{"id":5586,"date":"2019-07-19T08:25:17","date_gmt":"2019-07-19T15:25:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mscreativity.ca\/writing\/?p=5586"},"modified":"2019-07-19T08:25:17","modified_gmt":"2019-07-19T15:25:17","slug":"spitsbergen-borebreen-vintervegen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mscreativity.ca\/writing\/?p=5586","title":{"rendered":"Spitsbergen. Borebreen. Vintervegen"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Spitsbergen<\/a>
\nSpitsbergen. What, why, and how.<\/a>
\nSpitsbergen. Voyage. Longyear<\/a>
\nSpitsbergen. Ymerbukta<\/a>
\nSpitsbergen. Esmarkbreen<\/a>
\nSpitsbergen. Nansenbreen. Borebreen<\/a>
\nSpitsbergen. Whiteout<\/a><\/p>\n

Finally, the Spitsbergen’s weather god tiered and decided to change its tactics. At the night between April 29 and 30, the strong wind cleared the sky, and the temperature dropped significantly. We can start to move. However, we did need to understand first where we can move.<\/p>\n

While I packed our stuff, my partner skied to the pass again and brought the disappointing pictures.
\nHere he is on the pass (with the corniche just under his feet) looking on Wahlenbergbreen, which was our goal.<\/p>\n

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Here is Wahlenbergbreen close up with all its numerous crevasses. It is absolutely clear, that if even we could des\u0441ent to this glacier, we cannot move along it, so there is no reason to do it at all.<\/p>\n

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The second pass also appeared to be unpassable – the vertical cliff with a huge corniche and numerous crevasses below.<\/p>\n

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This little black thing in the middle of a huge iciness is our tent. How small we compare with icefield.<\/p>\n

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Our tent closer.<\/p>\n

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Finally, only one way left for us – back to Borebreen and up along this glacier. The temperature decreases significantly, -12C at day time that together with strong wind and high humidity feels very unpleasantly.
\nHowever, the temperature fall brought another bonus together with nice visibility – the nice frozen crust was formed above the snow, so the skiing improved significantly.<\/p>\n

Top of the Borebreen glacier – Geltepasset pass. On the other side of the pass, there is a Vintervegen glacier that flows into St. Jonsfjorden.<\/p>\n

Map. The crosses mark Kjepasset pass where we slept so many days, Geltepasset pass, and another no-name pass to Wahlenbergbreen glacier. At this point we still wanted to reach Wahlenbergbreen in the hope that it becomes passable on its upper part.<\/p>\n

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Around Geltepasset.<\/p>\n

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We tried to pass to Wahlenbergbreen directly from Geltepasset to avoid altitude loss, but it was impossible, so we descended to Vintervegen.<\/p>\n

We went down through gently-sloping part of Vintervegen and set our tent just before the steep slope.<\/p>\n

May 1 demonstrated really spring weather: -12C and strong wind. Very cold. But sunny and nice visibility.<\/p>\n

Surroundings of our night place.<\/p>\n

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The steep bent of Vintergegen in front of us.<\/p>\n

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Video. The first part- Geltepasset, the second part – the morning on Vintervegen.<\/p>\n