Every year Glasgow University has several undergraduate expeditions that visit far off lands in pursuit of academic research and adventure. The expedition to Spitsbergen in the summer of 1996 was special. Never before had the university undertaken to reach such a wild and remote location.

Spitsbergen, the main island of the Svalbard archipelago lies north of Norway and a mere 600 miles from the North Pole. For half of the year it remains in darkness, cut off from the outside world by the vast mass of sea ice that accumulates annually. When gales prevent the arrival of' the ferry, Coll may seem isolated but it pales in comparison to this Arctic island.

In October 1995 I was appointed the leader of the forthcoming expedition; responsible for taking 22 people to the Arctic for a month and of course, ensuring that they all returned safely. A bit of a daunting task I can tell you!

Worries about raising enough money and fellow students being consumed as a wee snack by the odd wandering polar bear were frequent. But after ten months of hard work and planning everything was in place. Much of my planning had been conducted from Coll. Sitting on the bench outside Totronald basking in the glorious sunshine I would chat to Norwegians on the phone and try to envisage the subzero temperatures they were experiencing. I shan't forget the comment. "the weather is very good now, it is only -35 degrees!" I need not have worried though as August temperatures are not that extreme.

The expedition all ran smoothly and according to plan. We flew to Longycarben, the main population centre inhabited by 2000 Norwegian/ Russian miners and, increasingly, those dependent on the tourist trade. From here we travelled for 7 hours on board the boat M/S Svalbard, (at £2000 a time you can see how they make their money!), to our destination, St. Jonsfjorden on the west coast. Here we camped for four weeks, totally alone. our only contact with the world beyond the fjord being by radio.

Equipped with individual tents, a large communal tent, enough food to feed an army and a Zodiac with an outboard for speedy transport, we braved the wild. Two streams sufficed for washing and drinking water supplies and a series of pits as a rather splendid toilet - which must have had one of the most scenic views imaginable for such a facility!

Unfortunately the weather was not always good and many a day was passed sheltering from the vicious storms. Perhaps all the more unfortunate for Charlie and I as our tent was not 100% waterproof, necessitating the quick evacuation of considerable amounts of water to prevent us from floating! Still, when the weather was good it made it all worthwhile.

Imagine sitting with the midnight sun by an icy-green fjord, surrounded by vast piercing mountains and magnificent glaciers. Seals float past on icebergs and the only sound to break the silence is the thunder of blue ice calving into the water.

Spitsbergen is rich in wildlife and we were lucky enough to see numerous species of seals in abundance, Beluga whales, caribou and birds such as Arctic Terns, Skuas, Kittiwakes, Guillemots and Purple Sandpipers. A scruffy Arctic Fox even took to scavenging around the camp. Mosses, saxifrages and poppies provided intermittent carpets and sprinklings of colour. Spitsbergen is not too dissimilar to Coll in that the botany is on a small but delightful scale. Thankfully, no polar bears were sighted - a relief, as, though pleasing to the eye they are very dangerous. Armed with Second World War rifles ( a necessary requirement by law ) we would have no choice but to defend ourselves. As it was, nothing was killed, not even the occasional fish, as all such hunting trips failed - much to my amusement and the men's annoyance!

After a challenging but rewarding month, lots of walking and exploring, climbing up and underneath glaciers, scrambling upon the vast mountains of scree and ( I almost forgot) conducting some glaciological research, it was time to go home.

A different boat came to collect us from the fjord; it was smaller than the first and the waves of the Arctic Ocean had got much bigger! My stomach did not fare very well that day! For someone who lives on an island, I remain a very poor sailor! But all was not lost as upon arrival in Longyearbyen we were welcomed by some wonderful Norwegian hospitality; two nights free board, food and booze on the M/S Svabard. Such warmth (in more than one way!) and generosity made an excellent end to an outstanding adventure. I have no doubt that I will return to the Polar regions again.