Text: Sonja L. Birch-Olsen

Bjørn Kristian Hole, their musher, or sledge driver, welcomes us too with a big grin on his face. He is a student working for Svalbard Villmarkssenter, one of the first companies in Norway to be certified as an ecotourism company.

- I have the best summer job. I love Svalbard and I love the dogs. It's so peaceful and quiet up here, Bjørn says enthusiastically as he hitches the dogs to the wagon they are going to pull.

We are in the Adventdalen Valley on the outskirts of Longyearbyen, the capital of the Svalbard Islands, high up in the Arctic. It is mid-July and it is around 50 degrees Farenheit. The sun is playing hide and seek with us and the wind is rather chilly.

As we climb into the wagon that seats six people, Bjørn tells us a little about the dogs:

- Each husky has its own personality. When we make our dog teams, we adapt the teams to each dog's personality. The huskies are pack dogs, which means that if you let them live out in the wild; they would behave like wolves and go back to their natural being.

When everybody is sitting comfortable on reindeer skins, Bjørn gets the 11 dogs running, not a difficult job by the looks of things.

Panoramic valley

The strong, beautiful dogs pull us along the dirt road that runs through the 30-kilometre long Adventdalen Valley.

Adventdalen is the main valley near Longyearbyen, and is named after the first ship, the Adventure, to discover Svalbard. A small branch of the Gulf Stream reaches the valley and mitigates its rigid climate, allowing the life of an infinite number of arctic flora and fauna species.

The view from the wagon is dazzling; the arctic tundra stretches far out in front of us and behind us. And on either side we have snow-capped mountain peaks. The only signs of civilization are a couple of cars that pass us and some cabins.

And to the right of the wagon we spot several closed mines and one, Mine 7, which is still in operation.

Every now and again we must stop so that the dogs can get a drink of water.

- If we are lucky we might see arctic foxes. Adventdalen is also a very favourite valley for reindeers. And many of Longyerbyen’s inhabitants have their holiday cottages here, says Bjørn as he fetches water from the river. 

Playtime at the Barentsz Cabin 

After 10 kilometres we reach a camp with a dog yard full of cute puppies. Bjørn lets us play with them before inviting us in for coffee, tea and homemade cookies in the Barentsz Cabin, a replication of the Dutch navigator and explorer Willem Barentsz' hibernation hut on Novaya Zemlya from 1596-97. 

Kristin Luna from San Francisco, who is in the Arctic for the first time, is very excited.

- The puppies are so cute and full of life. I’m a huge dog lover, so it's great we get to pet the dogs and puppies. It’s clear that the guides look after the dogs and that they’re in it for the dogs, not the tourists. This is a lovely experience both nature wise and because of the dogs, smiles Kristen before she climbs into the wagon to go back through the arctic valley and back to new adventures.

Facts

Prices
From NOK 590, children under 12 years pay half price

When
July - October depending on weather conditions

What to wear
The average summer temperature is about 42.8° F. Weather conditions can change very quickly. You are recommended to wear the following:

• Windproof and warm outer jacket and trousers
• Windproof and warm mittens/gloves
• Solid and warm boots/shoes
• Warm socks
• Fleece jumper
• Hat
• Long johns, preferably in wool
• Long sleeved vest, preferably in wool

You can borrow warm scooter suits at Svalbard Villmarkssenter.

General safety information for visitors to Svalbard

• Safety instructions to Svalbard visitors (PDF - 1,24 MB)
• General information to Svalbard visitors (PDF - 954 KB)
• Polar bear safety in Svalbard (PDF - 490 KB)