Have you ever driven a Snow Cat vehicle in complete darkness in search of the Northern Lights? What is a polar bear safe zone? How to take a photo of the northern lights in Svalbard? I will tell about it in this post.
A snow CAT ride is a popular way to explore the snowy terrain of Svalbard during the winter months. Snow CATs are large vehicles designed to navigate the rugged and icy terrain of the Arctic, and they can take you on a thrilling ride through the wilderness. These tours typically include a guide who will point out local wildlife or north lights and provide information about the unique ecosystem of Svalbard.
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If you’re planning a snow CAT ride in Svalbard during polar night, it’s important to dress warmly and bring appropriate gear, such as insulated boots and gloves, as temperatures can drop well below freezing. It’s also a good idea to book your tour in advance, as they can fill up quickly during peak season.
How to take a photo on Spitsbergen?
I had a GoPro 10 Black with a battery for the Arctic Enduro and an iPhone 13 Pro. The first surprise everyone told me that the iPhone would turn off after a while, none of it works normally in the coldest weather the battery worked ok.
GoPro performed very well, what is the most useful? Voice control functions, believe me, you don’t feel your fingers quite quickly.
The batteries lasted great.
To take a good photo in GoPro we set the ISO to 1000, the exposure time to 30sec. The GoPro must be on a tripod. I chose a small tripod to carry as little as possible.
You can see this tripod in one of the photos.
As it turned out, you have the right outfit on the article, you can’t crouch in these shoes and outfit. So either you get down on your knees or you lie down. You get used to it after a few shots.
Overall, a snow CAT ride in Svalbard during polar night can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, providing a unique and unforgettable way to explore the beauty of the Arctic wilderness.
What is a polar bear safe zone?
Longyearbyen is surrounded by what is known as the Polar Bear Safe Zone. There is an area where tourists and locals can move around without carrying firearms.
In the photo above it is marked as a broken line surrounding the city.
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At the ends of the zone there are signs “POLAR BEAR WARNING” I am standing next to one of these signs in the pictures below.
Interesting fact: During one of the stops, the guide said that a few years ago, a polar bear entered the city and walked from restaurant to restaurant looking for garbage.
I don’t know if it was Urban Story or fact, but since it was told to me, I pass it on.
Some information comes from these sources:
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowcat, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longyearbyen,which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
