The Polar Night in Spitsbergen

The Coal Miners' Cabins hotel is the place to stay for those wanting to get the real experience of coal mining in Spitsbergen. The buildings which now form part of the hotel used to be barracks for the coal miners after World War II. The restaurant is known for its delicious home-cooked burgers and grill food – it is definitely worth a visit to this restaurant even if you stay elsewhere! The lounge area is a great place to relax after a day of excursions and complimentary Wi-Fi is available.

For an alternative, the Radisson Blu Polar Hotel is centrally located, and a perfect base for those who still want the extra home comforts such as a spa. It is custom before entering any public buildings including hotels, restaurants and museums to remove outdoor shoes and put on slippers, which are always provided.

Before I left for Spitsbergen, I had heard they have no daylight at this time of year due to the Polar Night. The sun sets behind the mountains for the last time on 25th October and doesn’t return fully until 8th March. The locals enjoy a big celebration when the sun returns, congregating around the steps of the old hospital which is said to be the first part of the city for the sun to shine on. After the first day, we got used to there being no daylight, although if you were out in the valley for a few hours you soon lost sense of the time of day. There is one big advantage to no daylight – a very high chance of seeing the Northern Lights as they can appear day or night. Owning a snow scooter is essential for the locals in Spitsbergen. There are no roads outside of the three main settlements (Longyearbyen, Barenstburg and Ny-Alesund) and as so much snow can fall during the winter months, it is crucial to have a snow scooter to get around. There are around 4,000 snow scooters in Longyearbyen for their 2,100 residents!

Everywhere you go in Spitsbergen, you will see photos and stuffed replicas of polar bears greeting you in the museums and hotels. It is however very rare to see a real polar bear near the centre of Longyearbyen. A sign on the road leading out of the city marks the point where polar bears might be seen, and beyond this point accompanying guides must be trained and carry the necessary safety equipment. The local government must take every possible sighting of a polar bear very seriously, so you cannot be overheard pretending to you have seen. If you do, they must conduct a search of the surrounding area until they can be sure the city is safe from any polar bears getting too close. When out in the Snowcat, we saw a white animal in the distance and hoped we could go back home saying we had seen a polar bear. Alas it was a Svalbard reindeer which are very common and it’s not unusual to see these docile animals wandering through the city.

Everyone who lives in Longyearbyen must be self-sufficient and have enough money to return to mainland Norway when required. Those close to retirement age are encouraged to move back to the mainland, those with a serious illness must also move to the mainland, and pregnant women must fly to the mainland a few weeks before their due date to give birth in case of any complications. It is said to be illegal to die in Spitsbergen as the ground is permanently frozen so bodies cannot decompose when buried.

Ice Caving – Despite being a little apprehensive at first, Ice Caving was the highlight of the trip for me. The guides had built a special igloo to use as our base, which kept out the cold wind whilst preparing the equipment. We were picked up from Coal Miners' Cabins by Snowcat and experienced an exhilarating ride up to the Longyear Glacier, with fantastic views across the whole of Longyearbyen. Descending down a ladder into the glacier opened up a world of frozen beauty. Headlamps lit the way around the fascinating ice formations.

Snowmobiling – We were lucky enough to experience snowmobiling twice, once for 3 hours and once for 6 hours. The 3 hour trip is ideal for those unsure being in sole control of a snowmobile and wanting to get a flavour of the trip before embarking on a longer journey. The 6 hour trip took us right out from Longyearbyen towards Templefjorden, stopping for an expedition lunch. We were thrown in the deep end having the 6 hour trip first, but it meant by the end of the experience we had definitely got the hang of handling the snowmobile, and saw the most spectacular scenery. The Northern Lights appeared whilst out on the snowmobile so we were able to stop, lie down in the deep snow and really appreciate this natural phenomenon in total silence away from the city.

Snowcat – A knowledgeable guide takes the Snowcat out from Longyearbyen off-roading across the frozen landscape to Advent Valley. Learn about the history of Svalbard and look out for the local wildlife – it was here we saw the Svalbard Reindeer and footprints from an Arctic Fox. As the Snowcat is heated, it is a great way to experience the dramatic surroundings whilst being able to warm up in the cold weather!

Dog Sledging – The dog sledging excursion begins with harnessing the dogs, who will be very noisy with excitement! The guide leads the way from the base out into the valley, and the group follows with a driver and passenger on each sled, each led by six to eight dogs. Whilst the dogs do most of the work, pulling you across the snow and ice, you can really appreciate the area, and again we were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights up above.

Camp Barentz – A few miles from Longyeabyen, Camp Barentz is away from the lights of the city for a brilliant chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Enjoy a home-cooked meal around the warm fire in the hut and learn about the Aurora Borealis with a presentation.