Mina (10) Is the Youngest to Cross Svalbard From South to North

Together with her father, Alexander Read, Mina embarked on the expedition on March 26th and finished the strenuous crossing on May 5th.

The duo has covered 600 kilometers and about 7,000 meters of elevation gain through some of the world's harshest and most demanding polar areas.

At a young age, Mina has written a new chapter in Norwegian polar history, as the youngest person ever to have crossed Svalbard from south to north. 

The expedition has been documented and will become a feature-length cinema film planned for release for children and families in 2027. 

Climate change impact

Along the way, the team experienced the impact of climate change on Svalbard, which in turn affected their plans to return to Longyearbyen.

"The original plan was to be picked up by snowmobiles, but weather and snow conditions forced us instead to return to Longyearbyen by the boat Farm on May 7th – a journey of around 30 hours at sea. The climate changes in Svalbard leave a strong impression and spark many reflections about the future our children will grow up in," says Alexander Read.

Yet, the expedition has been an incredible experience for both of them, Alexander adds.

"On this journey, we perhaps found the greatest sense of outdoor magic in the simplest moments together. Whether it was playing games, reading books, and braiding hair inside the tent, or sharing conversations about both big and small things, we created many beautiful moments together – both during breaks and while skiing."

"Even though we had many days of beautiful weather, we also faced wind, cold, and demanding conditions, including periods where we were weather-bound. Some evenings, we sat inside the tent while the wind shook the tent fabric, playing games inside our sleeping bags. Still, Mina and I are left with memories for life. We experienced so much real outdoor magic, shared many meaningful conversations, and I focused throughout the expedition on encouraging play, learning, and resilience," says Alexander Read, who is both impressed by and proud of Mina for completing the entire expedition.

Beautiful Svalbard

"I skied really far during the last few days, and I was very happy when we finally reached the northern tip of Spitsbergen. The light there was magically beautiful", says Mina.

"The nature in Svalbard is incredibly beautiful. It is completely silent in the icy wilderness, and everything feels so huge. Some days there was a lot of wind, and it was hard to ski while pulling a 24-kilo sled, but there were also many beautiful days with good weather and lots of rest in the tent where daddy and I played games. We also had lots of fun during the trip with Easter ski races and sledding in the snow."

"I didn’t get to see a polar bear, but I saw lots of polar bear tracks, Arctic foxes, reindeer, and birds. Now I’m really looking forward to coming home to my family, my classmates, and my bicycle. And soon it’s Norway’s National Day on May 17th, and then I’m going to eat lots of ice cream."

Research and climate

During the expedition, Mina also collected snow samples for research purposes for UiT The Arctic University of Norway through the CLEAN project on Svalbard, which investigates whether forever chemicals (PFAS) are present in the Arctic snow.

"I collected many snow samples, wrote a diary, and kept notes for the researchers that I’m bringing home in my sled. I really hope they don’t find forever chemicals in the samples because that is bad for the animals, the people who live there, and the environment," says Mina.