Svalbard Archives | Atlas & Boots

20 interesting facts about Svalbard

13th July 202426th October 2022 by Kia Abdullah

We share the most interesting facts about Svalbard, collected on our expedition to ‘the last stop before the North Pole’

Svalbard is said to be Europe’s last great wilderness. This archipelago of ice, rock and permafrost lies midway between Norway and the North Pole and is accordingly untrammelled. Measuring 24,209 sq mi (62,700 sq km), Svalbard comprises nine main islands, chief among them Spitsbergen, home to the de facto capital, Longyearbyen. Very little grows in Svalbard and it’s shrouded in darkness for much of the year, making it one of the most hostile places on earth.

Our first view while visiting Ny-Ålesund

Visiting Ny-Ålesund, the northernmost settlement in the world

23rd October 202219th October 2022 by Kia Abdullah

Kia reckons with a palpable sense of desolation while visiting Ny-Ålesund, the literal edge of civilisation

There are places and moments in my life which have felt far removed from civilisation: the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia, the Atacama Desert in Chile, Lac Abbé in Djibouti, Paradise Bay in Antarctica, and 81°17’5’’N in the High Arctic.

facts about svalbard: Longyearbyen world’s northernmost town from above

Longyearbyen: a walking tour of the world’s northernmost town

23rd October 202212th October 2022 by Peter Watson

Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost town, is easily seen on foot. We share our tried-and-tested route for exploring this remote outpost

It’s okay. You didn’t come all the way to Svalbard, anchored in the Arctic Ocean roughly midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole, to linger in Longyearbyen. You don’t need to “eat like a local” here or “get under the skin” of the destination. It’s just not that type of town.

Svalbard packing list: how to prepare for the last stop before the North Pole

28th December 202228th September 2022 by Kia Abdullah

A curated Svalbard packing list with links to specific products that have been tried and tested by Atlas & Boots

I was feeling if not cocky then certainly complacent. I had been to the Arctic once or twice and had returned from Antarctica just a few months earlier. Svalbard in comparison would be a cinch I was sure.

A group photo taken while Kayaking in Svalbard

Kayaking in Svalbard: ice and isolation in the high Arctic

7th October 202221st September 2022 by Peter Watson

Kayaking in Svalbard among the icebergs of Hamiltonbukta showed us the true magic and magnitude of nature in the Arctic

Sometimes, I hear myself talking about my job and think, “God, I sound ridiculous.” It’s usually when I’m rattling on about where I’ve been and have to check myself, remembering that most people aren’t fortunate enough to visit places like the Galápagos or Easter Island – let alone both in a single trip.

Polar Plunge Q&A: everything you need to know

14th September 2022 by Kia Abdullah

The Polar Plunge is a fearsome rite of passage for visitors to Antarctica and the Arctic. Here, we share what you need to know so you can leap with ease

I still remember the moment I learnt about the Polar Plunge. I was at home in London on a typically gloomy day in the mid 2010s. I was wasting time online when I came across an article about Antarctica. Sadly, I can’t remember the writer’s name, but the photo of her was joyous: midway through the Polar Plunge, her body drawn into a starfish shape, a jubilant smile on her face. It was so pure and fun, and completely unselfconscious in a way that women are taught not to be.

In photos: 20 reasons to visit Svalbard

24th October 20227th September 2022 by Peter Watson

From vast landscapes and giant glaciers to sly foxes and posing seals, we share some of the myriad reasons to visit Svalbard in the Arctic

Known as the last stop before the North Pole, Svalbard proved to be the Arctic we had always imagined: midnight sun, gleaming glaciers and snowcapped peaks, a frigid ocean riddled with ice and extraordinary wildlife including walruses, sea birds and polar bears.

Under the midnight sun: a surreal trip to Svalbard

28th November 202231st August 2022 by Kia Abdullah

In the land of the midnight sun, Kia finds a place of raw nature, rare wildlife and one of her most memorable moments of travel

It is said that you can’t die in Svalbard, the remote archipelago that lies midway between Norway and the North Pole. The permafrost here not only preserves corpses, it sometimes pushes them to the surface. The truth is that authorities would prefer you didn’t die on Svalbard. Coffin burials are not allowed due to the permafrost, so critically-ill patients are usually flown to mainland Norway.