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Svalbard lies at the end of the world, quite literally. At 78 degrees north, Longyearbyen is a pretty remote settlement, although getting there is surprisingly easy -- a direct flight from Oslo is all that stands between you and an epic Arctic adventure.
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For polar bears, go on a cruise around the islands or come in winter (something we plan to do, too); in summer, you are unlikely to see any this far south. Except for that stuffed one at the airport. But summer is still a great time to visit, and there are plenty of fun adventures to partake in.
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1. Dance, sing, swim or go for a walk under the midnight sun. The sun doesn't look any different at midnight than it does at any other time of the day, of course. Nevertheless, basking in its rays and knowing that it is the middle of the night is quite special. The closer you are to the sun setting, the more golden its glow, which makes August a better time to visit than June. Try photographing from an angle, as the shadows are ridiculously long.
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2. Go dog-sledding. It works just as well on gravel as it does on snow, and the dogs are no less cute. Or smelly. But mostly cute. It's a fun way to travel, but mostly it's a really great way to meet the dogs and get an idea of what traveling here was once like all the time. Now, of course, boats, cars and quad bikes -- snow mobiles in winter -- make for faster and easier travel, although Svalbard only has a total of 50km of roads.
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3. The sauna experience. For Russians, Swedes and Finns, this is nothing new. For the rest of you, the rules are simple. Saunas should be enjoyed in the nude, although towels are acceptable. The temperature should be at least 90 degrees (that's Celsius, which is around 194 degreed Fahrenheit). It should be heated by firewood, not electricity. Jewelry is not recommended. And your time in the sauna should be interspersed with plenty of dips in ice-cold water or snow, depending on what's available. In this case, there was a very strategically located lake next to the sauna. We did try for the ocean, but found it to be full of stinging jellyfish on that particular day. Not so much fun.
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4. Sea kayaking amongst seals and icebergs. OK, so the icebergs weren't particularly impressive -- maybe "icebumps" would be more accurate. But the kayaking took place right at the edge of the Nordenskiöld glacier, so there was ice aplenty nearby. We were lucky enough to have gorgeous weather, and the sunshine probably contributed to a very extended lunch break. Not only is this surely one of the most beautiful places to kayak, the sense of space and remoteness is unbeatable. The best part of the day? Washing the dry suits in the lake once we had returned to the cabin!
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5. Glacier hiking and climbing. This was without a doubt the highlight of our trip. We had tried a bit of glacier hiking in Iceland, but that felt like child's play compared to this. Armed with crampons, ice axes, helmets and cameras, we spent almost nine hours on the Nordenskiöld glacier, making our way up and down crevasses, along ridges, through caves and around gaping holes. The going was tough and tiring, but worth every ounce of sweat and the occasional moment of fear. Toward the end of the day, in a light drizzle, we even got to give ice climbing a go.
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A huge thank you to Basecamp for an incredible week of adventure -- we'll be sure to come back again!
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For more photos, visit the Life Through A Lens website or on Facebook.