49 licensed YL operators, 2 SWLs, and 17 OM came together in Longyearbyen, Svalbard between the 20th and 24th of August. 
Longyearbyen is named after an American, John Munroe Longyear who founded The Arctic Coal company in 1906. Svalbard, situated 74 - 81degrees north is a very interesting and strange place to visit. During our stay it never got dark! On the other hand, during winter it is dark all the time, and never gets light. 

The organising committee, Turid LA9THA, Unni LA6RHA, Ruth LA6ZH, Ingrid  LA/SWL, Inger JW8kt, had done a splendid job, and offered us many activities apart from the traditional ones as YL-Forum and Banquet. You could take a Kayak tour on the Isfjord, or visit a coalmine, or go fossil hunting or glacier walking or even take a helicopter tour around the islands. Then there was the shack to visit where you could operate the JW0YL call or work under your own call JW/. Whichever you chose you ended up working a pile up. A new and exciting experience to most of us, I think. 

The Banquet menu was composed from local delicatessens Arctic Char, Reindeer and Cranberries, and was very nice. 

On the Sunday we took a whole day tour by boat on Isfjord. We visited Barentsburg, which is a Russian settlement with almost one thousand inhabitants. A local guide, who was also the postmaster, showed us around and after the tour we had Russian lunch, and a chance to buy souvenirs and postcards.  There were 241 steps from the quay to the town. After the visit to Barentsburg we were taken across the fjord to The Esmark glacier and treated to whisky on the rocks, where the ice was from the glacier and 10 million years old! It didn't help much; I still don't like whisky! 

What I do like is to meet all my old friends, and to make new ones so I think I spent most of my time chatting and shopping, because you just had to buy gifts for everyone at home and also send postcards. It is not likely that I will ever visit Svalbard again, but I am very glad I came this time. It will be a memory for life! 
 

Approaching the Esmark glacier
Jill, polar bear and Carol WD8DQG	Birgitta SM0FIB and Carol at Barentsburg