The barren Arctic desert greeted us this morning in Torellneset. And if you happened to think—“Wow, what a bleak and probably boring place”—you wouldn’t have been entirely wrong at first glance. But if you took a closer look, there were surprises to be found.

Overhead, we spotted flocks of Brent Geese (the first ones of this trip!) passing by now and then. And for those of us who kept our eyes low to the ground, there were tiny patches of life clinging to the rocky soil. Among them: scurvy grass, tufted saxifrage, the familiar bright purple saxifrage, and even alpine sorrel - a species we hadn’t come across yet on this trip. It grew in sparse, shy little clusters tucked between the stones, as if trying not to be noticed.

Walking the square loop on the landing side hopefully refreshed your lungs with crisp polar air and offered a moment of calm - all while the walruses lounged lazily on the nearby beach.