are in doubt as to whether this is the trip for you, please feel free to contact us, and we can look at the level of the other participants and find a trip that suits you perfectly – whether you are a beginner or experienced.

Safety and risk – in general

Sailing-wise, our trips are not difficult, and you are always welcome to join us! We have with us both people who have never sailed before and experienced sailors. However, you must be prepared for everything from no wind to sailing in harsh weather. If you are a beginner, we will try to make you a seaman/woman as soon as possible. If you are experienced you will be given responsibility and greater challenges. We take safety seriously and on our trips, we train on handling different situations that can occur at sea. Man-over-board, fire, abandon vessel, dismasting, and grounding are some of these. Building the participants’ skills on how to handle critical situations are important elements for better safety on board. On board a boat and on trips, everyone must know what to do in potentially dangerous situations. For us, it is important that you as a guest and participant trained quickly enough to be a participant, not a passenger. It contributes to learning, a sense of achievement, and increased safety for all. It’s also why our trips are considered to be sailing courses, you are trained to be one of the crew members on board.
We have the same mindset when it comes to skiing and alpine/backcountry trips. On the first day of skiing, we train and repeat search and rescue techniques, and the use of avalanche equipment. Many elements determine the safety of an alpine/backcountry trip. Good planning, humbleness in relation to weather and avalanche risk, and a dynamic group are important.
Mountain hikes and alpine/backcountry trips involve a certain risk, as does sailing. However, we as an operator, and our skippers and ski guides, do everything we can to minimize the risk in a professional manner. Everyone gains from this and we have no one to lose. Feel free to contact us to discuss risk.

Snow conditions

If we are in a place without snow, we sail to where the snow is! With the sailboat, we are flexible with regards to finding the best snow, but that means we may go somewhere that is not mentioned in the program or a place that we have not tested in advance. Then it’s extra exciting.

Equipment/packing

Ordinary alpine/backcountry equipment is required for this trip, which means an avalanche-/ski backpack with beacon, probe, and shovel, and alpine/backcountry skis with skins and ski crampons. We have a few backpacks/sets that can be hired through us and ski equipment can be rented through our partners. In good time before departure, we will send you a detailed recommended packing list for this trip.

Food and cooking

On our trips, everyone contributes to the operation of the boat, so as long as you have not booked one of our trips with a designated chef, all take their turns in the galley during the trip. Skippers and guides assist as much as they can along the way. In advance of the trip, we set up a menu and shop for what is needed. We offer good menus with healthy and medium-advanced food. If you have allergies or preferences let us know in the registration form, and we take that into account.

What we expect from you

We want you to take part in the routines onboard the sailboat, whether it is sailing, docking, navigating, looking for whales and icebergs, washing up, cooking, cleaning the boat, or contributing in other ways when required. Our trips require a little work from the participants – and you must be open to contributing and open up a bit socially. We have many different people with us on our trips, and most people go very well together. Our experience is that doing things with others out in nature, and not least doing things with new people with different personalities than one might be used to, is what creates the best, most interesting, and memorable stories :)

Life on board and accommodation

Life on board a sailboat is social and pleasant, but for some, it can be perceived as quite intimate and crowded, which is important to be prepared for. On our trips, everyone participates in the operation of the sailboat and everyone is considered a crew. We would like to get to know you well and hope that you will get to know everyone else on the sailboat as soon as possible. It requires some patience, generosity, and an open mind to thrive, but the new acquaintances and completely raw nature experiences are quickly what will take your focus as soon as you become comfortable with life at sea.
Accommodation on the boat is part of the fun. The accommodation is generally in shared cabins, some of which have a double bed and some have a bunk bed solution. The distribution is quite a puzzle, but we do believe we are quite good at it. Let us know if you have any special needs or reservations. Any accommodation before and after the trip must be arranged on its own. If you have any doubts about where to stay, we’re happy to give you some recommendations.
On the boat, we have a lot of heat and a lot of good food, but not always an abundance of fresh water.

What kind of people join this trip?

Many come alone, some travel as couples, and some travel as a group of friends. The common denominator for everyone is that these are fun and committed people you become friends with almost no matter what. Sharing grand experiences creates strong ties! Many people wonder about the age composition of our trips, but that is not so important to us. It doesn’t matter if you are young or old as long as you want to go on a trip and intend to do your part so that you and the rest of the crew will have a good trip together.

Environment and sustainability

Both sailing and alpine/backcountry trips are environmentally friendly activities and we sail as much as we can and use the engine as little as possible. We encourage crew and participants to travel as environmentally friendly as possible, and we use local ingredients and resources as far as possible. We also have our own trips where we collect litter and clean ocean trash from beaches.
Philosophically we often say that sailing is an exercise in sustainability; we move with the wind and we have limitations on things like water, diesel, electricity, and food. In order to run sustainably – knowledge, patience, agility, and hard work are required. The same can be said about many other things that one tries to do in a sustainable way.

Changes to the program

The program should be seen as a starting point that we adapt to weather and conditions. We also reserve the right to constantly improve our itineraries. Onboard with us we always have a dinghy for beach landings and small expeditions, we have fishing gear for the cod, and gear to hike or make a bonfire on the beach – we are ready for adventure! Are you?

Day 1: Welcome

We are happy to have you aboard! We will meet in Longyearbyen harbour, board the boat, and get to know each other. Our crew will familiarize you with the boat and take you through safety procedures before we set sail. Dinner will be served on the way out of the fjord, and we’ll try to get a ski hike in during the day.

Day 2: Skitouring in outer Isfjorden

 Isfjorden is the most famous and visited fjord in Svalbard. The cities of Longyearbyen, Barentsburg, and Pyramiden, as well as smaller abandoned places, are located in their respective side fjords in this fjord system. The fjord is surrounded by great mountains for skiing, so before we sail north, we go for a hike or two around Isfjorden.

Day 3 – 6: St.Johnsfjorden, Kongsfjorden (Kings Bay) and Krossfjorden

Currently, we use Spitsbergen’s northwest coast for cruising the magnificent fjords. With ski touring and sailing, nice meals, and spectacular wilderness!

Day 7 – 8: Sailing back home towards Longyearbyen

Returning southwards through Forlandssundet, we may stop for a ski tour along the way if there is time. We aim for a visit to Barentsburg and finish the day with dinner in Longyearbyen this last night!

Day 9: Thanks for a great trip!

After breakfast, we clean ourselves out of the boat and we wish each other a good journey back home. Thanks for a great trip in these beautiful surroundings! If you have the time, we recommend spending an extra day or two in Longyearbyen to relax after the week’s impressions and get to know more of this little multicultural Arctic hub.

The program

The program may change according to weather and conditions, but it gives an indication of how we spend the days. We start every day with a good breakfast and make a packed lunch before we go ashore. On some days we will eat dinner right away after skiing, while on other days we will have a light meal when we come back to the boat, and then sail on before having a late dinner. Some days, we spend time fishing or exploring the area. If the weather is really not in favor of skiing, we can spend the day sailing or doing something else fun.