During my Arctic Nature Guide education, I worked as an apprentice snowmobile guide, to get drilled in driving the snowmobile, learning the routes, guiding the guests in a safe manner, and getting familiar with packing and using the emergency and avalanche equipment, signal pistol, rifle, satellite phone, GPS, and more. I learned a lot about group management, communicating with the other guides, and focusing on quite some technical snowmobile driving with a sledge. After my practice period of 150 hours, I got hired as a freelance guide during the rest of the season.

I mostly guided three trips out of Longyearbyen: a 200 km tour to Mohnbukta at Spitsbergen’s east coast; a shorter tour on the sea ice of Tempelfjorden, with the mighty Tuna/von Post glacier as a backdrop: and a 150 km tour westwards to the Russian settlement of Barentsburg.

Svalbard is located in the Kingdom of the polar bear, and Spitsbergen’s east coast is his home. At Mohnbukta, we mainly saw ice and water in a variety of states and shapes: snow, cornices, ice caps, glaciers, icebergs, and sea ice. My strongest nature experience, however, was a sunbathing lazy polar bear at just 200 meters, only topped by meeting his gaze through binoculars. It felt like I was part of a BBC documentary. It gave me a surreal, grateful, and overwhelming feeling to see this 4-6-year-old male polar bear on the sea ice, in front of this enormous Hayes Glacier, while eating a seal.

Although the drive to Barentsburg is less spectacular, visiting this Russian settlement was always interesting, and to the guests very special. The history of Russian presence and mining on Svalbard, combined with the odd architecture, and very hospitable welcome at each visit, made these trips memorable.

60% of Svalbard is covered by ice and glaciers on Spitsbergen form a large network of majestic ice tongue that fills valleys and fjords. Blue ice calving in Tempelfjorden from the Tuna and Von Post glaciers have fascinated Norwegians and other visitors for decades. The trip from Longyearbyen through the wide valleys of Advent and Sassen and on the sea ice on the Tempelfjord is an experience in itself. The enormous glacier front made me simultaneously feel like the mightiest and most insignificant person on the planet.

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Svalbard (ANG)

Svalbard – ANG

1,300 km from the North Pole, I engaged in the Arctic Nature Guide course. Glaciers, polar bears, midnight sun, northern lights, and living in a tent for months.

Trollheimen (Svalbard)

Part of our final guiding education exam, I have been part of 2 ski expeditions to the magic and desolate glacier world of Trollheimen.

Nordenskiƶld Land NP

An 8-day ski expedition from Longyearbyen to Svea at the Van Mijenfjord. Crossing glaciers and sea ice, in -20 to -30 degrees Celsius. Challenging!

Hiking to Barentsburg

An ice-cold 150km hike from Longyearbyen to Barentsburg, and back. Glaciers, no hiking trails, risk of polar bear encounters, and majestic arctic nature.

Nordenskiƶld Glacier

8 days on blue ice at Isfjorden in the high Arctic; to learn about glacier navigation, crevasses, belaying, rappelling, pulley systems, and rescue operations.

Other Work Posts

Engadin & St. Moritz

The Engadin Valley in Switzerland has more to offer than just St. Moritz. UNESCO railways, glaciers, mountain biking and lots of hiking opportunities.

Outdoorlife Norway

Realizing a dream, I started my own tour guiding company. Me and my great team guided over 10,000 guests to Preikestolen, Kjerag and other gems at the Lysefjord.

Kjerag Winter Exped.

Establishing a base camp and guiding guests on snow shoes through the harsh terrain and climate of Kjerag during winter proved to be very tough. I tried 3...

USA

An awesome stop-over in Colorado to enjoy snow with great friends, followed by tourism workshops with Innovation Norway in San Francisco and Seattle.

New York

Together with Innovation Norway and other Norwegian outdoor tourism companies, I travelled to the Big Apple for tourism workshops and sightseeing.

Seattle | Mt Rainier NP

On a business trip to meet tent producer Hilleberg in Seattle, I made some time for a mini roadtrip to the Cascades, around Mount Rainier.

Antarctica

Working onboard MS Fram on two expeditions to The Falklands / Malvinas, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula. Glaciers, penguins and so much more.

Antarctic Peninsula

The coolest adventure ever. Hiking, snow shoeing, camping and swimming! Ice bergs, mountains, glaciers, penguins, whales. Even a volcano and hot springs!

South Georgia

Shark teeth-like, glacier covered mountains rise steeply out of the Atlantic. On its shores, a cacophonic wildlife, full of penguins and seals. Mind-blowing.

Falkland Islands

On our way to Antarctica, we encountered our first penguins and British hospitality at the islands of Saunders, West Point and Carcass, and at Stanley, the...