Svalbard, Arctic Circle

I’ve just landed in Svalbard, and as I stand at the airport and look all around me, I am in awe of the white expanse surrounding me. It reminds me of planet Hoth in Star Wars or the land beyond the Wall in Game of Thrones, where there’s nothing but snow, sky, and the kind of silence that makes you feel like the last person on Earth.

Getting here takes some planning, being so far from civilisation. I flew to Oslo, then caught a small plane to Longyearbyen, the northernmost airport and town. The runway is 1.5mi (2.5km) long, bordered by water on both ends, leaving little room for error. The harsh environment and unpredictable winds make it a challenging landing for pilots, but still doable with the right training. It reminds me of the Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, Nepal, when I hiked to Everest Base Camp, with its 1,729ft (527m) bordered by a mountain on one end and a valley on the other. A heart-pumping experience when coming to land. 

Svalbard sits well within the Arctic Circle, an imaginary line that circles the Earth at about 66.5° north. Everything above it experiences at least one day a year when the sun never rises and one when it never sets. The Arctic Circle stretches across eight countries and encompasses some of the most extreme environments on Earth. I’m here to explore that edge-of-the-world feeling, to see what life is like at the top of the planet.

Gazing over the white blanket, I feel a strange kind of stillness. Even the crunch of the snow beneath my boots is too loud. And the light! It was so bright and glaring that I was thankful for my polarised sunglasses. It’s summertime when daylight seldom ends. 

As I make my way into town, I realise how remote this place really is. There are no roads connecting the small handful of settlements. If I want to get around, it’s snowmobiles or boats, and the weather has a mind of its own, so I’ll have to learn to be flexible fairly quickly. 

I’m bundled up, of course, dressed in layers from a woollen base to a windproof and waterproof outer layer, along with a beanie, scarf, and gloves. The air is bitingly cold, bursting with clean oxygen as it fills my lungs, while my cheeks tingle and my nose burns slightly.

Svalbard is an archipelago made up of dramatic mountains and a staggering 2,100 glaciers, covering 60% of the landmass. Tucked between mainland Norway and the North Pole, its main settlement and capital is Longyearbyen, home to around 2,000 people. Walking down the main street, I feel its cosiness for a place this remote, where doors are left unlocked and snowmobiles outnumber cars. But here’s the kicker: there are more polar bears than people on Svalbard. And while sightings in town are rare, stepping outside is a different ball game where I’m legally required to carry a rifle for safety or travel with someone who does. I definitely prefer the second option.

The islands are governed by the Svalbard Treaty, signed in 1920, which gives citizens of over 40 countries the right to live and work here. It’s a place built on international cooperation. There’s also a strong scientific presence, with research stations monitoring everything from climate change to reindeer migration. And perhaps most famously, it’s home to the Global Seed Vault, where the world’s seeds are stored deep in the permafrost. But we’ll get to that later.

This is all very exciting, and this journey will be like no other. I mean, how often do you follow a route in the shape of a polar bear?! What I’m really looking forward to, though, is discovering the many wonders within the Arctic Circle, from its extreme landmasses, oceans, and seas to the magnificent wildlife that calls it home and the hard work of those dedicated to conserving and protecting it.

For now, I’m just taking it all in—the crunch of snow, the cold on my cheeks, and the quiet thrill of knowing this is just the beginning. Next up? A brush with the king of the Arctic…  

A team of 10 called the Chill Seekers!