As I’ve wrote before the place I like most in the high Arctic is the Polar desert. Remote, empty, cold (most of the times at least), a few struggling plants and Reindeer and wide views. For me a landing in the Polar desert is always one of the highlights of the trip (together with a visit to the pack ice). I could spent days there, just wandering around, hoping to find some nice things, or just getting lost in this huge landscape. Unfortunately we always have to return to the ship after a couple of hours. On the other hand, that’s also a good thing. I also have the stories in mind of the early polar explorers who had to spent the winter in areas like this. With those stories in mind, it’s a comforting thought that the nice and warm ship is waiting for you…