Viking Magazine - February 2021 - 21

plan was to stay on Svalbard for
nine months, until May 2020-but
then COVID-19 swept the globe and
swiftly shredded those plans, and they
chose to remain there until September.
(Fortunately the midnight sun and
milder temps made the summer months
quite enjoyable.)
Like many of us, the women were
forced to " recalibrate the compass "
in the face of the pandemic, and it
gave new meaning to their mission.
Ultimately, they decided to head back
to the hut for a second winter. They
returned to Svalbard in October 2020
and plan to stay through the spring.
The Hut
Their home during the project is
Bamsebu (BOMB-say-boo), which
means " bear's den " in Norwegian. It's a
tiny trapper's hut on the shores of Van
Keulenfjord, and nearly 87 miles from
the city of Longyearbyen. It is only
accessible by snowmobile in the winter.
Originally built for whalers in 1930,
Bamsebu spans just 215 square feet-
roughly the size of an average master
bedroom in the United States. There's
a kitchen and living room, technically,
though both convert into bedrooms at
night.
There's no running water or
electricity. They do have a wood
burning stove, though, and little hints
of " hygge " : family photos, candles,
inspirational wall signs and wine.
Living in the remote outskirts of
Svalbard is a true " labor " of love. The
sheer physicality involved is shocking.
" We don't just go out and, you know,
swing a little bag over our shoulder and
whistle to the water, " joked Sorby. " It's
a serious endeavor to get dressed in
survival suits. "
Before leaving the hut, they must
first strap on an extensive waist belt,
complete with a multi-tool, knife and
flare gun-and top it off by slinging
a rifle over their shoulder should any
polar bear decide to pounce.
Strøm and Sorby are both in their
fifties, but that doesn't seem to slow
them down one bit. Here's just a small
list of what these women do to survive
in Svalbard:
* Fix boat engines
* Chop wood and ice
* Forage for firewood in whiteout
conditions
* Repair doors blown off from the
hurricane wind
* Take parts off a snowmobile in
subzero temps
* Lift 60-lb. sacks of gear
* Haul sleds full of ice up to the hut
* Contort and crawl out a window
when the door is snowed shut
Citizen Science
While the HITI project itself-
overwintering on the archipelago of
Svalbard-takes place somewhere
specific and remote, its purpose has
always been multi-faceted and global.
This is not a vacation. This is a
mission.
The hut's remote location enables the
women to participate in important (but
often hard-to-execute) citizen science
projects, as well as test new technology
related to climate, weather and science.
Despite months of darkness, they
certainly kept busy throughout their
first stay. Strøm and Sorby spent their
days: documenting cloud formations
unique to the High Arctic area through
NASA's Globe Observer program;
capturing dazzling panoramas of
the Northern Lights for NASA's
Aurorasaurus program; and observing
changes to sea ice and local wildlife for
the Norwegian Polar Institute.
The British Columbia Institute of
Technology even equipped them with
a special drone to gather data about
surface air temperatures and collect
aerial imagery of glacial sedimentary
deposits. This project helped
Sunniva Sorby
Age: 59
Born in Norway,
raised in Canada
« Has traveled to
Antarctica 100+
times as lecturer,
naturalist and
guide
« Youngest member
of the world's first
all-female team to
ski to the South
Pole (1992-1993)
Hilde Fålun Strøm
Age: 53
Born in Norway, has
lived on Svalbard
for 23 years
« Seasoned
expedition
leader,
big game
hunter and
snowmobiler
« Has survived
200+ polar
bear encounters
Ettra
Age: 3
Weight: 80+ lbs.
Breed: Alaska
Malamute
and
Greenlandic
Husky
Loves: Chasing
reindeer
and being
scratched
behind the
ears.
sonsofnorway.com VIKING FEBRUARY 2021 21
pg 18-24.indd 4
12/16/20 12:37 PM
PHOTOS COURTESY HEARTS IN THE ICE
PHOTOS COURTESY HEARTS IN THE ICE
http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - February 2021

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