Trip Report: Living & Skiing on a Boat in Norway’s Arctic Circle | The Vulkana

Zach Paley |

The Vulkana

I knew it would hold a special place in my heart the first time aboard.

It’s brought a deluge of amazing memories, laughs, food, turns, and times with genuinely good people. Russians who drank enough vodka to drown fish, Germans who had never heard the term “ski bum”, Norwegians, Austrians, Swiss, and all in between enjoyed their time aboard. Groups came together through the universal language of good days skiing, and we had amazing experiences every time we left Tromso.

The Vulkana has been a gateway to something a bit more than skiing. I’m not a diver or a skilled man of the sea, but the ocean, like the mountains, has always been a source of intrigue for me. It’s a massive and misunderstood realm we can, at best, visit briefly. There’s a joy in exploring something that, for me at least, puts everything into perspective. My time spent amongst giants without petty distractions reminds me how insignificant we are. How benign the chaotic and “demanding” nature of life elsewhere can be.

My time on this boat has been everything from relaxing to exhausting. Joyful to frustrating. Therapeutic to stressful. I wouldn’t give up one second of it. I’m proud to say I have experience working on this boat. I’ll look forward to returning next year.

 


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