NEWTONTOPPEN WINTER
Coast to coast on Spitsbergen, with Svalbard's highest peak along the way
TO THE ROOF OF SPITSBERGEN
Newtontoppen rises 1,712 metres above the glaciers in the heart of Svalbard's main island, the highest peak in the archipelago, and one of the most committing winter ski objectives in the Arctic.
The route runs coast to coast. From the east coast of Spitsbergen, up along Hayes Glacier and onto the great polar plateau of Lomonosovfonna. Through the mountain range of Atomfjella to the summit. Then down Nordenskiöld Glacier to the western fjords. Twelve days on the ice, in the middle of the Arctic winter season, with polar bear country at the start and an open horizon for most of what comes after. It will be cold. It will be hard. And it will be the kind of trip you remember the rest of your life.
Duration: 12 days on the ice, plus travel and preparation days
Distance: Approximately 160 km
Group size: 1 guide and up to 8 participants
Departure point: Longyearbyen, Svalbard
End point: Adolfbukta in Billefjorden
Meet-up: April 21st 2027
Conditions: Late winter on Svalbard, full daylight returning, glacial terrain
Skill level: Strong fitness, comfortable with multi-day winter camping
Price: NOK 68,000 per person (deposit NOK 15,000)
EXPEDITION SUMMARY
EXPEDITION DETAILS
This expedition takes you from the east coast of Spitsbergen, wild, exposed, with the polar bears and the pack ice, into the rugged mountain country at the centre of the island, up to the summit of Newtontoppen, and out down the western glaciers to Billefjorden. Coast to coast, with the highest peak in Svalbard along the way.
We go in late April. The polar night is long behind us by then. Days are long, the light is back and getting stronger, and temperatures sit between -10°C and -25°C in normal conditions. The sea ice on the east coast is still in. The glaciers up on the plateau are still in full winter shape. This is the window when the Arctic is most accessible and still unmistakably Arctic.
The route is varied. Sea ice and glacier front at the start. The long climb up Hayes Glacier into the high country. The open expanse of Lomonosovfonna, where the polar plateau gives you the feeling of being somewhere closer to the Pole than to Norway. Then Atomfjella, a range of sharp nunataks where Newtontoppen waits. The summit day is the centrepiece, weather permitting. After that, the descent down Nordenskiöld Glacier brings you back to the fjords, a different landscape and a real sense of having crossed something.
Twelve days on the ice is enough for a real expedition. We keep the team small, the routine sharp, and the focus on doing it well. There's a summit, but the trip isn't about ticking a peak — it's about the full crossing, with the summit as one of its high points.
ROUTE
The ski trip to and from Newtontoppen is around 160 km. We take a snowmobile from Longyearbyen all the way across to the east coast of Spitsbergen, dropping off at Mohnbukta, close to an impressive glacier front and in the heart of polar bear country. The bear watch starts immediately.
From Mohnbukta we turn the skis northwest, work up the Hayes Glacier, and onto the vast glacial plateau of Lomonosovfonna. We push on into the Atomfjella range, summit Newtontoppen, then turn the route around, back towards Lomonosovfonna, shifting west, and down the Nordenskiöld Glacier into Adolfbukta. Snowmobile pick-up there, and back to Longyearbyen.
DAY BY DAY
Day 1. You arrive in Longyearbyen the same day, or the day before if you prefer. We use the rest of this day to pack provisions, sort personal kit, prepare the sleds, and double-check equipment. Anything missing can be bought at the local sports shop. We go through the route, the plan, the predicted weather, and how the team will run communications, navigation, and safety.
Day 2. "An early rise is the first commandment for the one who wants to reach the top" wrote the poet Kristofer Randers. We follow the same mentality. Snowmobile transfer to Mohnbukta, the starting point — a long ride through some of the biggest valleys on Spitsbergen. Once we are on the east coast, we move off the sea ice and pitch camp. Polar bear watch is on.
Days 3–4. Up the Hayes Glacier, aiming for the mountains that rise out of the ice in the distance.
Days 5–6. Past the first mountain range and onto Lomonosovfonna, a great glacial plateau, before the next range comes into view.
Days 7–8. Into Atomfjella, a range of striking nunataks. Newtontoppen sits among them.
Days 9–10. Summit. On top of the roof of Spitsbergen at 1,712 m. Whichever direction you look, endless mountain ranges and the glaciers running between them.
Day 11. Back across Lomonosovfonna, shifting the line slightly west, beginning the descent towards Billefjorden.
Days 12–13. Down Nordenskiöld Glacier, all the way to the coast at Adolfbukta. Snowmobile pick-up back to Longyearbyen for a warm shower and a proper meal :-)
This timeline is an approximation. Weather and conditions will shape the real shape of the trip, summit day in particular depends on what the mountain gives us.
SAFETY
The route crosses bear country from start to finish, with the highest probability of an encounter on the east coast around Mohnbukta. Polar bear protocol applies throughout, with bear watch at every camp. The guide carries the safety rifle required by Svalbard regulations. We rope up on glacier sections where conditions call for it, and the team runs satellite communications for the duration.
TRAINING AND PREPARATION
This trip asks for experience on skis and comfort with cold. How to prepare physically varies from trip to trip and person to person — we provide individual training advice where it's needed.
As a general benchmark: you should be able to carry a 20 kg backpack for 8 hours, several days in a row. That's an easy thing to measure. Actual training is a mix of cycling, jogging, gym work, hiking with a pack, and tyre-pulling. It isn't where you train that matters, but that you train. The more hours, the better.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
An experienced guide. All general equipment: tents, navigation, sleds, pulling harness (if needed), communications, and safety essentials including polar bear protection. Snowmobile transfer to and from the start and end points. Expedition food on the ice. And all the advice you can use in the build-up. Just call :-)
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
Travel to and from Longyearbyen
Food and accommodation in Longyearbyen before and after the trip, choose what suits you, though we're happy to recommend where we stay
Personal equipment: underwear, jacket, trousers, socks, hoods and mittens, sleeping bag and mattress, personal bags, skis and boots, thermos, drink bottles, cutlery
Travel, cancellation, and medical evacuation insurance — these are required
If you have allergies or intolerances, we may ask you to contribute so we can be sure you have enough safe food. Any unforeseen delays, weather, or route changes may also lead to extra cost.
MEALS
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included from the moment we leave civilisation until we are back in town. Breakfast is Børge's enriched porridge plus coffee or tea. Lunch and snacks during the day come in many short stops, we eat and drink small amounts often, rather than one long break. Dinner is Real Turmat / DryTech expedition food.
SIGNING UP / DEPOSIT / INVOICE
The Booking Form gives you a place in the queue. We then send a deposit invoice, non-refundable per our Travel Conditions. Once paid, your place is confirmed. Three months before the start, we send the final invoice with the remaining balance.