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May 3 – 11, 2024
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Landscapes and Polar Bears from Greenland to Svalbard
August 28 – September 12, 2024
Greenland has some of the most picturesque landscapes you’ll ever see. Svalbard is home to one of the greatest populations of Polar bears. We have decided to join the two locations in one expedition. Very little photography has been created along this route, which links up the Northeastern shore of Greenland to Svalbard by crossing the North Atlantic Ocean along an icepack. This is a 15-day expedition on our purpose-built, just-the-right-small-size, luxurious expedition ship Polarfront. We will journey up the Eastern shore of Greenland, visiting the Northeast Greenland National Park before crossing the North Atlantic along the icepack. We’ll photograph numerous polar bears, astonishing glaciers, mountains, and icebergs. We’ll fly to Greenland from Reykjavik, thus maximizing our time on the ship.
We may see Arctic hares and muskox during walks onshore. We’ll anchor in beautiful locations to take advantage of shore excursions. With clear skies and good solar activity, we also can photograph the northern lights.
When we’re not photographing or enjoying a fresh, gourmet meal—this is a French ship, after all!—we’ll review images and learn post-processing techniques. Bring your laptop and enjoy editing in the main salon, or read your favorite book and sip some hot tea while we sail to the next location.
Drones are welcome in this workshop and can be flown directly from the ship by skilled pilots. Your leaders will coordinate the flights from the deck with the ship crew.
Expect a group of like-minded photographers who want to work hard to “get the shot.” On this expedition, you can expect to fine-tune your “art of seeing” and improve your landscape photography skills.
Your Pros
Virgil Reglioni
Location
Greenland
Dates
August 28 – September 12, 2024
Availability
Open for Registration
Limited to 12 Guests
Itinerary
This itinerary is subject to change due to weather, local conditions, and other factors.
August 28, 2024: Fly to Reykjavik, Iceland, on this day. We’ll meet for dinner and talk about the adventure ahead.
August 29, 2024: We’ll take our flight from Iceland to Constable Point, Greenland. This will be a privately chartered flight and the cost is not included in your tuition. We will notify you of the cost based on our charter fees. On arrival at the small dirt airstrip, we will be escorted by the crew of the Polarfront to zodiacs waiting along the shore to take us to our ship. Our luggage is handled by crew as well and loaded into everyones cabins.
Constable Point is a very basic airstrip in the wilderness. This flight can be delayed by weather. We will constantly communicate with the airline to confirm details for this flight.
August 30 – September 8, 2024: Aboard Polarfront, we will have a presentation by the captain and crew regarding all safety protocols and be given a tour of the ship. Once everyone is settled in, we will begin our sail North to the fiords of the National Park. Depending on conditions this afternoon, we may visit Ittoqqortoormiit, the most northerly settlement in East Greenland. Her 450 inhabitants make their living primarily by subsistence hunting of seals, narwhales, muskoxen, and polar bears. The quaint little houses dot the rocky slopes of south Liverpool Land with magnificent views of Kap Brewster and the Volquart Boons Coast to the south.
Following this visit we will head North to the waterways of East Greenland’s National Park. Here are some of the highlights of our cruising itinerary. The exact route will depend on the sea, ice, and weather conditions:
Landings within the fiords to capture landscapes of large mountains, wildlife and unique flora.
Large icebergs can be photographed from the deck of the ship, by hand, or with your drone.
Polar bears will be more prevalent than in the Scorseby Sound because no hunting village is nearby.
Northern lights can show this time of year and we will pursue great locations to photograph them from the ship and from land.
The icepack forms this time of year between Northern Greenland and Svalbard, and we will follow this ice, hoping to find more Polar bears. This also helps to keep the waters calm.
September 9, 2024: We’ll leave Greenland and begin our crossing of the North Atlantic Ocean. We’ll follow the icepack East to Svalbard in the hopes of calmer seas and Polar bear sightings. We plan to glass for wildlife during the crossing with hopes of spotting polar bears, walrus, whales and more.
September 12, 2024: We’ll arrive at Longyearbyen Svalbard in the early afternoon. We’ll have our last meal together aboard the Polarfront before disembarking. Taxi rides to the airport in Longyearbyen will be provided up until 11:00PM to catch flights home. We’ll help you arrange your flights to Oslo through one of the regional cities in Northern Norway. We will not book your ticket, but assist in recommending the appropriate flights.
Aboard the Polarfront
Our home for the expedition will be the M/V Polarfront. Built-in Norway and chartered by the Norwegian state for most of her life, Polarfront is a regular in the arctic. A former weather and research ship for the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, she was completely refitted in 2015 as an expedition ship. Although she now flies the French flag, she's still particularly well suited to the ice-covered polar waters of Greenland. Polarfront is fully stabilized—unique for this kind of ship—making for smooth sailing and a very comfortable experience.
Everything about Polarfront is clean, fresh, new, and luxurious. The cabins are beautifully appointed, and the French cuisine is delicious. There are numerous deck areas from which to photograph, as well as two zodiacs. Accommodations on Polarfront consist of six double cabins ranging in size from 18 to 25 square meters, with en-suite bathrooms.
There are three types of Cabins aboard Polarfront:
Cabin 9: Owner's Suite. 25 square meters, Queen bed, additional sofa bed, sitting area, private bathroom.
Cabins 1, 2, 5: Grand Suites. These cabins can be set up with 2 Twins or 1 Double Bed. Sitting area, private bathroom.
Cabins 3 and 4: Deluxe Suites. These cabins can be set up with 2 Twins or 1 Double Bed. Sitting area, private bathroom.
Fitness
Moderate: You must be able to get in and out of Zodiacs and walk up to two miles on land.
Flights
Arrive Keflavík International Airport (KEF), Reykjavík, Iceland anytime on August 28, 2024. Depart Svalbard Airport, Longyear (LYR), Longyearbyen, Svalbard after 12:01 PM on September 12, 2024. Air travel delays are common. Please arrive early, possibly even the day prior, so you don’t miss any of the workshop.
What to Bring
Please see our page How To Prepare For Your Workshop. We will send you a detailed information document 90 days before your workshop. This document will include specifics of where and when to meet, gear and clothing recommendations, and more.
What’s Included
- Double occupancy lodging. Single available for $250 supplement. (Hotel only.)
- All permits and park fees.
- Tips for crew, drivers, and local guides.
- Meals and lodging onboard the ship.
- Waterproof boots for shore excursions.
- Multiple image reviews and post-processing sessions.
- Photographic guiding and instruction from 2 pros.
- Adventure, fun, inspiration, and a great time!
Not Included
- Travel to and from Reykjavik, Iceland and additional flights from Reykjavik to Constable Point.
- Passport and visa fees (if applicable).
- Any meals or accommodations before or after the workshop dates.
- Items of a personal nature.
- Alcoholic Beverages.
- Medical Evacuation Insurance (required).
- Travel Medical and Trip Cancellation Insurance (optional, but recommended).
- Anything else specifically not listed as included.
- Single rooming available for $500 supplement. (Hotel only.)
Payment Terms
- Your non-refundable deposit will hold your space in this workshop.
- Further non-refundable payment is due by January 1, 2024.
- The non-refundable balance is due not later than May 1, 2024.
- The payment amounts are determined by your cabin choice.
- In addition to our standard Terms and Conditions, for this workshop all payments are non-refundable, and this is why we recommend comprehensive travel insurance including trip cancelation.
- While not expected, we do reserve the right to add a surcharge for possible fuel cost increases. This can happen even right up until the time of the expedition, but we try to get as much notice as possible.
- Need special payment arrangements? No problem, just ask us.
| Cabin Choice | Tuition | Deposit | Further Payment | Balance Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabin 3, 4, 5 | $18,500 | $6,500 | $6,000 | $6,000 |
| Cabin 1, 2 | $19,000 | $6,000 | $7,000 | $6,000 |
| Cabin 9 | $19,500 | $6,500 | $7,000 | $6,000 |
Testimonials
“I like the quality of services Muench Workshops provides, the kindness and integrity in which you provide it, the quality of knowledge and instruction your staff provides, and the places you go. Your business is worth supporting. ”
“Talor helped me learn a lot about my camera. I am a novice photographer and had limited understanding of some aspects of my camera and filters. She was able, very quickly, to help me adapt my system to the lighting and water conditions even though she was not very familiar with my particular camera. ”
Behind the Scenes
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