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What is Life Above the Arctic Circle Really Like?

Life Above the Arctic Circle

Life Above the Arctic Circle

My first morning above the Arctic Circle was nothing like I expected.

I woke with a start at 2.45am. The expedition ship was pitching and rolling like a mad thing: coats on their hooks sliding back and forth across the cabin wall; the ladder at my side threatening to jump from its hinges and crash to the floor.

From the bunk below, my cabin mate Helena sleepily opened our small curtain and I peered out into bright light. Grey-white froth and spittle pounded on the window. The waves were huge and we seemed to be at completely the wrong angle to stay upright. For the first time I thought less about the potential of an impending day of seasickness, and more about whether our ship could actually capsize.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

66° 33´ North: crossing the Arctic Circle in northern Norway

We’d celebrated the night before, toasting complimentary glasses of champagne handed out by Adrian the bartender as our ship crossed an invisible latitude line in the still-calm seas.

The official placement of the Arctic Circle isn’t exactly obvious, though. There’s no piece of string stretched across the water, and if the captain hadn’t made a rare appearance in the Panorama Lounge to announce the occasion, none of the passengers would have realised exactly where we were.

All we had to guide us was the Arctic Circle Monument on a little island outcrop: a total ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ moment.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

It’s a tradition on all Quark Expeditions to make a ceremony of an Arctic Circle crossing – so when the ship moved smoothly past the famous monument, our expedition leader John appeared on deck in a knitted Viking beard to splash ‘pure, authentic Arctic water’ on everyone.

John was joined by various members of staff wearing bedsheets, blankets and kayaking drysuits. For the rest of the night, they were polar bears and walruses instead (complete with homemade rolled-up-paper tusks).

Life Above the Arctic Circle

Life Above the Arctic Circle

After being ceremonially christened into this new part of the world, my senses were primed for a discernible change in the surroundings. Even though the ship’s meals were served at the same time and we continued with our program of expert lectures, I found my eyes continually drawn to the panoramic windows.

Waiting for something different to happen.

Our first sight of icebergs in the Arctic sea

“Can you hear the icebergs tinkling?” said Pimm from Amsterdam, as we stood together on the viewing platform. Dozens of aquamarine and bright blue misshapen blocks of ice bobbed past our ship’s hull, some floating on the surface and others submerged like half carved sculptures.

“They are talking to us!”

Life Above the Arctic Circle

The noises shifted and popped as the ice drew closer, bubbling and cracking. I had no idea that ice could sound like this: dozens of tiny buffets of escaping air, which just might have been decades or even centuries old.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

Life Above the Arctic Circle

The otherworldly atmosphere above the Arctic Circle

Back below decks, I’d raided the on-board library and found a book by an Austrian housewife called Christina Ritter, who’d joined her hunter-trapper husband for a Svalbard winter in 1933. Unlike her husband, Christina had no experience with isolation in freezing landscapes: no knowledge about how to cope with three months of perpetual darkness – and most importantly, she had no prior passion for the Arctic.

Yet she was immediately captivated by the clear air and far horizons. The darkness of the open water. The sheer power of the ice.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

As I read snatches of her book in quiet moments, I found myself paying more attention to the sensations of this place. The noises that the ship made around me: a radiator squeaking in an erratic rhythm; the creaks and groans hidden in the narrow gap between my head and the cabin roof; the rumbling engine.

At the same time, we were constantly faced with stillness: something which I realised is somewhat difficult for me. Days at sea move slowly when you’re always bound to the same square footage, and although I can be a solitary and introverted person I’m anything but idle.

So I had to learn to observe. Out of the window, I stared at blue shadows. At captured light and soft swells; darkness on water; snow reflected inside spiny mountain crevices like glinting metal.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

My thoughts became abstract, and where stillness once made me fidget and look for distractions, melting back into my own mind became a luxurious pursuit. Long after the other passengers had gone to bed I sat up in the Panorama Lounge with a gin and tonic from Adrian the barman, curled myself into one of the swivel chairs and read Ritter’s words.

It didn’t matter what time I looked up: the sun still blazed its way through the clouds overhead. It’s a strange feeling when your eyes contradict your mind, and you find you’re trusting in the midnight sun more than you believe the clock.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

Landing on Svalbard for walks in polar bear country

After two straight days at sea and an overwhelming afternoon of three polar bear sightings from the side of the ship, we changed up the pace and finally headed to the landmass we’d been aiming for throughout the journey.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

Our zodiacs landed at Bellsund, a site of the Svalbard archipelago which was once renowned for its whaling opportunities. Now, the waters lapping at the shore are quiet – but the whale bones scattered across the earth are indicative of a century of hunting and slaughter.

Although the men throwing ropes and spears into the sea have vanished, the danger of polar bears is still very real. John and the other members of staff had shifted into protection mode, hands clasping their guns as they delivered safety briefings and told us to stay close.

We were like ducklings in our bright yellow parkas – completely out of our depth in this environment, and content to follow our knowledgable guides without question.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

We took cautious steps across springy moss and slippery ice; bent down to investigate whale bones grown over with tiny purple flowers; and crowded around the upturned boats left by whalers in the 1930s, who never returned to claim them.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

Taking a polar plunge amongst the walruses 

That afternoon, I threw caution – and my clothes – to the wind, and raced into an ocean that was only just above freezing. The ‘Polar Plunge’ above the Arctic Circle is a time-honoured tradition for Quark Expedition passengers and being one of the youngest on board made me feel duty bound.

In waters where I’d seen walruses cavorting only minutes before, I pushed my unhappy legs to move further forward and immediately felt like a dozen firecrackers were exploding against my skin.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

Even as I was undressing, the other two polar plunging folk had both run straight in and immediately out again – so I was alone in the water as people stood watching me on shore and from nearby zodiacs.

“Someone give me a countdown!” I shouted, the idea of dunking my head at once horrific and wholly necessary to feel like I’d truly ‘done it’. More pain; more firecrackers; a horrible amount of gasping and screams which simply don’t belong in public view.

Even though I’ll admit some of the photos are pretty wonderful.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

In no time, I was back on shore with chattering teeth – although the air no longer felt cold in comparison to being under the sea’s surface.

Seeing another side of life above the Arctic Circle

Once I realised quite how cold and unforgiving that water was, the Arctic felt different. There was a violent undercurrent to the things we saw: a menacing sense that this landscape had no concern for human wellbeing. It’s a place which does not forgive.

The weather, when it changes, is dramatic and worryingly quick. Wind whipped across my face so loudly that I couldn’t speak. I was wrapped up in layers of thermal, micro fleece, waterproof and fur lined jackets, but it didn’t matter; the wind still cut straight through and I could feel it, fresh and sharp, on my skin beneath.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

Luckily, any misgivings I had about the Arctic environment was overshadowed by the passion of our guides, which shone through above all else.

At the start of the journey, I’d wondered quite why they seemed to be chomping at the bit for the last days of the trip – but once we reached Alkahornet, a mountain on Spitsbergen’s western coast, I finally understood their excitement.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

“There’s no silence as loud as Arctic silence…”

After walking for a half hour, Will had stopped our little group of eight hikers halfway up a lookout point: an averagely steep grassy slope looking out across the shining flat sea, flat mountain tops with ribbons of snow falling down them on the horizon line.

“If we can just refrain from using cameras and moving anything like plastic or waterproofs, anything that makes a loud noise, that’d be great.”

He asked us to sit down and take in our surroundings. Moving my head slowly, I looked around to see a group of reindeer happily snuffling in a snow bank to my left. The clattering sound of hundreds of bird wings echoed around the towering cliffs behind me. Further off in the distance, I could hear ice calving from the bergs.

Everything seemed utterly still – and yet a hundred different activities were going on, all around us.

Life Above the Arctic Circle

Life Above the Arctic Circle

After two weeks on board, our ship eventually docked in Longyearbyen, the largest settlement on Svalbard and the world’s northernmost town. I walked unsteadily through the streets, breathing the thin, tight air and staying quiet until I reached my little guesthouse (the appropriately named ‘Gjestehuset 102’ – Norwegian for guesthouse) and sat in a leather chair, feeling the building gently swaying beneath me.

Snow fluttered down past the window opposite. A pair of Arctic terns – birds I could now name, thanks to the boat guides – flitted quickly through the sky. The sound of scratches and shuffling on the ground below hinted at a reindeer or an Arctic fox; theoretically even a polar bear (not likely, but there are statistically more bears than residents on Svalbard).

I couldn’t shake the sense of surreal connection to this Arctic world – and honestly, I didn’t think I wanted to. No matter what I’d originally expected from this place. The reality of life above the Arctic Circle is something I’m still trying to comprehend.

Have you experienced life above the Arctic Circle? How do you think you’d cope with the Norwegian version?

Life Above the Arctic Circle

Do you want to experience life above the Arctic Circle? Check out Peregrine Tours for their polar adventures!

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24 Comments

  • Reply
    invertedsheep
    September 8, 2016 at 10:12 am

    Love this. I’ve spent the summer hiking above the Arctic Circle in Sweden, but that’s a very different experience to yours. I’d love to get much further north and see it all from the water like you’ve just done. One of these years, I will do.

    • Reply
      Flora
      September 8, 2016 at 4:32 pm

      And I’d love exploring the hiking opportunities in Sweden! Fingers crossed we can both make it to further parts of the Arctic 🙂

  • Reply
    Matt | Here To Travel
    September 8, 2016 at 11:05 am

    Wow! What a terrific read! You’ve whetted my appetite to visit the Arctic one day. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a really long time.

    • Reply
      Flora
      September 8, 2016 at 4:34 pm

      Thank you so much, Matt! I’d absolutely recommend travelling to the Arctic – it’s such a fascinating part of the world 🙂

  • Reply
    Megan Starr (@MeganCStarr)
    September 8, 2016 at 3:06 pm

    I went to Svalbard in May 2014 and I still can’t comprehend that I have been there. It is a whole different planet from the air to the landscape. So nice to see these photos as they bring back such vivid memories of my time there!

    • Reply
      Flora
      September 8, 2016 at 4:47 pm

      I feel exactly the same Megan – I’m still getting to grips with everything I saw, heard & felt up there. It’s the type of place that stays with you a long time! I’ll have to check out your articles and photos about Svalbard too 🙂

  • Reply
    Lauren
    September 8, 2016 at 3:54 pm

    I love your writing style. This piece completely transported me and made me crave the experience of being in the false silence and stillness of the Arctic. Really beautiful!

    • Reply
      Flora
      September 10, 2016 at 10:04 pm

      I’m so glad you felt transported Lauren 🙂 That’s what I’m always aiming for in my writing! Luckily the Arctic is amazing inspiration.. :p

  • Reply
    Laura
    September 8, 2016 at 8:55 pm

    Absolutely gorgeous pictures! It looks absolutely breathtaking there, I wish I can one day go myself. I’m from Finland but have never even been to Lapland, let alone above the Arctic Circle! This needs to fixed ASAP 😀

    Laura // Middle of Adventure

    • Reply
      Flora
      September 10, 2016 at 10:02 pm

      Thanks Laura! Breathtaking is certainly right – there were a fair few moments when it was cold enough to steal away my breath 🙂 Fingers crossed you make it above the Arctic Circle soon, it really is magical!

  • Reply
    Emily
    September 9, 2016 at 12:17 pm

    Amazing pictures…I just love it

    • Reply
      Flora
      September 9, 2016 at 1:55 pm

      Hi Emily, so glad you liked them! Just a friendly reminder that I’m removing the links you’ve included in your comments, as Google is very good at spotting errant links as spam 🙂

  • Reply
    veena lives her life.
    September 9, 2016 at 4:35 pm

    This is amazing. The end 🙂

    • Reply
      Flora
      September 10, 2016 at 9:35 pm

      Thanks so much Veena!

  • Reply
    frederick hayward
    September 11, 2016 at 1:34 pm

    Flora your adventure sounds amazing thank you for the photos and your report .Regards Frederickr

    • Reply
      Flora
      November 27, 2016 at 7:57 pm

      Thanks Frederick – so glad you enjoyed reading!

  • Reply
    Kim
    September 11, 2016 at 4:06 pm

    Thanks for transporting me above the Arctic Circle with such a vivid recounting of your experience. I’m particularly impressed with your dip in the frigid waters! What an amazing, perspective-changing experience. 🙂

    • Reply
      Flora
      November 27, 2016 at 8:04 pm

      That polar plunge was definitely perspective-changing, Kim! I don’t think I’d ever thought about the temperature which whales, walruses and polar bears are usually swimming through :p

  • Reply
    Amanda
    September 12, 2016 at 2:51 pm

    Having an Arctic adventure of my own is very high on my list! I’ve technically been above the Arctic Circle in Norway (when I went to Alta earlier this year), but it wasn’t nearly enough! I’d love to go to Greenland or Svalbard, though I’ll admit that I’m a little worried about sailing like you did since I suffer from motion sickness! It would probably be worth it, though…

    • Reply
      Flora
      November 27, 2016 at 8:06 pm

      I think even the worst-afflicted passengers were still able to forget about feeling so sick once we saw bears/whales 🙂 I’m sure you’d be fine (although I’ve heard the crossings down in the Antarctic are a whole other thing..!)

  • Reply
    Nimish Sawant
    October 1, 2016 at 7:48 pm

    Hey Flora,
    That was indeed a fascinating read. The Arctic or for that matter the Antarctic are such exciting landscapes with such severe climatic conditions that it’s a surprise that anything can survive there. Yet, as you’ve mentioned there’s a thriving wildlife in the Arctic. I really liked the part about coming to terms with the fact of being still and patient. At a time when we are so hell bent on checking of the things to do when traveling to avoid FOMO, it’s a pleasure to read accounts is slow travel like these.
    Hope to visit it someday:)
    Cheers,
    Nimish

    • Reply
      Flora
      November 27, 2016 at 8:10 pm

      Thanks so much for your lovely comment, Nimish! It’s really amazing how diverse the Arctic’s wildlife really is – and hopefully it’ll remain so for the foreseeable future..

  • Reply
    Sherita Cox
    October 26, 2016 at 5:10 pm

    I’m visiting next year on a small cruise and after reading your posts, I’m even more excited to be going. I especially appreciated your comments about the quietness and stillness of the area, and will remember to take time for that quiet period.

    • Reply
      Flora
      November 27, 2016 at 8:08 pm

      Amazing, Sherita – I”m sure you’ll have a fantastic time! Yep, I’d highly recommend taking some time out during the more surreal situations you’ll undoubtedly find yourself in, if only to cement the details in your mind 🙂

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