Mina (10) and Alexander Read Complete the Length of Svalbard – After 600 Kilometres and 44 Days in the Arctic

Father and daughter covered a total of 600 kilometres and approximately 7,000 metres of elevation gain through some of the world’s harshest and most weather-exposed polar regions. Mina and Alexander reached the northernmost point of the main island of Spitsbergen – Verlegenhuken – on May 5, after travelling from south to north.

With this expedition, Mina becomes the youngest person ever to complete a south-to-north crossing of Spitsbergen, writing a new chapter in Norwegian polar history.

The expedition began on March 26 and travelled from south to north through changing weather conditions, glacier terrain, and Arctic wilderness. Along the way, the team also faced major challenges related to mild temperatures and changing climate conditions in Svalbard. During the final days, the team travelled through a unique Arctic light, surrounded by dramatic contrasts between calm weather, strong winds, frozen wilderness, and demanding conditions.

– Along the way, we truly experienced how dramatically climate change has affected Svalbard. 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 today, May 7 – 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.

Moments of trail magic and memories for life

– The expedition has been an absolutely incredible experience for both of us. 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.

– 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 skiing while pulling a 24-kilo sled, but there were also many beautiful days with good weather and lots of rest time 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 17, and then I’m going to eat lots of ice cream.

More Than an Expedition

For Alexander Read, the expedition is first and foremost not about records or achievements, but about play, learning, mastery, strong relationships, resilience, inner leadership, and public health – and about the importance of creating “turmagi” together that becomes lifelong memories.

Through the Mina and Me universe, his social outdoor organisation Turmagi, and his work as an outdoor therapist at Barnas Stasjon with Blå Kors, Alexander works to strengthen children’s resilience, mental health, and family relationships through nature experiences and outdoor life.

The Svalbard expedition, and Mina’s life growing up close to nature over the past ten years, is being documented for a feature-length cinema film planned for release for children and families in 2027. The film is produced by Field Productions.

Research and Climate

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

– 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.

Facts: Svalbard South to North Expedition 2026

• 44 days
• 600 kilometres
• Approximately 7,000 metres of elevation gain
• Start date: March 26, 2026
• Route: South to north across Svalbard
• Being documented as a feature film, with possible TV series and book
• Mina Floriana Read (10) is the youngest person to complete a south-to-north ski expedition across Svalbard.