I spent the past two weeks and a Svalbar Ski and Sail trip, ski touring along the coastal zones near Longyearbyen and along the West coast as far north as Krossfjord using a sailing boat for access: Prins Carls Vorland/Grimaldibukta, Ymerbukkta/Tryghamna, Tinayarebukta, Berentsburg/Grønfjordfjellet.

The snow coverage is quite low for this time of the year due to mild temperatures and early season rains, especially low elevation West aspects. Nonetheless, in the heavier snow regions we found good skiing right to sea level, with overall very little carrying of skis required, even on Thursday out of Berentsburg. The best skiing was on north aspects but good coverage could be found in most sheltered areas.

Weather was cool and mixed with the occasional bit of light precipitation and little wind until yesterday when a warm, short lived storm brought a few mm of rain. Today is cold and clear with sunny blue skies.

Avalanche concerns were limited to isolated wind slabs at ridgetop on north aspects, and steep solar aspects. Crust recovery was good in spite of the fact the sun shines 24 hrs now.

This is an incredible zone for ski touring and ski mountaineering, with countless ski peaks rising out of the ocean.

Regards,
Tom Wolfe
Mountain Guide
2019 Svalbard Ski and Sail trip: www.sawback.com/ski-touring/europe/norway/svalbard-ski-and-sail/