The barometer shows increasing air pressure, but outside it is still the same – relative air humidity must be at the condensation point. Everything is getting wet just by being exposed to the air.

An hour of thinner clouds with some sun peeking through was the ideal occasion to get out of the sleeping bag. The ”holiday” started with pancakes for breakfast before we considered our findings here on northern Prins Karls Forland. Taking into account the weather, we decided to take the next chance to move to Selvågen in the central part of the island and skip the visit to the Proterozoic rocks in the upper thrust sheet on Brøggerhalvøya farther north. The latter can be done, if necessary, on foot from Ny Ålesund on a later occasion.

Now we need to repack and make everything ready for the Zodiac trip south. As it looks now it will require three trips to move all the gear and ourselves, and we don’t want to miss a chance!

Henning Lorenz, Uppsala universitet