SVALBARD

round-trip

From an icebreaking cold ocean with hard winds to sunny mountain tops. A test team from Swedemount set out for an expedition to the mystic and magical Svalbard, a group of islands located far from the rest of civilication above the arctic circle. The aim was to sail-and-ski, a type of travel concept that has been growing in recent years, to test skiwear and sailing clothes. In the travel concept you get the best of both worlds - skiing and sailing in one trip! Svalbard offers a unique environment where both ranges of clothes could be tested to the extreme. 

The beautiful isladns was originally discovered in 1596 by the dutch adventurer Willem Barents. They offer beautiful northern lights, untouched nature, mountain ranges and midsumer sun from April to August. In other words it is a paradise of contrasts!

But you do not have to cross the Earth to find good testing sites. Back in 2017, a team comprising of Swedemount workers set sail to Svalbard to explore the isolated isles in the middle of the Arctic Sea. Except for tough weather conditions you also must stay on the watch for the over 3,000 polar bears that live on the islands. To test the garments around the islands, the team was escorted by armed guards. Luckily there were no close encounters with polar bears, and the tests proved successful.