At Kapp Linne, a 100km scooter ride from Longyearbyen, a tourism company has taken on the history 'Isfjord Radio Station' and transformed it into a luxury hotel, with rooms in the high season going for as much as some of the best spa hotels at home.
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| The tea room a Isfjord Radio Hotel |
But fortunately, Norwegians love their cabins, and in a place like Longyearbyen, where the average stay of a resident is only four years, clubs have taken on the responsibility and ownership of cabins all around Spitsbergen. Anka, Sam, Vanessa and I took the opportunity and rented such a cabin at Kapp Linne.
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| The cozy 'Russekeila' cabin |
The cabin was situated about 10min from the luxury hotel, so we enjoyed a cup of coffee/tea as well as the diverse bird life at Isfjord Radio. Migratory birds are coming back to Svalbard with snow buntings, common eiders, king eiders, northern fulmars and kittiwakes being common sightings around the shores. We also went for a walk on Linnevatnet, the largest lake on Svalbard. The lake ice is currently about 1.5m thick, underneath hides a population of Arctic Char. Without a rod and ice drilling equipment, we missed out on the fishing. But a pot of homemade Chili and some card games in the cabin concluded a wonderful day out at Kapp Linne, with great impressions the landscape and wildlife on the outermost tip of Isfjorden.
The sea ice in Grønfjorden (contrary to the lake ice) was not thick enough to travel on, and we stayed well clear of it when going back to Longyearbyen. When we went to Barentsburg on a field trip one week later, all the ice had broken up.
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| Grønfjorden with the ice edge on the right side and the Russian settlement of Barentsburg on the opposite shore |
After such a great cabin trip, we had gathered enough energy to face the period of report deadlines and exams. Who knows, maybe hardship will finally get to us with all the academic work of the next weeks.
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