Trip Report
A dream can only be realized to come to fruition by taking the steps towards it. BMG first learned about skiing and sailing tours in Norway from a friend who moved from Albuquerque to Oslo many years ago. Time has passed and we’re ready to go to Norway, and we hope you’re coming with us. In a time where technology can be overwhelming, we returned to the basics.
BMG put a trip together and we had some our our guests seize opportunity!
BMG hosted slots aboard for this unique opportunity. Marc is definitely the facilitator!
The all-inclusive package in include:
Where: Longyearbyen, Svalbard 2025 is 7 days/ 6 nights.
When: May 9-15, 2025
Included: Boat with skipper, food, and fuel/boat-related costs, and the illustrious chef Melker on his final tour!)
(IFMGA licensed mountain guide)
“When we wrap up the ski season on the mainland, it continues in Svalbard. Where the snow is cold, the sun is back in full force, and the desolate landscape lies before us. With the midnight sun all night long and bustling wildlife. We will experience and explore raw nature, ski, sail, and eat and drink well – that’s all. We take the dinghy ashore, put on our skis at the beach, climb up, and ski down. May was a fantastic month in Svalbard, and the Ski & Sail experience is the best way to explore the archipelago!
When we’re not sailing in the Arctic, you’ll often find us rock climbing ABQ or discovering new crags via sailboat in the Pacific Northwest.
The Expedition Feeling
Just below the North Pole, we sailed in the wilderness with endless areas without roads, buildings, or civilization. We were far from other people on a great expedition. Skiing during the day and sailing at “night”, in midnight sun, fog and snow, to find the most spectacular peaks along the west coast of Spitsbergen. Svalbard consists of a vast landscape, and long distances, both at sea and on land. And the reward was looking out over a wilderness of mountains, snow, and ice from the top of some of the most beautiful and desolate mountains.
The feeling of being in unexplored and unpublished areas pursued together and as a team. We experienced the rich wildlife, including walrus and arctic fox, alongside eternal views of untouched mountains. We were able to ski straight up from the fjord to summits or ridges and prized lines eyed from a distance.
Life on board a Ski & Sail expedition
We only has one rest day for the entirety of the trip, and that was due to some heavy rain at sea level (and snow up higher). Chef Melker took care of all of the crew and kept us well fed. He baked fresh bread almost daily which we used for making our sandwiches for the ski tour. He then made custom dishes that he took pride in and wanted us to feel like we were “family” on board. That certainly did the trick!
Conditions Report
Avalanche conditions were stable everywhere we went and allowed us to ski anything we laid our eyes on. There was something for everyone, from longer tours to steep couloirs. We used most of the tools in our bag on a regular basis and had a great time skiing sometimes well into the nightly hours as conditions were stable, stable, stable.
We stayed couple extra days in Longyearbyen to familiarize yourself with this small hub of a city with people from all over the world. We stayed for the Independence Day parade and celebrations, as the European lifestyle exemplifies. What a great time to be in Svalbard!!
If you or your group is interested in having BMG put a tour together for you, please contact us now to plan. Trips are usually booked out a year or more in advance as the availability of chartered ships is indeed quite limited.
