7-day Dogsledding Expedition to the East Coast of Svalbard - Arctic Husky Travellers

This is the trip you should aim for if you want to experience the real Svalbard. With your own dog team, you will cross over from the west to the east coast of Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The trip will go through wide valleys, over large glaciers and on sea ice. The goal of the trip is the magnificent Inglefield Bay, which is surrounded by glacier fronts. Most of the journey has been placed to areas with a limited or total ban on motorized traffic.

You drive alone or 2 per sled. Our double sleds are great to travel with: you stand behind each other, and each of you has your own handlebar and brake, thus one of you can focus on taking pictures, or run quickly to the dogs if something happens while the other stands on the brake and has control over the dogs. To be two on the sled is a very social and safe way to travel. The guests sleep 2-3 together in each of our solid expedition tents and we have a heated shared basecamp tent for meals, comfort and for drying clothes and equipment.

We at Arctic Husky Travelers will ensure that this long trip will be a memory for life. We have over 20 years of experience from dog sledding and expeditions in arctic areas. We have run the longest dog sled races in Alaska and Europe and have even been to the North Pole with our dogs.

You do not need any previous experience of dog sledding to be able to participate, but you should be in average good physical shape and have previous outdoor life experience. The weather in the Arctic is unpredictable and can change within a few hours. Temperatures can quickly drop to -10°C even in May, but normally the first two weeks of May are the best time for winter expeditions in Svalbard with 24 hours of daylight, stable, fine weather, and warm sunrays during the day.

Daily schedule:

Day 0 – Arrival Longyearbyen. Guests must organize their own accommodation in the city on this day. We will pick you up at 17:00 (5 pm) at your accommodation and drive out to our kennel about 12 km outside the city. Here you will meet the dogs, an updated tour plan according to expected weather and trail conditions, info on equipment, safety and routines. Expedition clothing and equipment will also be provided to you this evening.

Day 1 – At 10:00 a.m. We pick you up at your accommodation in Longyearbyen and drive to our kennel. Here we do the final packing of the sleds with everything needed to be out in the wilderness the coming week. Departure in the direction of the East coast First day relatively easy driving since the first day of the expedition and relatively heavy sleds.

Day 2-5 - Trip to the East Coast where the route is adapted according to weather and trail conditions. We can choose among many different variants. See attached map of various route options. Once on the East Coast, we will spend time exploring the area. Here we are in the heart of  thepolar bear country, with beautiful glacier fronts, with large and small glacier pieces frozen into the sea ice as beautiful sculptures.

Day 6-7 - Last leg. We drive to our cozy and comfortable cabin in Tverrdalen, where we can enjoy a better dinner, sauna and good beds the last night of the expedition. After a long breakfast, we pack the sleds for the last time and climb up Bolterskaret for so to stop on Scott Turner glacier for lunch where we also do a visit  into the glacier itself: We follow a meltwater channel and observe the many, beautiful ice formations inside the 1000 year old glacier Thereafter we travel to our kennel, where we say goodbye to the dogs and drive you back to your accommodation in the city. Expected arrival time in city: 4-6 pm.

Included: Tour plan, all necessary equipment such as warm sleeping bag, inflatable sleeping mat, extreme expedition tent, food, snacks and drinks during the entire expedition, including dogs, sled and guide with all necessary safety equipment and rescue insurance. Transport to and from your accommodation in Longyearbyen. Extreme clothing; Insulated hiking trousers and anorak, warm shoes, mittens, work gloves and hat.

Not included: Flight to/from Svalbard, transfer to/from the airport, accommodation in Longyearbyen (but we can help you book hotel rooms).

Important info: Minimum 2 participants. Max 6 participants. All participants must have their own travel insurance as our rescue insurance only covers rescue, and not damage/loss of personal equipment.

Weight limit: 100kg per person

Packing list and more detailed information can be found on our website https://huskytravellers.com/winter-trips/expeditions/