A short visit to Tara

The French polar schooner Tara is currently moored at Bykaia here in Longyearbyen. The vessel has been drifting with the sea-ice for 510 days, until the 21st of January. It started its journey in north of Siberia and continued almost across the pole point to the Fram Straight, more or less the same journey that Fridtjof Nansen and his crew undertook on the ship Fram from 1893 to 1896. The biggest difference between the two expeditions is probably the time it took: for Fram, the passive drift lasted three years, while for Tara it took less than two years. That is because there´s less sea ice now - which may be because of climate change.


Talking about sea-ice: in a "normal" winter a few years back, this stretch of water between Bykaia and the centre of Longyearbyen would be covered with ice. All of Adventfjorden would be freezed over. This winter is the third in a row when there´s no ice, and if it doesn´t come now during the next few weeks, it won´t come at all this winter. This January Longyearbyen was almost 8 degrees warmer than average - which we can presume has something to do with there being no ice.

But it was cold enough when we visited the boat - around -20 and a freezing wind made it almost unbearable on the quay.


But warm and snug underneath deck. At least in the common room (galley?).


A little cramped in other places. Ten people have been living here since last September - and another crew of ten before that.


If you want to know more about Tara, you´ll find plenty of information on their homepage.

Here comes the sun I

It´s happening - it´s coming back! I´m so glad something is to be trusted in this world.

18 january, 1300, looking south from our house

24 January, 1300

26 January, 1230




... and today, 1230. Looking darker because of the clouds - but it is lighter. Some of the blue lingers until almost 3 o´clock, it´s great!




Another thing that´s repeating itself (in a more modest scale) is the annual Polarjazz Festival - this year is the 11th year it´s arranged. Last night was kick-off night with local talents, and we were impressed with how good many of them were. Out of a population of 2000, it´s not bad that they can whip up a proper brass band and several singers. Personally, I thought the interpretation of Anthony and the Johnsons "Hope there´s someone" was particularly impressive - it´s the first time I´ve heard someone try to sing his songs, and they did quite well.

From tonight, and until Sunday the "real" artists perform at various venues around town, and we plan to have our share of it. If I can get rid of this irritating cold I´ve got...

Another book by Estrid Ott, from Svalbard

... except that for this book (and others) she assumed a pen name, Magnus Moen (although Narvik Folkebibliotek seems to think it´s the other way round, which is a little amusing).

I´ve mentioned Estrid Ott before, because of her book "Siri from Svalbard", which was about a young girl´s life in Longyearbyen sometime in the 1930´s. Most of what I´ve learnt about coal-mining I got from that book. In "Sverre på Svalbard" (1951) Estrid has taught me a few things about driving dog-sleds, and as I´ve just had a chance to try it myself, I was eager to learn.

Sverre is a resourceful young man from the north of Norway, who leaps at every chance to travel and have exciting adventures (he goes to Africa and Canada in other books). This time he overwinters in a small cabin somewhere on Svalbard with a trapper. They shoot seals and polar bears, and they catch foxes. There´s also a dramatic bit about two bandits who try to rob them, and about their sad ending. But despite the dramatic parts, the book also gives a picture of the trapper´s everyday life through autumn, winter and spring - taking care of furs and clothes, finding water, stocking supplies, and cooking and cleaning. As a whole, you´re left with an impression that in general, trappers in the Arctic were clean, polite and sober. Which is a nice illusion.



Here´s a list of Estrid Ott´s books, which I expect is complete - except that I can´t find "Sverre på Svalbard" on it... It could be that the book "Sverre i fangstlære" ("Sverre is a trapper") from the same year is an early title.

It´s interesting that Estrid Ott chose a male pseudonym for the books about Sverre, probably on the publisher´s assumption that boys wouldn´t read books written by a woman (publishers seem to believe this still - Joanne Rowling used only her initials when the books about Harry Potter were published, because her publishers wanted to conceal the fact that she was a woman. Which in hindsight seems pretty silly).

So which do I like best, Siri or Sverre? I think probably the book about Sverre. He did more interesting things, and had a lot more freedom. Which is not Siri´s fault, and which I have a feeling Estrid Ott was the first to regret.

Dogs and magic light in Bolterdalen

Yesterday morning, the Frozen Family ventured out into the wild again, this time with the help of 12 happy huskies.

Underneath: from the dog yard in Bolterdalen, belonging to Basecamp Explorer.



Most of them just loved to be hugged by humans - and Thomas happily complied.


Peter wrapped up in the sled. It wasn´t very cold - around -16C - and almost no wind. But cold enough if you were sitting still.


This is how light it got - the best light we´ve had since November.


But still not the best light for photography. These are a couple that turned out OK.


Travelling by dog sled is so different than driving the snowmobile, it´s amazing. The silence and darkness comes nearer somehow - and even if you can´t travel as far as with a snowmobile, just being around the friendly and eager dogs makes up for that threefold. There´s no question as to what I prefer.

Nearly full moon in one direction, and a blue glow in the south gave us light from two sides - and no need for head-torches.


Back at the dog yard - we had a cup of hot tea and some quality time with the puppies Danse ...


... and Viagra. Don´t ask.



This is my first time on a dog sled, but it´s certainly not my last. But maybe my last in that kind of light. It was ... perfect.