Hike to Sarkofagen

Your guide will pick you up at the hotel and drive to the starting point of the tour: Nybyen, the most southern point of Longyearbyen. From here, you don’t need to take many steps before you find yourself surrounded by wilderness. The route goes up through the valley, over Longyearbreen (the 'Longyear Glacier') and up towards Sarkofagen. There is no obvious path to follow as we make our way towards the glacier, as the moraine changes from year to year.

The moraine landscape looks more like a moonscape than the mountains you might have seen elsewhere in Norway. As if the landscape wasn’t alien enough, you can also stumble over 60 million year old fossils here. Over thousands of years, the glacier has pressed into the mountain, moving rocks and gravel into the moraine which brings fossils into the light. The terrain is rocky, steep and uneven at times. However, the guide will keep a steady pace, so that everyone can keep up and enjoy the surrounding nature. The glacier crossing is easy, as it is a stable glacier and there is no need to use ropes.

Remember to keep an eye out for wildlife. There is a good chance that we may spot a Svalbard rock ptarmigan or two, which is a little larger than the mainland grouse. These birds have no natural predators here, which means they are not easily scared.

Once we arrive at the top of Sarkofagen we enjoy the view over Longyearbyen, a delicious expedition lunch, and something hot to drink. Then we head back down to town.