June 2026 – Jan Mayen is one of the most isolated and dramatic places on Earth — a small, windswept volcanic island in the Norwegian Sea, roughly 600 km north of Iceland, 500 km east of Greenland, and 900 km west of mainland Norway, well north of the Arctic Circle. Dominating its northeastern end is Mt. Beerenberg, a glacier-covered stratovolcano that rises to 2,277 meters (7,470 ft). It is the world’s northernmost active volcano above sea level and Norway’s only active volcano.
Beerenberg is a classic stratovolcano topped by a large, roughly 1 km-wide ice-filled crater. Glaciers spill from the crater and upper slopes all the way down to the sea, creating a stunning but formidable landscape of ice, rock, and crevasses. The volcano has erupted several times in recorded history, most notably with flank eruptions in 1970, 1973, and January 1985. Because of its extreme remoteness, unpredictable Arctic weather, and heavily crevassed glaciers, successful ascents are exceptionally rare.
The first recorded climb took place in August 1921 during a scientific expedition, achieved by British polar explorer James Wordie, Swiss meteorologist Paul-Louis Mercanton, and naturalist Thomas Charles Lethbridge. For many decades afterward, the mountain was climbed only sporadically — mostly by Norwegian meteorological station personnel (around 18 documented ascents over a long period). The first ascents by non-station foreigners and organized tourist groups began in the 2000s. Even today, only a small number of people have ever stood on the summit of Beerenberg.
Together with my daughter Anna and her husband Andreas, I joined Seil Norge’s expedition to Jan Mayen with the specific goal of reaching the summit of Mt. Beerenberg.
The journey began and ended in Longyearbyen on Svalbard. From there we sailed to Jan Mayen aboard Valiente, a sturdy steel-hulled ocean-going sailboat that covered the 580 nautical miles in just under four days each way. Our group of eight participants shared sailing duties in four-hour shifts — a true team effort in the North Atlantic.
Weather on the entire voyage was remarkably kind: no storms, no rain, and abundant sunshine. We had allocated six full days for the summit attempt, but conditions looked excellent as soon as we arrived. Just four hours after arrival — after completing the necessary arrival formalities with the island’s local leader — we began the climb.
Mt. Beerenberg is normally ascended from the southwest. We started late in the afternoon and made a long rest stop at around 600 metres, just below the snowline. We resumed at 3 a.m., once the snow and glacier had frozen hard overnight in the shadow of the mountain (in June the sun shines 24 hours a day at this latitude). We reached the true summit around 11 a.m.
The volcano’s impressive crater and the glacier flowing from it toward the northwest coast were spectacular sights. From about 600 metres upward the mountain is heavily glaciated, so most of the ascent was done on crampons. Above roughly 1,400 metres we roped up together because of the many crevasses. The round-trip distance was approximately 40 km with the full elevation gain and loss.
On the summit we enjoyed sunshine and almost windless conditions — something of a rarity on this remote island perched between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea. Standing there, on one of the rarest and most challenging summits in the Arctic, was an unforgettable moment shared with family and fellow adventurers.
Summit pictures
More pictures from the climb and descent
Pictures from sailing from Svalbard to Jan Mayen
Pictures from sailing around and back from Jan Mayen to Svalbard
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