Romancing the ice in rugged Svalbard
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. We had booked the tour ahead of our Svalbard trip—a hike up the Sarkofagen mountain 500m above sea level and rising between two glaciers. The activity had a difficulty level of three on five, demanding average fitness.
It seemed achievable even when we reached Longyearbyen, and spent the early days guessing which of its colossal mountains we were to peak. On D-day however, as Sarkofagen loomed closer, we wondered if we hadn’t pushed our spirit of adventure too far. I was Frodo, gazing at Mordor for the very first time.
We hiked, sans gear, clambering to stay steady as the grounds, softened by snow, shifted beneath our feet. Panic finally took hold on a steep incline when I froze, convinced I would slip and fall. Have you really known terror unless you have felt it pounding your heart and paralysing your limbs on a cliff face? It took long patient minutes and pep talks from our guide Anup, a chef and mountaineer who happened to be from Mysuru, before I stopped banking on a helicopter rescue and climbed up.
Either the trek became easier or I felt braver. The scenery had a calming effect—snow as far as eyes could see glittering in the sunlight, glaciers flowing down to the edge of Longyearbyen, silence circling the peak. We returned to the bottom about six hours later.
On top of Sarkofagen lies a notebook with the names of everyone who makes it to the spot, including mine. Also read: Looking for India’s favourite chocolate in Bournville There is little value in travelling to Svalbard if one is not willing to embrace nature at its most perilous. The last inhabited stop before the North Pole, this Norwegian archipelago remains somewhat under the radar due to its remoteness and extreme
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