Scampering around Alkhornet There are certain places which, despite having read their names thousands of times, mean nothing to me. The big places like Machu Picchu and Torres del Paine - the smaller places like Mount Kinabalu and the Ngorongoro Crater (neither of which are actually small, just lesser known) – often tantalize and fill me with whispers of wanderlust. Most days, however, when I show up to Adventure Life to work and not to travel, I see the names of these places and my eyes glaze over. Such was the case with the Galapagos: I read and wrote the names Santa Cruz and Isabela over and over again but, until I saw the piles of yellow iguanas and stilted flamingos for myself, the word was never real. A similar phenomenon occurred in both Mexico’s Baja Peninsula and Svalbard.
Alkefjellet… Faksevagen… Gasbergkilen… each of these names were previously no more than words on a page to me but are now places that I treasure deeply. It is Alkhornet, however, which has captivated my attention and refused to let go. Prior to leaving Missoula on our journey North, I’ll admit that I only read our itinerary a single time and that eyes glazed over – I didn’t care about the names as much as I cared about simply being there. When we arrived, it quickly became clear that my not having poured over the itinerary didn’t really matter - part of the fun of our trip was the spontaneity it required.
First of all, we completed a reverse circumnavigation. After carefully examining the weather patterns for the next two weeks, our Expedition Leader literally chose the path less traveled: while 15 other ships headed north up Svalbard’s Eastern coast, the Sea Spirit went south and rounded the archipelago counterclockwise. His decision was spot on – while other ships ended up having to cancel several landings over numerous days, we had blue skies almost every day. Secondly, due to weather which can never be completely avoided, we ended up sailing into fjords and climbing mountains which had not been outlined in the itinerary.
When we took the zodiacs to shore on the morning of our last full day, I was on an Arctic high. I didn’t know how Svalbard could possibly further impress me – I was already filled to the brim with the excitement of a trip of a lifetime. Splitting into two groups – I joined the longer, more strenuous hike while a second group chose to make a more leisurely walk to the mountain’s rocky cliff face. After making our way over the tundra, through a rocky ravine and down a winding slope – our hike’s destination finally came into view. As cliché as it sounds, Alkhornet, in all its glory, took my breath away. Wearing the sky like a crown, the dramatic peak rose up from the tundra. Just shy of 1,500 ft., the mountainous cliff towered over the surrounding tundra and bowed down to no one.
As if the mountain wasn’t enough, a herd of reindeer grazed at its bottom while several Arctic Fox scavenged the nearby land. I spent the next two hours frolicking across the tundra and fighting off the urge to sing “The Hills Are Alive” at the top of my lungs.
The perfect ending to the perfect trip – we left Svalbard the next morning feeling truly spoiled. The following is my advice: read the word Svalbard and tuck it into the folds of your mind. Plant the seed. And when you next seek adventure or a new stamp in your passport, go. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
2 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
2 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.