Longyearbyen was my gateway to the Norwegian high Arctic. Leaving a hot Oslo and negotiating a crowded airport, the company thinned after the long walk from security to passport control, leaving a smaller, outdoorsy looking but excited group with cold weather gear and some with obviously large and heavy camera bags. Some were travelling as tour groups with guides and asking anxious questions. I was alone but assuming that some may have been members of my group that was assembling in Longyearbyen the next day. Arriving early as usual I had time for a coffee and muffin while making a start on my journal for the trip. When travelling usually my wife keeps a detailed and insightful diary but when we’re apart I try and jot down some notes to recall the day to day in a version other than images. It is a poor substitute for her mastery with words but my excuse is that my skill set is image based.

Boarding was uneventful and a bit less stressful as I had priority boarding with my ticket. The temperature in the plane was warmer than I would have liked making me wonder if I’d overdressed. Not too far into the flight the announcement came through that we had crossed the Arctic Circle signalling that I was now closer to a pole of the Earth than ever before. In 2015 when Edin and I visited Antarctica we had made it just far enough south to cross the Antarctic Circle before turning back north. It was the place of our incredible Snow Petrel encounter which will always remain a special memory for me. This time I was on my own with no-one to share the excitement with so was focussing on images to document the experience. I had prebooked a window seat on the starboard side anticipating it would offer the best views and used my iPhone 14 Pro for some photos. The windows were much dirtier than I’m used to so nothing more than record images.

Our departure from Oslo had been delayed as the flight was very full and there had been some juggling to get the plane loaded and balanced. As compensation the pilot gave us a bit of a scenic approach into Longyearbyen which gave some lovely views of the island.

Eventually Svalbard Airport came into view with the rows of satellite domes on the ridge above it.

We landed from the west so didn’t get a view of the Isfiord. The cold blast of air on disembarkation was a relief after the heat of Oslo and the very warm aircraft.

Arrival was uneventful apart from a bit of a wait for baggage. A polar bear on display on the luggage carousel left no doubt that we were in the Arctic.

The next step was to find the shuttle bus into town which was simple and convenient. 100NOK covered a ticket to town and included a bit of a guided tour with commentary from the bus driver. With a history of whaling, hunting and then coal mining, Svalbard now relies heavily on tourism.

First impressions from the bus was of a bit of a frontier town with collections of boats, snow machines and industrial detritus in a glacial dust summer environment that would quickly become mud with rain.

The bus trip gave a little tour of town stopping to drop passengers at various hotels. Mine was one of the later stops so I got a decent view of most of the town. Two others disembarked with me and turned out to be members of the same expedition group.

The original plan was to have one night in Longyearbyen before boarding our ship but technical issues meant it was still en route back from Norway so we had another day in Longyearbyen. In retrospect this was good as there is so much to see and do in Longyearbyen. If I was to return I would plan to arrive a day or 2 early.

Photos with Apple iPhone 14Pro