Lars Hiertafjellet (783 m)

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Lars Hiertafjellet (783 m) is a Mountain in Svalbard and Jan Mayen

Lars Hiertafjellet is a mountain of 783 metres in the hills around Longyearbyen, the main settlement of the Svalbard archipelago, high in the Arctic Ocean. It carries a Swedish name, a nod to the era when explorers, scientists and mining companies from across the Nordic countries were mapping and staking these islands. Like its neighbours it has the flat-topped, layered profile typical of Svalbard, its slopes built of ancient sedimentary rock and mantled in scree, its bare flanks part of the polar-desert landscape of central Spitsbergen. Snow lies on it for most of the year. In the brief summer it is a serious objective for well-equipped hikers, with wide views over the surrounding valleys and glaciers, while winter brings snowmobile and ski routes across the country below. At around 78°N, among the most northerly places on Earth and deep inside the auroral zone, it stands under some of the darkest skies anywhere. Through the long polar night, when the sun stays down for months, the northern lights appear often and vividly above these frozen peaks.

Where to find Lars Hiertafjellet (783 m)?

78°9'56"N, 15°30'37"E

Aurora hunting in Longyearbyen?

The aurora season here runs from October to February, with the best chances of seeing the Northern Lights in November, December and January. Lars Hiertafjellet (783 m) offers open skies and natural beauty - ideal conditions for spotting the aurora.

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