In reply to GrendeI:
> (In reply to Calum Nicoll)
Really useful post. Thanks alot
> Winter... How well can you climb in wind chill temps of -50?
I don't know. Coldest windchill I've been in is roughly -35, I can remember thinking it was alright when covered up. Took my gloves off for roughly half a minute to re-tie a shoelace, franticly bending the laces, hands go numb, struggle to get gloves back on, took 10 minutes of rewarming before they were mobile enough to tie the other boot. So I can see that anything that requires de-gloving is almost certainly impossible. But covered up, I could see it being OK.
We'd stick to stuff that was easy/simu climb stuff, not psyched for waiting at a belay for several hours in severe temps.
Alot of the attraction is I fancy the idea doing some cold climbs, and this is a good way to see if I can handle it, relatively cheap/low hassle.
> It is dark from around November 14th to January 29th (the dark season), then its twilight or the blue season as we like to call it.
Much moonlight generally? I ask as I can think of the odd day in scottish winter where it's been midnight, but light enough to just about read a book by the moonlight and the reflection of the light of the snow.
> Svalbard is not really renowned for its climbing. Whilst there are routes in the north, in the Atomfjella region, they only see a handful of ascents a decade... if that. Mainly due to the redonkulous logistical requirement, insurance costs and legislation concerning nature reserves. The best and most spectacular mountains are in the south and the west but these are essentially inaccessible at that time of year, unless you have a boat or a helicopter.
> MA10 is pretty much dominated by choss/scree, messed up sandstone and shall. The mountains are all plateaus with relatively gentle slopes, with the only good stuff being towards the north around Templefjorden and Billefjorden where it's harder limestone... but still all choss. That lends another problem as some of these areas are in nature reserves are require a permit to travel. You will also be limited by scooter transport as the fjords wont be frozen that time of year.
I definitely need to get a map but this seems really useful.
> Otherwise there's just the generic mountains that have all been done to death and are only really good for skiing.
Stalking about on google maps, I found Eskerfossen, it's not much but it'd give some entertainment, you know it/any others? Of course, it might not be formed that early.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/34255481