I will admit history has never been my favorite topic. But my ears did perk up with the tale of Wanny Wolstad. As an avid outdoorswoman I was delighted when our historical guide, Sven shared her story. Wanny was the first woman trapper and hunter on Svalbard. She arrived in 1932, after being widowed twice and raising two sons on her own. She transformed the way women were thought of in a traditional and harsh “man’s world” of hunting and trapping in the Arctic. Before modern air transportation and long before wifi, hunters were cut off from the rest of the world by the sea ice for ten months of the year, which required them to be totally self-sufficient, not an easy task for anyone. Wanny was originally from Tromso, where she started (the first) taxi company using her own vehicle. She was no stranger to forging her own path and embracing the unexpected. She was a competent markswoman and competed in rifle competitions, frequently beating all of her all male counterparts.
As a highly respected equal among rough & tumble hunters and trappers, Wanny paved the way for underrepresented women in the Arctic. But she also introduced basic creature comforts like tablecloths and curtains into the houses of Spitsbergen. Leave it to a woman to turn a barren Arctic hunting hut into a home, with a little gingham. I loved Wanny! With every new detail of Wanny's life my admiration grew. Hearing Wanny's story was an inspiration and made me feel proud to call myself a fellow fangstkvinne (the Norwegian word for female hunter). When the snow begins falling and I head into the woods with my rifle this hunting season, I know I will be thinking of Wanny.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.