outdoors

Outdoors

Here's a slideshow of my trip to Spitzbergen Island in Svalbard, Norway, near 80° North.

When I was 15, my father took a sabbatical year in Cambridge England, and I attended the Perse School for Boys. Every year, they sent a small group of boys on a trip to the Arctic, and when my parents offered my the opportunity to go, I eagerly accepted (after overcoming substantial disbelief at first. It turned out to be a major formative event in my life.

Seven of us went: three teachers and four students. I was the youngest member of the expedition, having moved a year up in order to avoid complications relating to the GCSE exams given in the 5th form, which I should have attended, going by age.

We spent about 30 days during June and July 1990 on the island of Spitzbergen. Our expedition had no real objective, other than to go there and ski across the island and see what we could see. We found adventure aplenty and many valuable experiences. I hope you enjoy the slideshow.

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