Svalbard4You - experience Arctic thrills as part of a small group.
Svalbard4You is a new and small tour operator on Spitsbergen, offering exclusive 2-4 days snowmobile expeditions for up to 4 persons in the winter season. For safety reasons, all guests will have to drive their own snowmobile. Within the vast "Area 10", you will be guided over frozen fjords, over glaciers and up onto snowcovered peaks. You can choose between spending one or two nights in tents in the wilderness or you can sleep and eat in style onboard a ship cought in the icepack, in an old radio station or in a Russian hotel. During late summer, Svalbard4You will offer you guided hiking tours in groups limited to 6-8 persons for up to 4 days. With dogs or flares for polar bear protection, you will have to sleep in tents and carry all you needs in a backpack.
The owner and guide of Svalbard4You is Jon Sandmo, medical doctor, author and local government representative in Longyearbyen. Jon came to Spitsbergen in 1998, and have since travelled and guided on the island during all seasons. A graduate from The Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland in 1977, Jon speaks fluent english. He can also make himself understood in German and French. As a member of a small group, you will not only be able to feel the closeness to the unique nature of Svalbard, but you will also get the chance to learn more about the history of this arctic archipelago.
Any travel on Spitsbergen is a challenge against nature. Apart from the well-known danger of too close contact with polar bears, windchill, cravasses, open water and avalanches are even more dangerous if you don`t know your way around. In addition to experience, Svalbard4You have the most modern equipement for navigation and communication in arctic regions. But nothing beats good common sense and respect for nature, and "better safe than sorry" is our most important guideline.
For more details and prices of all activities see the pages in norwegian or use my Contact(Kontakt) page.
Winter/snowmobile season: Dec. 15th - May 10th.
Peak season - Mar. 1st - May 10th
Intermediate period - Feb. 15th - Mar. 1st
Twilight period - Feb. 1st - 15th.
Arctic Night - the Dark Season - Dec. 15th - Jan. 31st
During the period of Arctic Night or "the Dark Season", snowmobile travel is limited. This is partly due to lack of daylight, but often there is also poor snow and unsafe sea-ice conditions. Only the moon, the stars and the Aurora Borealis will give us enough light to see the surroundings. The Twilight periode will give us a few hours of daylight, but when the sun returns to Svalbard in late February, a unique experience awaits the daring few.
Touring snowmobiles will take you from east to west, from north to south within "Area 10", a vast arctic wilderness. Guiding is planned individually, and your driving skills decides where we go. Magnificent ice covered fjords, glaciers, mountains and valleys opens up before your eyes, and will give you an adventure that will stay in your mind for ever. (Min. 2 persons - max 4-5 pr.trip). You can choose between accomodation in heated tent or in more comfortable surroundings such as Isfjord Radio, Barentsburg Hotel or "the boat in the ice".
During the Arctic Night and the Twilight period, Svalbard4You can only offer you day trips, ie. 4-8 hrs in the central part of "Area 10".
During the Intermediate period Svalbard4You offers trips over 2-4 days with overnight stay only at Isfjord Radio, Barentsburg Hotel and "the boat in the ice".
Here are some suggestions:
Two days (1 night) - all incl. from app. € 890 (pr. person) - You can see the magnificent west coast with its mountains and glaciers or the frozen and unhabited east coast with polar bears and sea ice. You will camp in a heated tent or if you prefer more luxury, on board the "SS Noorderlicht", stuck in the ice in Temple fjord or at an old radio station.
Three days (2 nights) - all incl. from app. € 1450 (pr. person) - More time to roam around on your snowmobile. You can visit the old abandoned Russian settlement of Pyramiden or we can travel westward to the still active mining community of Barentsburg. Experience Russian hospitality on Norwegian soil. Let the guide take you up on mountain tops or down narrow gorges. Artic trills in 24 hrs of daylight!
Four days (3 nights) - all incl. from app. € 1800 (pr. person) - In 4 days you can see everything! Mountains, glaciers, sea ice, polar bears, reindeers, migrating birds and exiting sites. Sunshine and no wind, blizzards and white-outs and temperatures from minus 30 to +10 degrees C are all part of Arctic weather. In four days you can have it all!
Prices includes guiding, snowmobile rental, arctic clothing, helmet, boots, petrol/oil, accomodation in heated tents, all food and all safety equipment.
Additional charge for accomodation on ship(€ 420/night pr person i double berth), in Barentsburg Hotel(€ 120/night pr person in double room) or Isfjord radio station(€ 300/night pr person in double room).
Prices does not include: Compulsory insurance for snowmobile damage (NOK 500(€ 80)) pr. snowmobile, double room/berth as single room/berth fee and alcoholic beverages.
Contact me for an offer!
Summer hiking season: Aug. 10th - Sept. 10th. (app)
The best time for hiking on Spitsbergen is between mid-July and end of September. Wet snow, big rivers and boggy terrain makes walking diffucult early in the season. Svalbard4You can offer guided hiking trips of one to four day duration with up to 6 participants. Since there are no facilities outside the town, everything has to be carried on our backs, tent, sleeping bags, food, weapons and cooking utensils. (Min. 2 persons - max. 4-6 pr. trip)
1 day trip"The short circuit": The first leg is by taxi to the mouth of Todalen("dalen" = valley), where we start walking gradually upwards to Fritham and Bødalen. Here we stop for lunch before we continue downwards to Coles Valley and Fardalen. The last leg follows the Fardal River before we ascend steeply towards the top of Longyear Glacier. With Longyearbyen in sight, we walk on top of the small glacier back down to civilisation. Walking time: app. 8-10 hours with light backpacks. Price from: NOK 1900/€ 240 pr. person
2 day trip"Up and down valleys": This trip also start from Todalen, but we continue south from Fritham, downwards into Gangdalen. Before we reach the wide and flat plains of Reindalen, we turn sharply towards west into Tufsdalen. Here we make camp for the night, secure the guard dog and enjoy a well deserved supper in the wilderness. The second day we enter the inner part of Coles Valley and follow the Fardal River to the top of Longyear Glacier. With Longyearbyen in sight, we walk on top of the small glacier back down to civilisation. Walking time: 8+ hours each day. Price from: NOK 3200/€ 400 pr. person
3 day trip "Two worlds": This trip starts in leasure with a boat trip to Esmark Glacier and Barentsburg with BBQ lunch on board. After a short walk trough the Russian mining town we head east over the mountain ridge into Hollenderdalen for the first camp. On day 2 we continue up Hollenderdalen, acend behind Mt. Vesuv and "slide" down into Lailadalen and Coles Bay. Here we can see a former Russian mining settlement abandoned in 1960 and we maybe explore the old narrow gauge railway to Grumant. On day 3 we can either cross the mountain ridge to Bjørndalen/Mt. Nordenskiøld (1050 m) and start the decend to Mt. Plateau and Longyearbyen, or we can stay low and follow Coles Valley and fardalen back to town. Price from: NOK 5900/€ 740 pr. person
4 day trip "Along the coast": The coastline of Spitsbergen is lined with driftwood and exiting items brought here by arctic currents. Zodiacs will take us across Advent Bay before we start the hike up Mt. Louis and down to Caroline Valley, known for its abundance of fossils. On day 2 we walk along the coast towards Diabas and De Geer, passing old trapper huts and other protected items. On day 3 we head south and gradually uphill De Geer Valley, across the Krekling Pass and down the more narrow Helvetia Valley. On the last day we enter Advent Valley, and can see Mine No. 7 and Longyearbyen in the distance, hours before we reach the road. Taxi will then take us the final 10 km back to town. Price from: NOK 5600/€ 700 pr. person
For further information about Svalbard4You, you can write me or post your questions in an e-mail on my contact ("Kontakt") page.
SALES CONDITIONS
Booking
Booking can be done by surface mail or e-mail directly to Svalbard4You, the tour operator. Booking is confirmed when advance payment is received and the customer is informed of this by surface mail or e-mail. Confirmed booking implies acceptance of sales conditions.
Payment
Advance payment: To confirm booking, an advance payment of 25% of total must be received into the bank account. Within 40 days of departure, the customer will receive an invoice for the rest of the amount, which will be due 28 days before departure. If booking is less than 4 weeks before departure, the total amount is due at time of booking. All cost related to payments must be covered by the customer.
Snowmobile damage: For winter tours there is a compulsory insurance of NOK 500,- pr. snowmobile to cover damage caused by reckless driving. By reckless driving is understood damage to engine, hood(rear view mirrors/lights/windscreen) caused by overturning the vehicle, driving into water, into rocks or any driving contrary to guide instructions.
Accomodation: The basic cost of the winter tours includes accomodation in heated tents. There is an added cost for accomodation of NOK 3300 onboard "the boat in the ice" (pr. person pr. berth), NOK 2500 at Isfjord Radio Station (pr. person in double room) and NOK 900 at Barentsburg Hotel (pr. bed in double room). These are 2009 prices, and may be adjusted for the 2010 season.
Cancellation
All cancellations must be received by surface mail or e-mail at the earliest possible time. Cancellation without cancellation insurance will allow for a refund according to the table below:
More than 40 days before departure: 90% refund
39 - 25 days before departure: 75% -"-
24 - 14 days before departure: 50% -"-
13 - 7 days before departure: 25% -"-
6 - 2 days before departure: 10% -"-
less than 2 days before departure: no -"-
Cancellation insurance
Upon booking, the tour operator can offer the customer a separate insurance against late cancellation. This insurance will give the customer full refund up to the day of departure at a cost of NOK 800,- pr person pr day. This cancellation insurance will allow for full refund in case of serious illness, accidents or death within the group or in close family. The insurance also applies if only one of the party is affected, but all members of the party must be covered by the insurance. The insurance does not cover conditions known to the customer at time of booking. The customer must as soon as possible notify the tour operator of such cancellation. In case of cancellation due to medical conditions, the cancellation must be documented by a licensed medical doctor.
Tour operator liability
Svalbard4You is a licensed tour operator. All guided tours will depart from Longyearbyen, and the tour operator will not be held responsible for problems concerning transport to and from Svalbard or for accomondation outside the booked tour. Svalbard4You will not be held responsible for any delays, any damage or additional costs outside the prebooked arrangement.
Customer safety With customer safety and comfort in mind, Svalbard4You may have to deviate from the preplanned route, to assist persons or groups in an emergency or to avoid bad snow, ice or weather conditions. The tour operator will within safety limits always try to complete the tour according to plans.
Safety and rescue
Svalbard4You is a member of Reisegarantifondet(The Norwegian Travel Guarantee Fund) and also guarantees for all costs related to Search-and-rescue(SAR) to the Governor of Svalbard.
Customer responsibility
The customer must abide by the laws and regulations of Svalbard and follow the instructions given by the guide and the tour operator. Svalbard4You reserves the right to refuse participation on a tour if any member of the party is considered to be a safety hazard to him/her or others. The customer is required to present a valid drivers license for automobile/motorbike or snowmobile, and all party member are required to have a valid travel insurance. The Norwegian laws and regulations for motorized vehicles also applies to Svalbard, and when driving a snowmobile, special attention is put to driver safety, animal life and speed limits. Use of intoxicating substances when driving is strictly prohibited.
Force majeure
Svalbard4You reserves the right to delay or cancel any departure due to force majeure or condtions outside his control. The tour operator responsibility for refunds will in such cases never exceed the total cost of the booked tour. The tour operator may have to deduct part of the refund to cover expences to externe operators.
Complaints
In case of complaints, the customer must inform the guide or tour operator immediately or latest at the end of the tour. If no agreement is reached, and the customer still wishes to file a formal complaint, this must be done in writing and must be sent to Svalbard4You immediately after his/hers return from Svalbard or at the latest 1-one month after completion of the tour. Any legal action against the tour operator will be according to Norwegian laws.
