End of the earth

“Out there’s a river that winds on forever

I’m gonna see where it leads

Out there’s a mountain that no man has mounted

I’m gonna stand on the peak…

To the ends of the earth,

Would you follow me?”

-“Ends of the earth” by Lord Huron

The Helmer Hanssen at the dock in Ny-Ålesund

At about 2 pm today, the Helmer Hanssen pulled up to the dock in Ny-Ålesund, the northernmost settlement in the world. No group of humans dwells closer to the North Pole than this. 

Of course I've been further north than Ny-Ålesund before, but always on a ship. We actually pushed it to about 81° on the Hanssen earlier this week. As I walk between the houses of this tiny little place, I can't help but marvel at the select few that persist year-round at 79° N. Most people in Ny-Ålesund are just visitors - scientists who come for a field season, tourists who just stop in for the day (yes, cruise ships dock here) - but there are a few support staff who stay for up to 4 years. The cooks, receptionists, and watchmen all sign 2-year contracts with the option to renew only once. The lady who works in the shop actually told me they're not allowed to stay any longer, because the company that hires them insists they have at least semi-normal lives. 

In case you're wondering, there are currently 25-30 people in Ny-Ålesund. I tried to gauge the population at dinner, but I couldn't get an exact count. Yes, that means that everyone in town eats dinner at the same place. There's a single cafeteria operated by Kings Bay, the company in charge of running the town. 

Now, you should be aware that the number of people in Ny-Ålesund flucuates widely throughout the year. There can be up to 10 times as many people here in the summer as in the winter. Researchers come and go all the time, either by plane or by boat. There are also a lot of nationalities represented. If you take a walk through the settlement, you'll notice Norwegian, Italian, French-German, Korean, and Chinese research buildings. The Dutch, British, and Indians are also present at certain times of year. I was astounded at the number of countries so invested in Arctic research. 

When I got to my dorm room, I noticed there was a packet on my bed labeled "How to survive in Ny-Ålesund." Inside were instructions for disposing of waste, avoiding polar bear attacks, and avoiding interference with important scientific instruments. There is no Wi-Fi, radio, or cell phone service in the settlement because instruments used by the Norwegian Mapping Authorities rely on radio waves. You have to keep your cell phone off everywhere in town. 

It's so interesting for me to experience life in Ny-Ålesund. A lot of more experienced scientists on the ship have been here before, and for them this is all old news. Maybe someday it will be normal for me to pull into a remote port at the end of the earth, but that day is not today.