Course description

This intensive one-day field course gives you the skills and knowledge you need to safely hike the Arctic wilderness without a guide. The course opens up the Arctic to the hiker seeking the independence to explore it on their own.

Course content

This course gives you a solid foundation of basics for any other outdoor activity in the Arctic, be it mountain climbing, glacier travel, kayaking, scientific field research, or nature photography. You will, however, not become an expert Arctic hiker in just one day, but you will lay the foundation for safely gaining more experience on your own.

The beautiful mountains, glaciers and valleys south of Longyearbyen provide an ideal and realistic learning environment. The course is given in English, and classes are never larger than six students, and often smaller. There is no group work. All exercises are individual. Success is simple: You have done it, on your own, in the field, and when you depended on the results. Then you do it again, just to be sure.

We will cover: 1) Hiking Arctic landscape types, 2) polar bear routines, 3) staying warm and dry, 4) hydration and water treatment while on the move, 5) basic first aid and safety routines, and 6) maps of the Arctic and how to use them. In addition, 7) the course will give you a basic introduction to rifles and signal pistols on Svalbard. Note though, that you will need a hunting license or permission from the Governor of Svalbard to rent your own rifle.