Svalbard, we meet again!
What a winter!
The new year started like a dream! After a long time, a pandemic and a lot of applications I made it to Svalbard again! This time to participate in the “Climate Change Biology” course from UNIS (University Centre in Svalbard). I thought I was prepared… but flying from Christmas holidays in Greece at +15°C to the closest possible to the North pole at -30°C was shocking! No matter my 3-4 wool layers!
The course started smoothly, with international master’s and PhD students getting together, and nerding around biology facts; a (terrifying as usual) shooting and safety training, because we are the alien species in the polar bears’ kingdom! And an extra training on snowmobiles! Except those “extra” the main course’s activities were beyond amazing, educative, and interesting! Biology might not be my cup of tea, but dealing with climate change, environmental arctic data, having basic knowledge (but huge interest) of polar biology and having a great professor, Mads Forchhammer, who knows how to include all the attendees and make everything easy to follow for almost everyone… was more than welcoming for a Mediterranean geographer to find my self part of the team. The first weeks were pitch black! The polar night was such an extraordinary experience! I thought I would get used to it since I had already experienced polar day in the past, but Aurora Borealis made it so unique, magical and bizarre (in a good way)!
Taking things from the start…
Arriving in Svalbard was a bit of an adventure, mid-pandemic travelling was not ideal of course, a lot of covid testing, paperwork, and one missed flight, but in the end, I made it! First of all, In Oslo, the airplane had to be covered with an anti-freeze liquid before taking off! That was indeed a “warm welcome!
Stepping into Longyearbyen after 2 and a half years came with some surprises, and the first one was new student housing! A super modern complex by Longyear river. Not that cosy as the previous wooden option, but warm and nice. The first week, aka adaptation week, aka week before the course starts, had Christmas tree throwing competition, sea ice swimming, ice hockey dinners and staying indoors.
Along with the training, we started our fieldwork right away! Getting to see pingos, daytime aurora, dig snow explore the high Arctic wilderness while driving our snowmobiles along frozen valleys full of reindeer. Experiencing extreme Arctic weather during fieldwork was as expected… more than cold! UNIS logistics equipped us with the necessary suits, balaclavas, and 2 layers of gloves, and yet we needed to keep moving to not get frozen!
The next field trips were a piece of cake, despite the longer drives, or the added workload! The scenery, the people, and the excitement made everything pleasant! We got to dig and measure a lot of snow, visited cabins, climbed and drilled pingos, got into ice caves, drove on glaciers, drove within valleys… Things I keep from the fieldtrips:
I found some antlers during one of the field trips!
Life hack… dessert in -30… powdered baby food! it only needs hot water and boom! tasty, full of vitamins, energy and it’s super tasty!
(people will make fun, but little they know! breaking their teeth with nut bars!)The 3w rule saves lives! Wool, Windproof and Waterproof!
On the snowscoters it’s warmer to be the driver, but it’s more relaxing to be the passenger!
Headlamps, and second (dry) balaclava or necktube and woollen shocks! are necessities
People can get fussy when hungry and cold! Don’t take things personally, feed them and hug them!
Life hack… hands and feet warmers! necessity!!!
My new favourite water form: frost flowers!
The course’s lectures were super engaging and interesting. Mads proposed a lot of reading, which came out to be way more fun than expected, including creative presentations in the class and in the field, and team videos, both online and in person. I got to learn a lot about Arctic Biology, Climate Change in the Arctic, snow, seals, vegetation, fish, pingos, permafrost, and I shall stop listing them because it’s gonna take forever!
In the last week of the course, we start having the first astronomical dusks, which slowly became nautical. Mads’ secret chocolate recipe was the best treat at the finishing of the course!
Although, my stay in Svalbard was only halfway through, I already had the feeling of this visit coming to a slow end! Refocusing on my PhD, I was procrastinating by taking two evening courses from UNIS, one on The History of Svalbard and one on The Stormy Sun and the Northern Lights. Very nerdy I need to admit, but is there something better than learning? and especially learning about Polar-related things such as history and Aurora?
During the next 2 months I spent there, I did a bunch of great things…
Hiked up to Longyearbyen (glacier), under a wonderful show of Aurora Borealis, a super-strong shooting star and full moon, and slept in an ice cave!
Spent a lot of time in the libraries (both UNIS and the public one)
Saw my favourite type of sea ice… Pancakes (and swam surrounded by them!)
Had so many cinnamon rolls, coffee and handmade chocolates in Fruene
Went to two concerts and one cinema screening
Did a lot of swimming in the pool and some swimming in the icy waters in the fjord
Visited a photo exhibition in the old power station
Saw some cute little guillemots
Met a poet
Spent time with the knitting club drinking coffee and eating cake while knitting
Went hiking up to the ice cave again (with aurora again!) and experimented with lighting the ice and taking some interesting photos
Saw my favourite type of clouds! Lens clouds
Visited the satellite stations with the Aurora course
Saw the sun after 52 days there! During the SunFestival (on the first day the sun made it to Longyearbyen)
Spent a lot of time in the saunas
Read a lot of books
I left Svalbard with an extra piece of luggage for my new wool outfits, an antler, a big knitting project almost done… Sad I had to leave, but grateful and happy for spending 3 months in the most amazing island I have ever been!
Keeping great memories, be taught so many new things about surviving and being safe in the high Arctic, learned so many things in Arctic Biology and Climate Change, having met wonderful people, colleagues and professors…
Hasta la proxima
