Nate Buchanan hikes a mountain near Svalbard during polar night with local Cecilia and her dog Graham. Three months of continuous darkness, minus 4 degrees, and mandatory bear protection. The descent involves sliding down on your butt.
February 14, 2023
−4 degrees (minus 4°C)
Three months straight
Protection against polar bears (legally required)
This city is dark 24 hours a day for three months straight because it's the world's northernmost town. The sun never rises here in the wintertime and it's cold, but that doesn't stop the locals from going outside and enjoying their life. So we were on a polar night hike with our friend Cecilia, who lives and her adorable dog Graham is joining us. It's so steep and frozen that we have to wear spikes on our shoes. Also, it's required to carry protection against polar bears when you're outside the city. Have I mentioned it's minus 4 degrees and the wind is insane, which really makes this feel like an adventure. And Graham is thriving. The view from the top was totally worth the frozen climb. This is long. Your band the Way down is usually my least favorite part of hikes, but Cecilia taught us the cool local way and let's just say it was even. Okay. Apparently the best way to get down is to slide on your butt.
That's scary.
