Vessel

70ft steel yacht designed to withstand tough arctic conditions, but with comfort and high standard along the way. The yacht sails very well, especially when it’s windy! There is a lot of space outside for sailing and staying on deck. Inside, the boat has ample space in the lounge and in the wheelhouse and a well-equipped galley. The boat has 6 cabins, most of them with private baths and showers.

Valiente is very well equipped for trips and expeditions including; RIB light boat, two folding kayaks, big tanks for both water and diesel, watermaker, generators, safety, and rescue equipment, communication equipment

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 to/from Svalbard

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

Safety and risk – in general

We take safety seriously and on our trips we train on handling different situations that can occur at sea. On board the boat and trips, everyone must know what to do in potentially dangerous situations. For us it is important that you as a guest and participant is trained quickly enough to be a participating crew, not a passenger. It contributes to learning, sense of achievement and increased safety for all. This is also why our trips are considered to be sailing courses, you are trained to be one of the crew members on board.

In terms of risk, we sail a safe and sturdy steel boat that is well equipped for this type of trip. However, all sailing in general, and sailing in arctic regions, involves a certain risk that you must be willing to take.

Feel free to contact us for a chat and guidance about risk.

Level of this trip

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.

Equipment/packing

In Northern Norway and the Arctics we must be prepared for all seasons, often during a single day. It’s a part of the experience; it’s wild, beautiful and raw – in all aspects, also with regards to weather. Prepare for the contrasts! For us the most important thing is to enjoy the ride and the sailing. Use what you have, borrow if you can, and invest in something new if you must. In good time before departure we will send you a detailed recommended packing list for this trip. Generally, summertime in Svalbard means a dry climate and not a lot of precipitation.

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 what is needed. We try to offer good menus with healthy and “boat friendly” food. If you have allergies or preferences let us know in the registration form, and we will take that into account. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

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 effort from all participants – and you should be open to contribute 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 onboard 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 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 abundance of fresh water.

What kind of people join this trip – and how many are we onboard?

Many come alone, some travel as couples, 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. The number of participants varies from trip to trip. With many participants, we expand with more boats and skippers. On our expedition trips, we are usually using just one boat, with a total of 12-15 people on board.

Environment and sustainability

Both sailing and hiking/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 applies to almost everything you try 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 bonfires on the beach – we are ready for adventure!

Please note: This trip is a working passage and you are expected to take turns with the cooking, crewing and cleaning of the boat throughout the trip.

Day 1: The adventure begins!

We meet by boat in the harbour of Longyearbyen at 12:00. We start with getting to know each other before we go through the plan for the week. We get to know the boat and the equipment and finish packing provisions and equipment. Life onboard requires cooperation, and before departure, we go through routines and procedures onboard, for sailing and emergency situations. In Longyearbyen, there is midnight sun this time of year, and we will make the most out of the afternoon and evening and set course towards Alkehornet, a mountain across the Isfjord. Throughout the night we continue our voyage on the inside of the island Prins Karls Forland, and through the narrow passage by Forlandsrevet.

Day 2: The world’s northernmost settlement

If we are lucky, we might get to meet a walrus colony in Forlandsundet already this first morning. A little further north we reach the inlet of Kongsfjorden, where the research town Ny-Ålesund is located. Here we moor for a trip ashore. Ny-Ålesund is also known as the starting point for Roald Amundsen’s voyage to the north pole with his blimp “Norge”. Kongsfjorden is considered to be one of the most beautiful fjords in all of Svalbard, so it is a great time to get our cameras set up and start snapping some photo memories. In the heart of Kongsfjorden are three pyramid-shaped mountains: Dana, Nora, and Svea – named after the three Scandinavian countries. The combination of the mountains and the majestic glaciers in the area make the fjord a truly breathtaking sight.

Day 3: Cultural remains on the northwestern corner

We continue north, to the north-west corner of Spitsbergen. Here, we sail into the Smeerenburgfjord, an area which got its name from 17th century Dutch whalers. This area has clearly visible cultural remains from the activity that took place in “Blubber town”. All the remains from before 1946 are protected areas on Svalbard. We continue towards Virgohamna, also with visible remains from the early whaling, but which also carries a lot of polar history: Virgohamna was used as a starting point for many North Pole expeditions. This was the starting point for the Swede Salomon August André’s balloon trip, and American Walter Wellman’s experiments with airships.

Day 4-5: Towards the ice-edge and Rossøya; Norway’s northernmost point

From the north-west corner, we then set a course straight for Rossøya, the northernmost island on Svalbard and in Norway. Now it is time to start looking for the ice! If we meet the ice edge, we follow it eastwards and see if the sea opens up as we get closer to land. The ice decides. We sail calmly along the ice edge while scouting for bears, seals, and other animals. We could also have a good possibility to see whales along the ice edge. When we finally find our northernmost point, we will break out some cold champagne and find a suitable ice flow from the polar ice to celebrate! Who will be the first to go for a swim??

Day 6-7: Around Sjuøyane and southwards

We spend a little time in the far north around Sjuøyane, while we work our way nice and steady south. If there is less ice and we have enough time, we can visit many of the islands up here. Maybe we also get the chance to do a hike for some views towards the big glaciers at Nord-Austlandet, and the rest of the archipelago. In the end, we always have to set our course south again, and we sail past Verlegenhuken, the northernmost point of the Spitsbergen island. If we have enough time we stop by the trapper station at Mushamna, with its well-protected lagoon, for a rest.

Day 8-9: Back towards civilization

In the last days with our course back towards Isfjorden, we adapt landings and shore-visits to the distance and time we have left. We definitely didn’t have time to visit all the interesting sites on our way up along the northwest coast so we get another chance now. At the entrance to Isfjorden, the large fjord where Longyearbyen is located, we pass Isfjord Radio which is an old radio station – now it has been turned into a welcoming and cozy hotel. After passing Isfjord Radio, we will hopefully have time for a stop in the Russian mining town of Barentsburg; a special place with its own unique rhythm and atmosphere. If we are able, we will go ashore and spend the evening here and have dinner on land.

Day 10: Return to Longyearbyen and goodbye for now!

On the last morning, we sail the final leg into Longyearbyen. We clean and tidy ourselves out of the boat, pack with us all our stuff, and disembark by 15:00. We however encourage everyone to stay at least until the next day with accommodation on land, so we can meet for a closing dinner in Longyearbyen on this last night. Thanks for a wonderful experience!

In Longyearbyen

If you haven’t had the opportunity to experience Longyearbyen in advance of the trip, then we recommend staying an extra day or two before traveling home. It’s always smart to add time for some rest and calmness before and after such a trip, to let the impressions sink in and see what is happening in the area.

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. Some of the days we eat dinner right away after getting back to the boat, other days we just eat a snack at the beach, and then sail on before we make a later dinner. Some days, we spend time fishing, and time to look around. If the weather should be in disfavor of a trip on land, then we spend the day sailing or doing other fun activities.