Forkastningsfjellet
Ivana
The hike to Forkastningsfjellet mountain, which included a boat trip over the fjord from Longyearbyen to Revneset, was the main planned daily activity. It started with packing myself in a life suit at the headquarters of a touring company and meeting the guide and other hikers. The group was small, and everyone was hungry for some arctic scenery and breathtaking views; I am sure that no one felt famished or at least underfed at the end of this excursion. After the boat ride on a perfectly calm sea and when we reached the Revneset shores, we molted off our boat driving gear and prepared for the walk.
On the other side of the shore you can see Longyearbyen.
I saw perfectly smooth egg shaped stones at the shore; I was fascinated by their even surface done to perfection so I picked one up, intending to give it to my daughter who is extremely curious about stones. Had no idea what I exactly held in my hands. Later, during the hike, the guide spotted a egg shaped stone broken in half and told us a story – they are called concretions, they are formed when minerals and sediments cement around a piece such as teeth, bones, shells, leaves or any sort of fossils, by creating a spherical outer layer, which gets smoothened by sea currents tossing them around on the seabed. So, this is basically a paleontological Kinder surprise waiting to be opened. I decided not to open such beauty and wait instead until it cracks open by accident.
Unfortunately, I probably deleted the pic taken on the spot; this is the one taken on the window in the hostel
Oftentimes, there are tidbits in these concretions, but in this case it is empty.
I know that I am repeating myself a lot by saying this, but the hike was amazing and beautiful. Autumn colors in the Arctic are pure magic; low growing flora in gorgeous tones does wonders for my eyes, and stone formations and shapes of mountains do not allow me to put my camera down.
We were going along the Louisdalen towards the top of the Forkastningsfjellet, where we sat down and ate.
It was one of my favorite meals ever; you know those moments when the meal corresponds to the moment, the environment and activity, and every spoonful fits perfectly? In my case, it was DryTech Real turmat’s Chicken curry while I was admiring the branches of Sveabreen on the other side of the fjord.
The guide was extremely knowledgeable so we discussed the possibility of visiting Svenskhuset. Due to this story and its background I would be very willing to go there and go significantly beyond my budget to reach The House. Due to the law and government’s guidelines, which strictly prohibit planned visits of this place, it is not possible to just go there. What I did not know is that due to the sea streams along the coast it is very tricky to dock the boat which makes it even more inaccessible. One day, I’d say, one day.
I was also fascinated by a “book” on the ridge of the Forkastningsfjellet. It is approx 1 meter high and these stone layers, which are so thin, make you wonder what force of nature creates such unusual structures.
Looks like a hungarian pie (every Croat knows about “pita madjarica” :))
This entire area is rich with geological structures and not far away lies Deltaneset, a paleontological site rich with finds. Just to remind you, Svalbard was once in the equatorial region, imagine what can be seen/found there. I was out of my mind and intrigued and I am not even a geologist or paleontologist!
Apparently, in the past there was an excursion which would bring you to Deltaneset to explore the layers and structures with fossils and plethora of other fun stuff but due to the lack of interest, they had to switch it off the list of activities. Something’s wrong with the world today, and I don’t know what it is.
We continued down the ridge towards the boat and our safety boat gear.
