About us
Basecamp Explorer Spitsbergen is a dedicated provider of Arctic adventures – Next to the North Pole.
HOW DID IT ALL GET STARTED?
Svein Wilhelmsen founded Basecamp Explorer in 1998, following a life-changing meeting with an old Maasai Chief named Ole Taek. Sitting around the fire one evening, the respected Maasai elder told a worrying tale about his people’s threats. Wilhelmsen was inspired by his concern to found a company that would care, a company that would leave a positive footprint wherever it operated and would have a positive impact on the people it worked with.
Since its establishment in 1998, Basecamp Explorer has expanded to encompass ten distinctive destinations in Kenya and Svalbard. A longstanding and intimate group partnership concluded in 2021, leading to our operations now being conducted under two robust brands: Saruni Basecamp in Kenya and Basecamp Explorer Spitsbergen in Svalbard, effective from 2024.
Basecamp Explorer Spitsbergen is now proudly part of Geografic Hotels & Adventures AS, alongside 62°Nord, continuing our commitment to exceptional, sustainable travel experiences in some of the world’s most remote and breathtaking locations.
MEET OUR FOUNDER
Meet our board of directors in Spitsbergen
BASECAMP explorer SPITSBERGEN AS
70 % owned by Flakk Group AS / 30 % owned by Barents Aurora Invest AS
Jan Sverre Sivertsen
Chairman
Svein Wilhelmsen
Board Member
Ludvig Håndlykken Ström
Board Member
Anders Gaarud
Board Member