Alkhornet

Alkhornet stands at the mouth of Isfjorden as a blunt pyramid of rock, and the seabirds nesting on its faces, guillemots and kittiwakes in their tens of thousands, fertilise the slope beneath so heavily that it turns green in a country where most ground is gravel. Svalbard reindeer graze that slope and arctic foxes work the base of the cliff for fallen chicks. Boats land in Trygghamna below.

What you actually see

• The bird cliff - guillemots and kittiwakes nesting in their tens of thousands.
• The green slope - tundra fertilised by the colony above, unusually lush for Svalbard.
• The reindeer - Svalbard reindeer grazing the enriched ground.
• The arctic foxes - the animals working the cliff base for fallen chicks.

When to go

June to August is the seabird season and the reason to come. The colony empties by late summer. Landings depend on swell in the fjord mouth.

Honest expectations

Landing depends on conditions at the fjord mouth, which is more exposed than the inner arms. Polar bear watch is required ashore. The colony is gone by September.

Nearby

Isfjorden runs east, and Longyearbyen is at its head.