Hello from Svalbard! Day three of the tent camp, the weather was perfect for a long hike – no wind, no burning sun, no rain. We headed north east from our camp towards a glacier called Svenbreen. Our scientific aim was to date the age of the moraine, which is debris deposited at the end of a glacier. When a glacier retreats, the moraines show us where previous glacier fronts were, giving us an idea of the rate of retreat.

Along the way we had several exciting encounters…

First we had river crossings, where we got to experience first hand the icy cold glacial melt waters.

Next we found the remians of Soviet surveying equipment, reminding us that we are not the first visitors here.

After that we were in our very own episode of Animal Planet. We had gained a tiny fluffy follower for a short while, before nature took its course. The goose chick became the main course for a hungry Arctic fox.

Next came the rocks, and the adrenaliine rush of the day, a rockslide! Our quick thinking leaders led us to saftey.

The climb was steep and difficult, but well worth it. The view was incredible! For many members of the group this was the first close up experience with a glacier. This glacier has not retreated very much due to the surrounding topography. However the view of the valley next door told a different story. According to a previous map, thirty years ago we would have been looking at a glacier front. As you can see in one of the pictures, no ice to be seen! It has retreated roughly 2 km in those thirty years.

We returned worn out but happy and hungry. We finished the day by celebrating the 4th of July by playing the Swedish game of Kubb!

Group 3, signing out