Longyearbyen: Ski Touring in Svalbard, No Boat Required

Located in the Greenland Sea, north of Norway, Spitsbergen is usually visited by ski tourers setting out from a boat, or using snowmobiles, or even pulkas for the most motivated. Yet, it is entirely possible to avoid this complex logistics while still undertaking a ski touring trip at a cost hardly higher than that of a classic stay in Norway. Longyearbyen, the capital of the archipelago, offers access to dozens of routes directly from a comfortable hostel!

Longyearbyen is the northernmost inhabited town in the world. It is located in the heart of Spitsbergen, the main island of the archipelago. Access is fairly straightforward via the town’s airport, which is served by daily flights from Oslo. In winter, there have historically been few or no maritime connections because of the sea ice — but this may not last. Indeed, the ice now covers less and less surface area, and Longyearbyen remains accessible by open water every winter, or nearly so. The region is particularly affected by climate change, with average winter temperatures having risen by +8°C since 1975.

The history of the discovery and development of Svalbard is long, marked by trappers, whaling, the race for the North Pole, and mining activities. The town of Longyearbyen was above all born out of coal mining. Around 1906, American businessman John Munroe Longyear founded a mining company and gave his name to the town. By 1926, a Norwegian company had taken over the mining operation. Since “by” means town in Norwegian and “en” is the definite article, the town’s current name “Longyearbyen” was formed. After several failed attempts before the First World War, the question of sovereignty over Svalbard was settled by the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920, which officially assigned the archipelago to Norway.