Learning from the best in the game
Spring on mainland Norway is approaching, the snow has melted and the sun is starting to gain good effect. I enjoyed lighter clothing and put away beanies and gloves.
In the home office though the floor is filled with gear. Gear I hoped would keep me warm in potentially harsh climate above the arctic circle and of course the most essential photography gear.
Preparing for 10 days on glaciers at Svalbard
I was able to join a 10 day skiing expedition at Svalbard in april 2021. An expedition which is normally held in August - due to warmer weather. Svalbard in April this year was full blown winter. The weather forecast prior to travelling gave indications of cold temperatures and a lot of wind. Being cold was my biggest concern.
Preparation
Going in on a skiing expedition at Svalbard unprepared is not recommended. Both physical condition and preparing for the unprepared is key - especially to be able to enjoy the ride and not to struggle with technicalities. We where a group of 5 members and our group was assigned a very experienced guide - Vincent Colliard. Being the good tour operator as Ousland Explorers is we received packing lists and tips on training - but in the end it is you that has to do the training, bring personal gear and know how to use them. Within the group we discussed a lot of gear - and comparing them. Even though all of the members where both in good physical shape and experienced with the outdoors - Svalbard is another kind of challenge. On the glaciers there is no shelter except in the tent and getting access to assistance is through satelite devices only. We had to prepare ourselves and test gear well in advance. My go to thought of chain is to bring more than you need - just in case.
Training session in progress
Our guide: Vincent Colliard
It was our own responsibility to get prepared and to bring all the necessary gear on the trip. Ousland Explorers provided the team equipment being tents, cooking equipment and sleds. And the expertise in terms of our excellent guide Vincent. Vincent has experienced more than most 35 year olds and is already a sought after polar explorer and has completed more than 20 crossings of icecaps around the world. It quickly became obvious that we would learn a lot.
Getting into the routine.
Everything about an expedition in Polar regions require routine and practice. Not only are you to move from one location to another but you need to practice the routines and be prepared for all kinds of weather. The first few day we where told that we would ski for a short distance in order to prepare our bodies for what to come. We need to take it slow and we do not want to rush into anything. We pitched the first camp - received our instructions on what to prepare for the next day:
“All water should be melted and warmed for the next day before you go to sleep”
During the first night we had -25 degrees celcius in the tent and to my amazement I did not wake up during the night because I was cold - on the contrary I had to remove a layer of clothing. The most important part is to regulate your body temperature to keep dry and to try to prevent sweating. And throughout the day we added or removed layers and opened our jackets and pants in order to keep that balance. It is better to feel a bit chilly rather than breaking a sweat. And it is a good tip to open the zippers under the arms and on the legs of the Gore Tex layer on the side of your body that is sheltered from the wind. Most often we tried to make the last leg of the day a bit slower to regulate the body temperature before arriving in camp.
Layering clothes
We always use layers of clothing and the easier they are to remove the quicker and more comfortable you will be and it is easier to remove layers on top of the waterproof layer than having layers beneath the Gore Tex.
The layers of clothes from the inside:
Wool net
Gore Tex / Waterproof layer
Sled harness and other equipment
Vest of some sort down or wool
Down jacket
The layering on the feet:
Good insoles in the ski boots - opt for soles with wool top to prevent the feet from sliding inside the boot.
Thin wool liner socks
Moisture barrier (a plastic bag will do the trick)
Wool sock of your choice
Many use Kartanks in their boots or removable liners
Ski boots
When you have gained experience with the layers you need - stick to it and do not change a winning formula. Test adding / removing one layer at the time so you know what layer that made the difference.
On the feet in camp:
Camp booties will make walking around in camp after a long day pleasant for your feet and they are quick to get on and off and without laces.
Even though there is a very thin layer of wool close to the body this layering technique worked amazingly well even in strong winds and cold temperatures.
The morning routine
As mentioned the day starts with water and ends with water. Preparing for what is ahead and to save time and fuel. The morning routine is to re- heat water for breakfast, eat breakfast and then fill water bottles and thermoses. The breakfast consisted of a oatmeal with a lot of sugar mixed in in pre packed bags with a side of chocolate. Then we set about packing our gear and prepare for the day of skiing. We utilized beddings for expeditions where your sleeping bag, mattress and isolation layer is packed in a rolled out manner. A very quick and easy way to get organised and get quickly into and out of the tent. A bedding will also allow for the sleeping bag to dry a bit during the day since it is not stuffed into a packsack. All water is cooked inside the tent the inner tent will get moist so trying to dry your equipment through the day is important.
It took a few days to figure out all the necessary items to bring into the tent in the evening aside the bedding with everything needed for sleeping and we continuously monitored what we used and what we fetched from the sled outside the tent. When you are well packed into your sleeping bag and ready to eat dinner it is annoying to have to run out to fetch your spoon or your toothbrush and get exposed to wind and weather.
In the morning the inner tent often gets covered with a thin layer of frost and it is a good idea to brush of the inner tent before lighting the stove - the heat from the stove melts the frost and everything that touches the tent will get moist. We covered our gear in the bedding. And starting on one side at the time brushed the frost towards the bottom of the tent from top to bottom. Before packing the tent - brush out all the ice in the bottom of the tent.
We packed our sleds and added the meal bag for the day to an easily accessible place in the sled or the bedding along with water bottles.
The daily routine
In order to get enough water and nutrition our skiing intervals where timed. We started skiing at 9 in the morning and skied for 1 hour 15 minutes, then Vincent crossed his skipoles and shouted “Pause”. The breaks where 15 min before repeating the same routine for the duration of the day. With 15 minutes to get nutrition and drink everything needs to be prepared for each day and all meals where pre packed before we left Longyearbyen.
The lunch consisted of pure energy and in small pieces like nuts, chocolate, chips, crackers, pieces of dried meat and water or energy drinks. The ones that are really experienced usually mix their food with hot water to preserve energy from chewing. In regular circumstances I would consider my lunch as candy and snacks - but the menu is carefully prepared by experts and proven to be what you need with long days of high intensity.
We took turns in creating tracks if there where new snow. If the weather was good we could keep within visible range. In bad weather we followed a single line - the same if there where danger for cracks in the ice.
“We started skiing at 9 in the morning and skied for 1 hour 15 minutes, then Vincent crossed his ski poles and shouted Pause”
Magical Svalbard
The artic light and shadows combined with the raw edges of the mountains at Svalbard is from another world
The evening routine
Above the polar circle the weather and the conditions define how far you are able to progress per day - and time is the limit not the distance covered. We started with 7 hours of skiing the first day to allow our bodies to get used to long days. The following days we spent 9-10 hours each day following the 1h:15min of skiing and 15 min breaks. The day was over at at fixed time and that was a hard stop - and our destination for the day. We pitched our tents on the snow so it was usually pretty straight forward to find a flat spot.
Pitching the tent is a drill in itself - and already on the second evening we learned how to set up camp in high winds. A good exercise that would come in handy later.
“The stronger the wind is thus slower you work pitching the tent”
There are should be no coincidence when pitching the tent - that is a drill. Before we headed out we where instructed to tape all the tent poles - except on the joint half the length of the poles. The poles are to be folded over themselves and rolled into the tent. On expeditions is it common to have double tent poles instead of the single poles which are standard on most tents.
The tent is packed with the exit side up and rolled over the tent poles.
The tent is to be pitched with the short end upwind with the opening downwind - this to limit the impact on the tent with the wind.
The tent is rolled out on the ground and always weighed down by the your body. Every tent pole is attached once at the time and threaded correctly on the ground level and making sure that all wires are loose and tightened all the way to the shortest length. Each fixed tent pole is secured tightly on the ground. When all tent poles are secured rotate the tent with on the ground so the direction if the tent according to the wind direction.
Still on the ground locate the middle peg fastening(s) and secure with a snow peg - a long and sturdy peg. Then secure the middle wires with a ski. All this keeping low to the ground and preventing the tent to catch in the wind.
Pull the tent up downwind securing the ends before going back to the upwind end to fasten the wires in a 45 degree angle to the tent sides. Then it is time to cover the storm flaps and dig the cold pit in the vestibule. We experienced that the pit should not cover the full depth of the inner tent - this to have a nice place for the cooking equipment. In the morning it is very nice to lay in the sleeping bag to light the stove and fill the cooking pot with snow.
We used artic beddings for our mattresses, water bottles, food and sleeping bags so getting organised in the tent was quick and easy. We also had one dedicated bag with clothes, toiletries, a bowl a spoon and a coffee grinder.
Next on the agenda boiling water and eating dinner - then time to sleep.
One of our camps in the morning - the wind has covered everything in snow.
Video by: Vincent Colliard
A lot of weather
Svalbard was still in full winter and we where expecting and actually hoping to get a bit of all to get good learning experiences. We got it all - but against all we expected we had a lot of amazing weather conditions. Every evening Vincent received the forecast from via the In-reach from Lars. Lars is fetching forecast from a number of different sources and has a lot of experience with weather. His predictions where spot on most of the time.
Behaviour is not by accident
Being the guide on our tour must have been a weird one - we observed his every move during the day. It quickly became obvious that nothing was thoroughly thought through. The first thing I observed was that Vincent put his back to the wind every time he worked with his hands or was talking with one of us individually. All the time when we stopped we pulled our sled downwind to sit on the sled with the wind in the back. Every action that required working with the hands was done with gloves or mittens on.
Every item he carried had a defined place to be stowed either in the sled, in pockets or on his body. And he carried clothing than the items we saw him wearing except a spare pair of socks.
We dried clothing on our bodies, we sat on our mittens with the opening downwind. These things kept flashing in my mind when I did not remember but I am amazed how quickly we started adapting the different techniques.
Even Vincent´s movements during the day gave signs of limiting the amount of effort they required to perform in order to preserve energy.
Navigation
In good weather with great visibility it fairly straight forward to get from point A to point B - given that you have a map, a navigation device or compass and a sense of direction.
When you are not able to see any reference points in the terrain this becomes more difficult. In this image there was very limited visibility and during this day this was the best visibility we had. Most parts of the day we only saw the length of the team and each others backs. We had multiple devices to aid us in navigating including GPS programmed with waypoints. When skiing for a long time looking at the GPS all the time will be tedious.
Navigation with the wind.
Vincent had a few tricks up his sleeves - one of those you can spot on his ski pole (the one on the right pole up in the air). It is a very lightweight fabric that catches easily in the wind. If the wind is constant - meaning coming from the same compass direction over a period over one hour. If that is the case we can use the wind direction to help us navigate. Using the GPS you set the bearing - aligning your skis in the correct walking direction. Set the ski pole in the snow and look at the direction the wind crosses over your skis. This gives you the wind angle over your skis. The wind is the zero direction and the angle over your skis is the angle to follow. The angle starting from zero going clockwise with your rear ski. Using this technique you can pay attention to the GPS with longer intervals between. We all had the opportunity to test this and on the way we where given correction.
“10 degrees to the right”
Another way to navigate is by using the angle of the sun. Many times you are able to see the sun trough the clouds or fog and this will give you the ability to have a point to navigate with - given that you have no other fixed points in the horizon. With the sun you are able to use the angle of the shadow across your skis to navigate after. The sun moves 15 degrees per hour so remember to adjust your bearing accordingly and pay attention to the time.
None of these methods should be used without verifying the bearing on the GPS or compass but they will aid you so that you do not need to have the GPS or compass out all the time. Also with a GPS this can help conserve battery as the GPS do not have to be switched on continuously.
My sketches of the setup I was to create.
Custom made straps that attach between the camera bag and the harness
Custom made straps and the Peak Design neck strap
As a photographer on a trip like this
As a photographer on a trip like this I had a couple of specific concerns.
My biggest concern was to keep the camera accessible at all times and not stowed in the sled. I was afraid to miss in the moment action and skip shots that I would normally have taken with my camera in the neck strap. Having gear accessible also required me to have it as a part of my everyday kit and on my body at all times. Having heavy equipment on the body for 8-10 hours a day has to be not felt. If you feel the gear it will start to get annoying.
In my opinion the perfect camera bag does not exist for all situations and I did not want to have a backpack or a slingshot bag that moves around.
I had to come up with something on my own. I was to wear a harness all day for the sled. I tested attaching a LowePro top loader to the waist belt but it was pretty annoying and needed to be better fastened to be comfortable. I created two straps and bought some detachable clips. I found some aluminum anodised clips that I could attach to the sides of the LowePro bag to keep it tight to the body.
I tested this setup on a couple of trips and found that I would like the bag to hang a bit higher so I added clips for the Peak Design neck straps to the bag. This neck strap took some weight of the waist band of the harness and enabled me to cary the camera bag without the harness.
Over the duration of 10 days I carried my camera and a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens on me for 7-10 hours a day - without giving much notice to it other than it was accessible. Combining activity like this and being able to use my camera has always been key for me. As soon as the gear gets a pain point it will not be used.
I will make a few adjustments if I am to go on a new trip - probably by adding straps that attach to the webbing that runs over the shoulders on the harness. But all in all the setup made it´s purpose and I took 123GB of images and video for the duration of the trip.
I also opted for a glove system that allows for more flexibility than having to remove two layers of mittens to operate the camera. I chose mittens from the Heat Company that has built in liners and that folds back over the fingers. I also brought their windproof layer for the days with heavy winds. They kept me warm on my fingers and I could quickly get my fingers out for camera use.
Key takeouts
There has been a steep learning curve on this trip in many aspects. Given my introductory concern about being cold - that was an unnecessary concern. From time to time when packing the camp and preparing to walk I was a bit chilly on the feet and hands but I quickly learned that 20 minutes into the daily ski routine I was warm through and through. When it comes to bringing extra clothing - none in the group had to change into the extra pair of anything other than gloves and sock. But bringing 4 pairs of socks is overkill and two pairs was not even needed to wash when getting back home. Even thought it might sound gross the underwear and wool layers we started with at the beginning of the expedition was still on when we ended. It works to dry them on the body.
Listen to your body and make sure that all you wear sits comfortably on your body. Take that extra minute to fix small irritations if not they might be a problem in 5 hours. Even more importantly - your feet is your most important tool when skiing for long distances with a lot of weight on the sled. If you start to feel blisters or sore feet you need to stop at once and not postpone - blisters will only get worse. Another very good point that I learned from our excellent guide is that feet that are too warm will make hotspots even worse. It is recommended to use layers of socks on your feet on expeditions like this one - but if it get to warm remove a layer.
All in all the gear I brought and used worked great - but it is worth testing and investing in good clothes and gear. In conditions like those on Svalbard it will be put to the test. But gear aside there is a lot of simple techniques and routines that will improve your overall experience. And drilling the things you have to do every day will enable you to get quickly into the tent and get to relax quicker.
After long days we truly stared to enjoy the tent life and was really enjoying the time in the tent, the morning coffee and the breakfast and dinner routine. A hot top is to bring a small lightweight chair or a sleeve that turns your mattress into a chair. Being able to sit properly in the tent will make meals and the coffee break a lot more relaxing and will add to the good atmosphere in the tent.
And now for the images
Thank you so much for reading and give me a follow on Instagram to follow more of my adventures. Share my story in social media if you want.
This trip has been equal parts an adventure and a class in polar expeditions.
I have learned a lot on this trip and I am very greatful of all the knowledge our guide Vince passed on to us and for his kindness in all aspects. The team has been amazing and I am looking forward to more trips. The big question now is what to do next. Thank you for your interest in my content and please check out my images in the store.
