Finally, the expected SW wind was more WSW and rather steady with some gusts at 27-28 knots. The sea was quite rough, especially at the junction between the ocean depths and the coastal shelf, unsettling Perrine's stomach...
On Tuesday we sail along the coasts of Spitzberg in the fog, without really distinguishing them, and it is only at 4 in the morning, upon entering Bellsund, that we discover the snowy reliefs and the first ice floes! We anchor at Fridtjofhamna, at the foot of the glacier, moved by the intensity of the surrounding landscape... We meet Blue Benda there, who arrived an hour before.
A few hours of sleep later, we prepare the rifle to go ashore. Indeed, it is mandatory to carry a large-caliber firearm in case of an aggressive polar bear. Under a timid sun, we set off for a hike towards the glacier.
We are not alone in walking the shores, the king of the Arctic passed by shortly before...
After 6 hours of walking, we return to the warm saloon of Libertaire where the temperature quickly reaches 19°C thanks to the stove and the oven in which a homemade pizza is baking. The ice is there and we must get used to sleeping with the sounds of ice hitting the steel hull...
The next day we leave for Longyearbyen, the capital of Spitzberg, a mandatory stop for administrative formalities. Indeed, the town itself, an old Norwegian mining city, does not have much charm. Nevertheless, the ascent of Isfjorden to reach it is absolutely beautiful.
We will leave the city tomorrow to continue our journey and will therefore no longer have access to WI-FI until arrival in Iceland, scheduled for early September. We will nevertheless try to keep the blog updated weekly, without being able to add photos, as satellite communications are too slow and too expensive.
