Mina (10) Is the Youngest to Cross Svalbard From South to North

A girl, 10, has become the youngest person to ski across Svalbard from south to north, High North News reports. She and her father left on 26 March and finished on 5 May, so the crossing took 44 days. Together they covered 600 km and gained about 7,000 metres in height over the route.

The trip was filmed. A feature-length cinema film aimed at children and families is planned for release in 2027. The pair ended the crossing at the northern tip of Spitsbergen. They had expected snowmobiles to collect them, but weather and snow conditions changed that. On 7 May they went back to Longyearbyen aboard the boat Farm, around 30 hours at sea. The father said the effects of climate change in Svalbard left a strong impression on him.

According to the father, many days brought good weather, but there were also wind, cold and periods when they were weather-bound. Some evenings they sat in the tent in their sleeping bags and played games. They also read, braided hair and talked. He said he concentrated on encouraging play, learning and resilience, and that he is impressed by his daughter and proud of her.

The girl said she was glad to reach the northern tip of Spitsbergen, where she found the light beautiful. On some days strong wind made skiing hard while she pulled a sled weighing 24 kg. There were also Easter ski races and sledding. She did not see a polar bear, but she saw many bear tracks, Arctic foxes, reindeer and birds. She looks forward to seeing her family, classmates and bicycle, and to eating ice cream on Norway's National Day, 17 May.

Along the way she collected snow samples for UiT The Arctic University of Norway, as part of the CLEAN project on Svalbard. The project examines whether PFAS, known as forever chemicals, are present in Arctic snow. She also kept a diary and notes for the researchers, carried home in the sled. She said she hopes no such chemicals turn up, because they harm animals, residents and the environment.