The Great Escape · Chapter II
78° North
Seven days on snowmobiles where the maps run out. Father at the handlebars, son behind him, the North Pole beyond the horizon.
Join the waitlist- The trip
- Svalbard Expedition
- Where
- Longyearbyen, 78° N
- When
- Who
- A father and a son, 14+. A closed group of 8 pairs.
- Price
- Snowmobiles free
- 8
The expedition
A shared system of coordinates: 78° north.
Not a snowmobile tour, but an expedition after which you and your son have a shared system of coordinates: 78 degrees north latitude.
There are no lifts and no ski passes here. There is a column of snowmobiles, a guide with a rifle, glaciers thousands of years old and a settlement where time stopped in the 1980s. In the evening — a banya, poker and, if you are lucky, the northern lights.
On the route there is no phone signal. That is not a bug, that is a feature. In the evening there is Wi-Fi and a report for the mums.
- 78°13′Longyearbyen, the northernmost town on the planet
- ~450 kmon snowmobiles over the week
- 8snowmobiles — one for each pair
- −5…−15°in April, usually with sun
The route
Seven days, one loop, about 450 km.
Longyearbyen → Tempelfjorden and the Tunabreen glacier → Barentsburg (our base, 5 nights) → the Greenland Sea and Isfjord Radio → the Fridtjof glacier → Longyearbyen.
- Day 0 · Arrival—
Longyearbyen
The northernmost town on the planet. Check-in, a walk, and a briefing: the rules of the Arctic, polar bears, and how to live at −15.
- Day 1100 km
First ride
Briefing, kit, then 100 km to Tempelfjorden: the wall of the Tunabreen glacier, and lunch with glacier ice in your glass. Back to Longyearbyen.
- Day 275 km
The crossing
Over the passes to Barentsburg — a Russian mining settlement frozen in the 1980s. The husky farm, dinner, check-in at our base.
- Day 3110 km
The edge of the earth
The main route: to the coast of the Greenland Sea and the Isfjord Radio station. A field lunch in a cabin on the cape. In the evening — a cinema tour of the legendary House of Culture.
- Day 4—
The Arctic without an engine
Dog sleds through the canyons, the Pomor museum, the Barentsburg mine (included), the post office: a postcard to your mother, stamped 78°. In the evening — a Russian banya and the Father & Son Poker Cup, Polar Edition.
- Day 5—
Sleds and free time
A second programme with the huskies, free hours, souvenirs. The poker final and the prize-giving.
- Day 6100 km
The glacier
To the Fridtjof glacier: blue ice, silence, and the photo of the year with the club flag.
- Day 765 km
The return
Back to Longyearbyen, a farewell dinner and the ceremony: every son receives a “78° North” certificate.
Two days without a motor
Huskies instead of an engine.
Dog sleds through the canyons and the valley, free hours between them, the husky farm. In the evening — the banya after the frost and the poker tournament for pairs.
Every clear night
The hunt for the northern lights.
In April the nights are already light, and the odds are modest: it is a lottery, and we say so plainly. If you are lucky you will see it together. We will not promise it.
The base
Barentsburg. A settlement where time stopped in the 1980s.
Five nights at our base in Barentsburg, a Russian mining settlement on the edge of the Isfjord. The mine (included in the programme), the Pomor museum, the husky farm, the post office and the House of Culture.
The package
One snowmobile per pair: the father drives, the son rides behind.
Included
- A snowmobile per pair (the father drives), fuel and full Arctic kit: suits, helmets, balaclavas, boots — fitted to size
- A professional guide with a rifle — required by Svalbard law, and yes, it is part of the adventure
- 6 nights in hotels in Barentsburg and Longyearbyen (twin), full board from day 2: breakfasts, lunches including the field ones, dinners
- Excursions: Barentsburg, the museum, the mine, the husky farm, two dog-sled programmes, the cinema tour
- The Russian banya in Barentsburg — compulsory after the frost
- Father & Son Poker Cup, Polar Edition — the pairs’ tournament and the prize-giving
- A photo chronicle of the expedition and an evening report to the mums, every day
- A “78° North” certificate and a flag photo for every pair; a welcome pack: club beanies, buff, a map of the archipelago
Not included
- Flights to Longyearbyen, usually via Oslo. The price depends on where you fly from (from Luxembourg or Brussels, roughly €500–600 per person). We help with tickets
- Dinner and lunch on days 0 and 1 in Longyearbyen
- Alcohol and personal expenses
- Insurance covering snowmobiles and evacuation — roughly €60–90, we help arrange it
Details
Before you ask
Is it cold?
In April it is usually between −5 and −15, with sun. The kit is expedition-grade and we issue all of it. People tend to freeze not on the snowmobile but in the queue for seconds at the field lunch.
Is it dangerous? What about the bears?
The guide is armed and certified, and the routes follow the rules of the Governor of Svalbard. This is a managed Arctic: the adventure is real, the risks are weighed.
Will my son get tired?
The longest day is 110 km with a field lunch — about six hours with stops. The days alternate: engine, dogs, rest. For a teenager of 14 or older in normal shape, it is within reach.
Do we need snowmobile experience?
No. The briefing and the first day are the run-in. The machines are modern and automatic. All you need is a valid driving licence — the father’s, of any category.
What about phone signal?
There is Wi-Fi in the settlements, and the guide carries a satellite phone on the route. The mums get a report every evening.
Visa and documents
Svalbard itself is visa-free, but the road there runs through Norway, which is Schengen. You need passports, the father’s driving licence and insurance covering snowmobiles and evacuation — we will help arrange it.
How do the waitlist and payment work?
The waitlist is free and commits you to nothing. We will call you and ask about his age, your licence, health and expectations. The group starts when five pairs are in: then you receive an invoice for 50%, and the rest is due 60 days before departure. Until then nothing is paid.
Cancellation
The terms for cancelling and transferring will be in the contract, and you will hear them on the call — before any payment.
When are the exact dates?
April 2027, in the Easter school holidays. We will fix the exact dates with the operator and check them against the school holiday calendars of the countries our families fly from — and tell everyone on the waitlist first.
Waitlist
Join the waitlist
Nothing to pay right now. Leave your contacts — we will call you, go through the details and tell you the exact dates as soon as they are fixed.
Rather not wait for the call? Write to us directly — the same people, the same answers.