Svalbard skiing adventure

Destination

Svalbard, Norway

Duration

11 days

Price

$10, 400 CAD

Trip Type

Difficulty

3/ 5

An 11 day ski touring trip in Northern Svalbard. We’ll use a 150ft Steel hulled Schooner – The Noorderlicht to explore this northern frontier. It will take us up the West Coast of Spitsbergen a mountainous and glaciated region that offers superb ski touring and ski mountaineering.
At 80 degrees North we’ll have the option of skiing at any time of the day and will endeavour to ski under the Arctic sun.

Live life with no excuses, travel with no regret

Oscar Wilde

Highlights

Ski at 80 degrees North
Ski corn snow in late May
Ski under the midnight sun
A yacht based ski adventure
A wilderness ski adventure in the land of the Polar Bear

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Longyearbyen

Check into a BnB in the afternoon. Explore the town and the museum in the evening.

Day 2 - 3: Ski tour close to town

BnB stay

Day: 4: Ski tour in the morning

Board The Noorderlicht in the afternoon, perform safety briefings and depart in the evening

Day 5 - 9: Ski tour each day from the boat

Our exact itinerary will be determined by weather, ice and snow conditions. We aim to travel up the West Coast stopping into several fiords, skiing as much as we can. We’ll finish on the north west corner before returning to Longyearbyen.

Day10: Transit back to Longyearbyen

Ski tour in the morning, transit back to Longyearbyen in the afternoon.

Day 11: Disembark from the yacht

Disembark from the yacht in the morning.

Accommodations

The Nooderlicht is the perfect vessel to support a ski expedition in Svalbard. It’s steel hull allows us to enter ice filled bays and fiords. While it’s size and charm ensures a comfortable ski adventure. She’s equipped with 10 guest cabins each with 2 single bunk bed style births, a small bar, library and 2 salons (dining rooms). The deck space is massive and provides lots of room to quietly take in the incredible beauty of Svalbard while we transit through the northern waterways.
Launched in 1910, she’s already lived several lives before refitted for tourism purposes. She has a charm and character that can only be gained from years of service. As a platform to run ski trips she’s perfect, there’s lots of space for organize equipment and people. At the end of each day we meet in the bar for a celebratory drink, before enjoying a marvellous meal cooked by the onboard chef.

Yacht Specs

Yacht type – Three Mast Schooner
Length – 50m or 150ft
Number of Guest Births – 20
Number of Bathrooms – 4

The Cabins

The yacht can accommodate 20 guests in 10 cabins. Each cabin has 2 single beds as well as a sink and also contains lots of storage and hanging space as well as a 220 volt charging station to keep your electronics topped up. There are four shared guest bathrooms each with a hot water shower.

The Living Spaces

There is two salons, one on each level of the boat where we’ll enjoy delicious meals cooked by our onboard chef. It’s also a great area to quietly read a book or edit photos. There is also a library and a bar.

Dates & Rates

2025

April 17 – 27
April 24 – May 4
May 1 – 11
May 8 – 18
May 15 – 25

Prices from

$10400 CAD

What's Included

7 nights onboard a Sailboat
All meals while onboard the sailboat
1-6 Guide to client ratio
Dedicated skipper and crew
Sailing instruction
3 Nights at a BnB in Longyearbyen

Not Included

Flights to Longyearbyen
Travel Insurance
Airport Transfers
Ski Equipment
Avalanche Equipment
Alcohol
Dinner in Longyearbyen

Weather

The weather in Svalbard can be temperamental. The Spring and the summer normally experience stable weather patterns with light winds and periods of sun. The average temperature in May is -5 Deg C to 0 deg C.

Trip Map

Pictures & Videos

FAQs

What is the skiing like in May in Svalbard?

Generally we're skiing spring snow or corn snow. Sometimes on North aspects we find powder snow.

What is the weather like in Svalbard in May?

Spring and summer are the best times to visit Svalbard. It can be temperamental but generally we can expect a mix of good weather skiing and some bad weather days.

Are Polar Bears a concern

Yes, we take necessary precautions to avoid Polar Bears. All guides ski with a gun and are trained in Polar Bear procedures. We have never had to shoot a bear and we've never had a negative experience.

Enjoy Our Reviews

         Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Claire H 
 
 
 
  BEST TRIP EVER!!
We did this trip with Angela in May of 2024. First off, Angela was an incredible guide. She's kind, knowledgeable, fun and dialed. Her knowledge of the culture, skiing, navigation of best plan/route is all awesome. Greenland is truly amazing and I highly recommend going with these guys who have such a connection to the place and people. The skiing was also perfect spring corn!!! Don't think about it too much, just GO!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Marcelo F 
 
 
 
  Pristine Greenland
Great trip all around! Views were amazing, pristine location, great guides and tailored service. I highly recommend traveling with Expedition Engineering and this specific trip. There was good skiing, some cultural experience, and adaptability to weather and conditions available to us. They are not your regular tour operators, they deliver something unique and real. Thumbs up to this company, I would go again with them at any time!!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Thomas M 
 
 
 
  Expedition Engineering East Greenland Ski tour
Outstanding backcountry ski trip. Our trip was actually went April 2024. Scenery was amazing, ski terrain had everything from easy to as challenging as you could want, conditions for us were mostly corn with some very firm and some powder, getting a 'taste' of local culture was cool and the guides, Angela and Matt were great. I had the feeling of sharing an adventure with them rather than being taken on an adventure by them. For lots of other reasons too, would strongly recommend.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Enrique D 
 
 
 
  Magnificent ski touring experience
We went there May 2023. If you are willing to rough it a bit, there is no better ski touring experience. Every day we would sail to a glacier terminus into the sea, climb up a peak or two, enjoy sublime unspoilt views on the way to the top, then great powder/corn skiing on the way down.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Cristina M 
 
 
 
  East Greenland May 2023
I took this trip with my partner and another couple in May of 2023. Although, due to weather the trip had to be modified, we were well taken care of with many contingencies ready. Food was plentiful and accommodations were very comfortable. I would highly recommend Expedition Engineering. Trip of a life time. We are hoping to travel again with them in the future. Maybe some where warm!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Mark N 
 
 
 
  Trip of a Lifetime - Never using another backcountry ski operation beside them!
Short summary: this is the best ski trip I have ever been on. If you love adventures and love to travel you need to come here it is one of the most raw and beautiful places I have been. I went with my father and it was an experience I will never forget. The guides are incredible.Now I will touch on why this trip is so special. Guides: Matt and Angela are the guides. They are also husband and wife. They are some of the sweetest and fun people we have met. Our main guide for the trip was Matt. He was extremely calm safe and fun. Me being 24 years old is always wanting to do extreme and fun things. My mom is very cautious. Matt was nice enough to speak with my mom for an hour walking through all the safety procedures and the risks and how they mitigate them. At no point did I feel unsafe or not in good hands. On these trips you spend many hours with the guides so you want to be comfortable with them. I left seeing Matt as a good friend. Scenery: I like to think I am well traveled and have been many places. In terms of scenery and the rawness of the trip nothing compares. You are in the middle of nowhere and there are not people let alone skiers miles around you. You are by yourself and there is something peaceful about that. It is some of the most beautiful mountains I have seen. I would eat my lunch and look at the mountains and get teary eye because it was so beautiful. My dad and I finished a run and he said this is the most amazing ski run I have ever done (with the biggest smile on his face). We completed a hike to the top of the mountain and did a run all the way to the water. Pictures don’t speak for themselves. You are literally skiing to the ocean.Safety: These are guides they are professionals. They take every precaution necessary. Avalanches are not the biggest dangers. But there are crevasses. We take necessary precautions spacing ourselves out and putting harnesses on. We are not putting ourselves in harms way. You are in the middle of no where so you are not going to go down a dangerous run. There are polar bears. No we never saw one. We do carry a gun in case but the polar bears stay by the ice (where the food is) and we are much higher than that. Food: not my favorite but you’re not there for the food. It’s normal food and at the hotel surprisingly decent. Conclusion: this is one of my favorite trips I have ever been on. The picture from the trip is my Home Screen. I am now begging my dad to do another trip with me with Matt and Angela. My mom would never let me go anywhere she did not do her research on she was very scared for us to do this but was able to get comfortable because of Matt and Angela. Matt and Angela thank you for being such calm and nice people but more importantly for creating a trip I will for always remember and a memory I created with my dad that brought us closer together. I really do get teary thinking about how amazing the trip was. Note: if you can do a private trip. Definitely recommend! Had the ability to use the helicopter to get to amazing areas!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Paul Lambie 
 
 
 
  East Greenland Ski touring.
We did this trip in April, 2023. Although 2023 was a low snow year we were able to ski from the village every day. We had great weather and the skiing was amazing. Different tours each day were accessed by skinning directly from our accommodation or by snowmobile or dogsled. The trip is based out of Kuummiit, a small and remote village in East Greenland. Matt and Angela are great guides; highly recommended! A very unique ski experience.
  
 
  
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