Yesterday was spent doing a fair bit of flying and waiting, but eventually we arrived at what will be our home for the next six weeks – the icebreaker Oden (“Probably the world’s best icebreaker,” according to a well-known slogan). We climbed into our bunks as Oden left Longyearbyen on Svalbard and headed north.

The morning is all about safety. “Safety first” is, after all, a classic motto. Theory and practice are combined in an excellent way. Among other things, we try out survival suits. (You can see yours truly posing in one in the accompanying photo.) These are good to have if you happen to end up in the somewhat chilly Arctic waters. They keep you afloat and reasonably dry. We also practise firefighting with a good old-fashioned hefty hose connected to the seawater supply. Plenty of pressure there. Finally, we get to see how an emergency escape hood can be used when making your way through smoke-filled indoor spaces.

Lunch is substantial: pork and potatoes with brown beans. Good food for manual labourers. And that is exactly what a large part of Oden’s crew and researchers are at the moment. Before long, all kinds of equipment are being set up and pipes and hoses connected. Lifting and carrying. Toiling and sweating. Computers need to be fired up and instruments put through their paces. You can really feel that everyone is in the starting blocks.

During the afternoon, the wind picks up and 2.5–3-metre waves wash over Oden’s foredeck. Exciting! Many of us, yours truly included, get a serious bout of seasickness and retreat to our bunks to endure a few hours in a half-doze. But the wind dies down, and by around dinnertime we are back on our feet. And look – suddenly we have reached the sea ice! An impressive sight. Ice floes large and small begin to appear, and we keep an eye out for polar bears. It would be pretty amazing to catch sight of these Arctic predators.

Now it’s time for a little music before night falls (which it doesn’t really, as it stays pretty light up here). Talk to you soon!

Henrik Swärd
Participant in the teacher program