Svalbard archipelago June 2008
The Expedition
Alon Ohad and Tim Starr are attempting the first ever circumnavigation of the Svalbard archipelago which consists of three main islands Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet, Edgeøya and a number of smaller ones. The archipelago is the northern most part of Norway and is located between latitude 75° to 81° north. The Islands are some of the closest landmasses to the North Pole and are home to some of Europe’s largest and most spectacular glaciers.
The expedition will commence in mid June 2008 at Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen Island) where they will paddle clockwise to circumnavigate Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya. Being so close to the Arctic Circle we will have close to 24 hours of daylight, all of which will be needed for some of the 18 hour paddling day that they anticipate as they travel past the steep ice walls that make up some of the coastline.
This expedition has never been attempted before and Alon and Tim are expecting the 1800 kilometre journey to take approximately 10 weeks. Being completely self supported their biggest concern is not, having a run in with a roaming polar bear, or negotiating the ice pack but running low on food and or fuel. The trip will be immensely challenging but also a visually rewarding feast of stunning coastlines, breathtaking fjords and an array of wildlife.
The Team
Tim Starr
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At 32, Tim Starr is an avid, talented and enthusiastic white water kayaker, 17 years of experience has seen Tim paddling in New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, Africa and North and South America. When not paddling down rivers for fun Tim can be found working on them as a raft guide. |
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A world travelled veteran of sea kayaking, Alon has a solid background of extreme expedition paddling. His taste for adventure has seen him circumnavigating Tasmania, Stewart Island and Ireland and when not negotiating wild coast lines can be found honing his white water skills on the river Jordan. |
More information can be found by visiting the website: http://www.ohad.info/svalbard
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