There are a lot of ways to experience Svalbard, an archipelago under Norwegian administration, far above the Arctic Circle. But as far as I know, there is only one that can include an impromptu game of hide and seek in the pitch-black barracks of an abandoned Swedish research station so remote you need a new word for “remote.”
That’s what you can expect – along with sightings of polar bears, walruses, reindeer, whales, seals, foxes, seabirds, glaciers, and icebergs – as part of a multi-day expedition with the Iceland-based Laid Back Company.
Adventure Without the Discomfort – or B.S.
The founder and brains behind the Laid Back Company is Alexander Máni Kárason – Alex to his friends.
His are not the Arctic expeditions in the styles of Robert Perry or John Franklin, in which people and animals suffered myriad deprivations and misery. Which is great since I love exploring but eschew discomfort.
For the past five years, Alex has offered expeditions to Greenland or Svalbard. In 2026 he will lead a trip from Svalbard across the Greenland Sea to northern Greenland to combine the two destinations in one multi-day adventure. His first trip to Antarctica is set for 2028.
They are, in his own words, “No-bullshit adventure tours.”
I recently signed on to a Laid Back Company expedition to Svalbard, a group of Norwegian Islands in the Arctic Ocean about 500 miles below the North Pole. I met up with Alex and 10 other Arctic aficionados from all over the world in Longyearbyen, the capital of Svalbard, tucked into a fjord on the Island’s west coast and considered the world’s northernmost town.
Laid Back Company’s Business Model
The entire Laid Back Company business model revolves around curating groups of diverse individuals who are in search of epic places and unforgettable experiences. In other words, Alex says, legendary people.
Nothing, he says, ruins even the best planned Arctic adventure faster than “an off-vibe group dynamic.”
Alex is very up-front about this and what can kill that vibe. Only “fun-loving enthusiasts who are not total buzz kills” are allowed, he says.
“We’re not a good fit for everyone,” he says. “That’s by design, and if you get triggered by a well-placed swear word or expect us to accommodate every micro-whim, this probably isn’t your safe place.”
Polar Plunge, Anyone?
©Julia Bayly
And Yet He Cares
Micro-whims aside, I can tell you Alex makes sure every client is taken care of, safe, and included. On my recent trip, an ankle injury kept me from all but the easiest of onshore walks. For some, I simply stayed on the boat. For stops where transport was available, Alex arranged it for me. The other passengers took turns helping me over loose footing, through deep snow, and carrying my camera gear. In other words, Alex does not create tour groups; he creates a community.
He bases his decisions on who’s in and who’s out by interviewing every person looking to book a trip either in person or via Zoom.
“We are not another sterile travel agency wrapped in fake smiles and corporate bullshit,” Alex says. “We curate our groups (and) there are no ‘buy now’ buttons, no entitled buzzkills – you apply, and we decide.”
After 30 or so minutes, he can tell if someone is Laid Back Company material.
He’s looking for someone who enjoys it when real conversations happen, jokes are told, and where no one is afraid of good-natured teasing.
It sounds a bit crazy, but it works.
That’s because he assembles groups of individuals who are diverse, educated, open-minded, well-traveled, curious, politically astute, and – most importantly – willing and able to laugh at themselves while sharing opinions on everything from the best gin distillery to global politics. It never gets personal, judgmental, or disrespectful.
Ten Days on the Kinfish
My Svalbard trip was 10 days on the RV Kinfish, operated by Northern Expeditions out of Gothenburg, Sweden. It’s a 122-foot vessel built in 1958. It’s still a rugged explorer, but the interior has been retrofitted for the comfort of 12 passengers.
The Kinfish has quite the past. It was built for rescue and salvage operations along the Norwegian coast in the North Atlantic – some of the stormiest waters on the planet. Later, the vessel was transformed into a hydrographic survey ship. There’s documented evidence it served in some top-secret spy missions in the 1950s. For all of that, the ship was outfitted for stability, durability, and dependability. Creature comforts did not really play into it.
Yet today, it’s all about comfort. The five double rooms and one triple are outfitted with twin beds, a desk, limited storage, and private bathrooms with showers. I had zero issues falling asleep in my cabin, tucked under cozy blankets and letting the roll of the ship put me to sleep. When the seas got a bit rough – as they do in those latitudes – it became more of a tossing, but it was still comfortable.
At mid-deck is the galley, media lounge, and the bar.
A One-Man Operation
Alex’s company is a one-man operation. He does hire one or two people every voyage as “hosts” who lend a hand with logistics, photographic tips, and anything else that comes along. This frees up his guests to spend time on the bridge of the Kinfish learning about maritime travel, up on one of the three deck platforms watching for wildlife, or hanging out in the comfy former survey room swapping stories and laughing so hard my stomach would hurt.
My fellow passengers and the crew were from the U.S., Germany, Estonia, Canada, Turkey, Sweden, India, and Iceland.
We all clicked within the first hours, and by day two we were forming our temporary Arctic community.
Meals Aboard the Kinfish
One of the reasons for that was the shared communal meals. Breakfast and lunch were served buffet style and featured what I’ve come to recognize as Nordic fare — cheeses, breads, yogurt, some sort of meat protein, and salads.
But the dinners? That’s where the Kinfish chef really shined. How she did it in confined space on a rocking ship defies explanation. But every night we were treated to things like seared reindeer steaks with cloudberry compote, delicate salmon filets with dill sauce, and poached chicken breast with fingerling potatoes. One night she prepared Atlantic cod — caught that day by some of the passengers. My contribution to that particular feast was the small mackerel I managed to snag, and she kindly cooked it for me.
Every dinner was paired with wine, great conversation, and more laughs.
A Very Strict Itinerary
Each Svalbard trip adheres to a strict itinerary, such as it is, starting with departure from Longyearbyen. From there, each day’s schedule is listed as “chasing opportunities and avoiding disaster with weather, wildlife, and wild ideas shaping the day.”
That’s it. You never know what each day will bring on a Laid Back Company expedition. It’s kind of the whole point.
“You might take the best photo of your life or just vibe on the deck with a blanket like a moody Victorian poet,” Alex says.
I indeed got some of the best wildlife and landscape photos I’ve ever taken. I took countless naps on deck or on the couch in the survey room.
Like a Real-Life Nature Documentary
Polar Bears and Vanished Explorers
We zipped along in inflatable Zodiacs to get close but safe distances to observe polar bears and walruses. The Zodiacs also got us right up to glaciers and landed on beaches where few humans have ever walked. We explored an abandoned Swedish research station that was frozen in time from 1968, when the last occupants left it, to the polar bears, Arctic foxes, and incessant wind.
The material evidence of the long-gone researchers was everywhere – rusted tools in a shed, dishes still on shelves next to the kitchen, bed frames and rotting chairs in what had been the barracks. It was all perfect for our game of Arctic hide-and-seek.
Picture it: Twelve adults from seven different countries gathered in the old barracks. The lighting we had was coming through cracks in boarded-over windows and did little to push back the darkness. Among the hastily established game rules was the banning of flashlights. However, we were allowed to use the flash app on our smartphone cameras. That did not do much to brighten the interior, but it did add quite the strobe effect to the game.
Hide and Seek
From there it was a fairly universal hide and seek operation – one person sat in a rickety wooden chair and counted to 50 out loud. The rest of us scattered – avoiding countless obstacles waiting to trip us or whack us in the heads – to find the best hiding place. All we had to do once the countdown was finished was make it back to that chair before being found.
Alex was the first seeker, and if that strobe effect was not enough, he had brought along a portable player that blasted creepy music while he hunted, laughing manically.
Outside, our ever-present guides and the captain of Kinfish waited for us and, after several rounds of the game, let us know it was time to head back to the ship. Adults? Yes, but still child enough to beg “just five more minutes… please?”
Cheeseburgers, Please
On another afternoon we were taken to a small cove where the Kinfish crew had set up everything needed for an alfresco cookout under the Polar sky. Maybe it’s me, but a grilled cheeseburger just tastes better that close to the North Pole.
Another day in a large glacial lagoon, we all donned bright orange survival buoyancy suits. They allowed us to bob around looking like floating pumpkins in the frigid Arctic Ocean and clumsily clamber onto icebergs.
I should note it took two crew members to get me into that suit. That left me to face the uncomfortable knowledge that, in the unlikely event the boat met with disaster, it would have time to break apart, sink, and undergo salvage operations before I had that suit on.
Every night the waves lapped against the hull while the Northern Lights danced overhead.
We may not have been Perry or Franklin, but we were very, very laid back.
If You Want to Go
Schedule an in-person or Zoom meeting with Alex. He’ll have some questions for you about why you want to join an expedition, any expectations, and what led you to schedule the interview in the first place. There is zero pressure, and each 30-minute interview is really just a laid-back chat.
Once accepted as a cool kid
Laid Back Company expeditions average between $12,000 and $15,000. Alex requires a deposit several months before departure. The balance is due in the weeks before leaving. In return, you receive an online package of information. It includes logistical information, recommendations on what to pack, the strictly enforced luggage limit, where to meet the Kinfish in Longyearbyen on Svalbard, and details on what is included with your ticket fee.
What to bring
Obviously, pack warm clothing including gloves and hats. However, you do not need to go out and buy extreme polar gear. Each expedition member is given a survival suit for the duration of the voyage. They are a bit cumbersome, but keep you toasty when layered with a thermal base and some fleece. You are required to have a pair of tall waterproof rubber boots. These are critical for getting in and out of the Zodiac boats, as that often means stepping into shallow, freezing water. You can rent boots in Longyearbyen.
How to get there
The best way to get to Longyearbyen is to fly to Oslo, Norway. From there, get a flight on either Scandinavian Airlines or Norwegian to Longyearbyen. Be prepared to spend the night in Oslo. Many flights into that airport land after the last flight of the day to Longyearbyen has left. My preferred itinerary is to Oslo, spending the night at the airport’s Radisson Hotel. Then, fly directly to Longyearbyen on Norwegian early the next morning.
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Read more from Julia at www.juliabayly.com
