M/S Sjøveien pulled into Lomfjorden and the conditions were perfect. Pleasant temperature and no wind. The water was silty coloured by the alluvial fan that spread out at the end of the fjord. We took the Zodiacs to shore at Faksevågen for a hike.
At Faksevågen the walk started with a relatively steep switch-back up the first ridge but already after a few steps we were stopping to look at the plant life. Vegetation was hiding in every little crevice where it could find enough shelter to flourish despite the harsh Arctic environment.
The Purple Saxifrage was almost bloomed out in places, this soon after the snowmelt. This is one of the earliest flowering plants we see at this latitude. This sturdy plant can grow up to 1000 m in altitude.
As we continued, we came across several Moss Campion plants in bloom. It’s a cushion flower of the Sline family with beautiful purple flowers.
During the walk on the tundra, among the small trees, we spotted two species of the Salix: the Polar Willow and the Net-veined Willow.
Another flower we recognized from home was what we in Svalbard call Mountain Sorrel. Back in the day this was an important anti-scorbutic, for the explorers but more importantly for the indigenous people that lived around the Arctic. The taste of the leaves is slightly acidic.
Eventually we reached the last ridge and another glacially carved valley opened up. The glacier spilling out in front of us had taken the shape of a Piedmont glacier. Svalbard is like a glaciological textbook, right there in front of us.
The destination for the afternoon was Lilliehöökbreen, one of the largest active glaciers in Svalbard today. Already an hour after arrival, the fjord started to clog up; the glacier had been active and calved huge amounts of glacier ice.
The Arctic summer heat inspired us to brave the cold waters in the form of a polar plunge as we came back to the vessel. Conveniently the hot tub was hot, because the water is still really cold, even in the Arctic Summer.
Text: Eva Molin Westerholm
Please note: Depending on the lens used for a photo or video shot an animal may appear to be closer than it is. We always follow strict wildlife guidelines to ensure that we do not cause any disturbance.